It's a major question for about a month now. Who is to blame for the massacre in Littleton, Colorado? Fingers have pointed at gun makers, violent movies and at video games. But the parents of one of the young victims believe much of the blame lies squarely on the parents of the two gunmen, and now they are suing, accusing them of failing to properly supervise and control their children. High school senior Isaiah Shoels was one of the 13 people killed when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire at Columbine High School last month. Witnesses say Isaiah was targeted because he was an athlete and because he was black.

Evidence suggests the boys had been plotting the massacre for more than a year. In the home of one of the suspects, investigators removed explosives, Nazi literature and a shotgun barrel. Detailed notes mapping out the plan turned up on Eric Harris' Web site and in diaries.

Isaiah Shoels' parents, Vonda and Michael, have filed a $ 250 million lawsuit against the parents of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. The Shoels are represented by attorney Geoffrey Fieger, who joins us this morning from KCNC-TV in Denver. Good morning, Mr. Fieger.

Mr. GEOFFREY FIEGER (Shoels Family Attorney): Good morning.

ASSURAS: Let me ask you, why are the Shoels really doing this? Can you really put a price on a child's life?

Mr. FIEGER: Of course not. But the legal system is a mechanism by which we effectuate change. You wouldn't have child safety seats, childproof drug capsule containers. You wouldn't have safe cars but for the judicial system, which is part of the tripartite system. We're going to examine the breakdown, the tear in the social fabric. The traditional layers that have previously insulated us from violence seem to have been shredded, and this unique phenomena of execution and terrorism in our schools has got to stop.

ASSURAS: Well, you know, some analysts are already saying that this is going to be a difficult case for you to prove. Essentially you're going to try and prove negligence and, in a way, that the parents knew what, you know, Eric and Dylan were doing. How are you going to prove that? What evidence do you have?

Mr. FIEGER: Knew or should have known. Well, we have overwhelming evidence. Can you imagine any jury taking a look at this case and not saying the parents should have known that their children were building over 50 bombs in their home and in their garage? One of them's a 50-pound propane gas bomb. You can't smell propane? When the police entered the Harris household, they found gun parts and bomb-making material on his dresser. Is there any jury who is going to say the parents shouldn't know that their children have gun parts and gunpowder on the dresser? I mean, this is so beyond the acceptable line that I don't think it's going to be very difficult for a jury to look at these facts and say, 'Wait a second, if parents have any responsibility for their children at all, it's to have some knowledge of whether they're amassing an arsenal of weapons that would make a small country happy.'

ASSURAS: But, you know, a lot of people in Littleton are saying--you know, they--they have sympathy for the Harrises and the Klebolds, and they're saying that really what you're doing and what the Shoels are doing is interfeeling--interfering with the healing process. What about that?

Mr. FIEGER: Well, I--I'm sorry. I think what they're talking about is they'd like to forget. We can never forget this. If we're going to have any more--we're going to have some more Columbines, we'll have some more Paducah, Kentuckys, if we simply forget it. And I--while I have sympathy for the Harrises and the Klebolds, that still doesn't diminish my responsibility to look at what happened, and I can't believe that acceptably today--if we are going to say that it is all right for parents to turn their heads to children in high school that are building bombs in their homes, then we're--we're most assuredly going to have another Columbine.

ASSURAS: Finally, in the last 30 seconds, sir, are you likely to add more defendants in this case?

Mr. FIEGER: Yeah, undoubtedly. Under the new Supreme Court ruling, I'm going to take a look at the liability of the school administrators. Isaiah was clearly targeted because he was black. There had been previous threats. We'll take a look at the manufacturer of the TEC-9, and we'll take a look at whether other people were involved. I don't think these two young men did it alone. No way did they carry over 50 bombs into that school alone.

ASSURAS: OK. Well, we'll be talking to you again, I'm cer--sure. Geoffrey Fieger, thanks so much for joining us this morning.

Mr. FIEGER: Thank you, Thalia.

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