127-663: Location: Columbine High School ( Columbine, Colorado ) Eric David Harris (April 9, 1981 – April 20, 1999) and Dylan Bennet Klebold ( / ˈ k l iː b oʊ l d / KLEE -bohld ; September 11, 1981 – April 20, 1999) were two American high school seniors and mass murderers who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, in Columbine, Colorado . Harris and Klebold killed 12 students and one teacher and wounded 24 others. After killing most of their victims in
254-450: A Blackjack Pizza , a mile south from Columbine High School. Harris was eventually promoted to shift leader. He and his group of friends were interested in computers, and were enrolled in a bowling class. Some described Harris as charismatic, and others described him as nice and likable. Harris also often bragged about his ability to deceive others, once stating in a tape that he could make anyone believe anything. By his junior year , Harris
381-460: A Lutheran church with their children. Both Klebold and his older brother attended confirmation classes in accordance with the Lutheran tradition . As had been the case with his older brother, Klebold was named after a renowned poet, Dylan Thomas . Klebold attended Normandy Elementary School for first and second grade and then transferred to Governor's Ranch Elementary School where he was part of
508-558: A clique that was called the "Trenchcoat Mafia", despite later confirmation that the pair had no connection to the group and furthermore did not appear in the group's photo in Columbine High's 1998 yearbook . Harris's father erroneously stated that his son was "a member of what they call the Trenchcoat Mafia" in a 9-1-1 call he made on the day of the shooting. Klebold attended the high school prom three days before
635-605: A pump-action shotgun and ammunition from a dealer she had previously been in contact with. On April 16, the captain of the Miami Beach Police Department alerted agents with the FBI field office in Miami about a "potential school shooter who is infatuated with Columbine shooter Eric Harris ". Shortly after Pais was reported missing, investigators gained access to Pais' email, which revealed information for
762-777: A "green rifle case" with a "bird hunting gun". Pais apparently committed suicide by gunshot to the head later that night. Its attendance zone includes the Columbine CDP. Columbine effect Location: Columbine High School ( Columbine, Colorado ) The Columbine effect is the legacy and impact of the Columbine High School massacre , which occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado . The shooting has had an effect on school safety, policing tactics, prevention methods (including gun control and metal detectors ), and inspired numerous copycat crimes , with many killers taking their inspiration from Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold by describing
889-417: A basement tape, blamed his father for moving the family around, forcing Harris to "start out at the bottom of the ladder." Harris had a chest deformity known as pectus excavatum , in which the breastbone sinks into the chest. This made Harris reluctant to take his shirt off in gym class as other students ridiculed him. Harris had two cosmetic surgeries at age 12 and 13 to repair the deformity. The sunken chest
1016-446: A capacity for 1,652 students. It was named after the surrounding community of Columbine , which in turn was named after the state flower of Colorado: the columbine . The school's first principal was Gerald Difford. There was no senior class during the school's first year; its first graduating class was in 1975. The school colors were selected through a vote by students at Ken Caryl Junior High School and Bear Creek High School , who were
1143-701: A child due to his father's occupation in the United States Air Force , while Klebold was born and raised near Columbine. Harris's family eventually settled in Colorado in 1992. Shortly after, Harris and Klebold met while they were in the 7th grade. Over time, they became increasingly close. By the time they were juniors in high school, they were described as inseparable. There are differing reports; some say Harris and Klebold were very unpopular students once they were upperclassmen, as well as frequent targets of bullying, while others say they were not near
1270-569: A condition in which the opening between the stomach and small intestines thickens, causing severe vomiting during the first few months of life. Klebold's parents had met when they were both studying art at Ohio State University . After they both graduated, they married in 1971, with their first child, Byron, being born in 1978. Thomas had initially worked as a sculptor, but then moved over to engineering to be more financially stable. Sue had worked in assistance services with disabled children. Furthermore, Klebold's parents were pacifists and attended
1397-423: A diversionary program which included community service and psychiatric treatment . Harris was required to attend anger management classes where, again, he made a favorable impression. The boys' probation officer discharged them from the program a few months ahead of schedule for good behavior. Regarding Harris, it was remarked that he was "a very bright individual who is likely to succeed in life", while Klebold
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#17327873743211524-476: A documented presence on social media sites, especially Tumblr . Fans of Harris and Klebold refer to themselves as "Columbiners." An article published in 2015 in the Journal of Transformative Works , a scholarly journal which focuses on the sociology of fandoms, noted that Columbiners were not fundamentally functionally different from more mainstream fandoms. Columbiners create fan art and fan fiction , and have
1651-457: A fake suicide, sprawling on the ground with fake blood splashed all over him. When Typher saw him on the ground, she began to scream for help, at which point Harris and his friends began laughing, prompting Typher to storm off, shouting at Harris to get psychological help. Dylan Bennet Klebold was born on September 11, 1981, in Lakewood, Colorado , to Thomas and Sue Klebold . On the day after
1778-576: A fictional school shooting, but is based in part on the Columbine massacre. The 2003 Ben Coccio film Zero Day was also based on the massacre. The 2005 Lifetime film Dawn Anna is based on the struggles of Dawn Anna Townsend, whose daughter Lauren was killed in the massacre. The first documentary on the massacre may have been the TLC documentary Lost Boys in 2000. The 2002 Michael Moore documentary film Bowling for Columbine , which explores
1905-531: A genuine threat and how much discretion school officials should have in regulating student speech. This has made it a complex issue for schools and courts to balance safety and freedom of expression. Police departments have reassessed their tactics and have since trained for Columbine-like situations after criticism over the slow response and progress of the SWAT teams during the shooting. First responders face numerous challenges when entering situations like this. In
2032-466: A household name, and causing a moral panic in U.S. high schools. It was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history until it was surpassed by the Parkland high school shooting on February 14, 2018, in which 17 people were killed. After the shooting, classes at Columbine were held at nearby Chatfield Senior High for the remaining three weeks of that school year. The school went through
2159-410: A job with Flight Safety Services Corporation and Harris's mother became a caterer . Harris entered Columbine High School in 1995 as a freshman . Columbine had just gone through a major renovation and expansion. From all accounts, he had many friends and was left forward and mid-field on the Columbine soccer team for his freshman and sophomore year. Josh Swanson, one of his teammates, said that Harris
2286-427: A lasting impression on the world with this kind of violence. Much speculation occurred over the date chosen for their attack. The original intended date of the attack may have been April 19; Harris required more ammunition from Mark Manes, who did not deliver it until the evening of April 19. Harris and Klebold were both avid fans of KMFDM , an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko . It
2413-433: A loud boom. Nielson said that she had never spoken with either of the writers of the article, and evidence suggests otherwise. Just before shooting himself, Klebold lit a Molotov cocktail on a nearby table, underneath which Ireland was lying, which caused the tabletop to momentarily catch fire. Underneath the scorched film of material was a piece of Harris's brain matter, suggesting Harris had shot himself by this point. There
2540-409: A major renovation in 1995, just four years before the massacre, adding a new library and cafeteria. After the shootings, Columbine completely demolished its library, located above the cafeteria, since it was the site where the majority of the deaths occurred. The site was then turned into a memorial ceiling and atrium ; a new, larger library was built on the hill where the shooting began and dedicated to
2667-556: A married couple, Jerad and Amanda Miller, shot and killed two Las Vegas police officers and an intervening civilian before being confronted by police. Jerad Miller was fatally shot by an officer while Amanda Miller committed suicide shortly afterwards. They both talked about committing "the next Columbine" and idolized Harris and Klebold according to a neighbor's account. The Tumblr fandom gained widespread media attention in February 2015 after three of its members conspired to commit
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#17327873743212794-604: A mass shooting at a Halifax mall on Valentine's Day . In 2017, two 15-year-old school boys from Northallerton , England, were charged with conspiracy to murder after becoming infatuated with the crime and "hero-worshipping" Harris and Klebold. Randy Stair, the perpetrator of the Eaton Township Weis Markets shooting had a fascination with the Columbine High School massacre and Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold . In his writings, Stair called
2921-417: A nod to the nickname of Columbine High's sports teams) and other online aliases, including "Rebldomakr", "Rebdoomer", and "Rebdomine". Klebold went by the names "VoDKa" and "VoDkA", after the alcoholic beverage . Harris had various websites that hosted Doom and Quake files, as well as team information for those with whom he gamed online. The sites openly espoused hatred for people in their neighborhood and
3048-537: A planned approach to support those with SMI. The first copycat may have been the W. R. Myers High School shooting , just eight days after Columbine, when a 14-year-old Canadian student went into his former school in Taber, Alberta at lunchtime with a sawed off .22 rifle under his dark blue trench coat, and opened fire, killing one student. A month after the massacre, Heritage High School in Conyers, Georgia , had
3175-401: A reevaluation of mental health advocacy and intervention tactics to avoid situations where a person becomes dangerous to themselves or others. All these different results show how the Columbine effect greatly influences society. On April 20, 1999, Columbine High School seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher and injured 24 others. Around 50 minutes after
3302-488: A self-made video recording sent to the news media by Seung-Hui Cho prior to his committing the Virginia Tech shootings, he referred to the Columbine massacre as an apparent motivation. In the recording, he wore a backwards baseball cap and referred to Harris and Klebold as "martyrs." Adam Lanza, the perpetrator of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting , had "an obsession with mass murders, in particular,
3429-584: A shooting which Attorney General Janet Reno called a Columbine "copycat". A friend of Harris and Klebold, Eric Veik, was arrested after threatening to "finish the job" at Columbine High School in October 1999. Another case was in Germany in 2002. The expelled student Robert Steinhäuser involved was seeking payback against teachers, like the Columbine shooters. In Germany again, at the Amadon School,
3556-463: A similar incident, a Police Department had to deal with over 1500 misleading calls to the dispatch center during the first two hours of the incident, which underscores the difficulties that law enforcement officials face in managing misinformation distractions during active shooter incidents. Training has been increased and now includes quick deployment rules while schools are rethinking emergency policies. The Pacifica CA Police Department has created
3683-480: A student at East High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin informed school staff of a plot to carry out a "Columbine Style" attack on the school. A search of the involved students' homes yielded weapons and improvised explosives. Two students served time in prison for conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide. A third student was given a lesser sentence for conspiracy to damage property with explosives. In
3810-447: A super Doom game and see to it that the weak die and the strong live. On the day of the massacre, Harris wore a white T-shirt with the words "Natural selection" printed in black. At the end of Harris's last journal entry, he wrote: "I hate you people for leaving me out of so many fun things. And no don't fucking say, 'Well that's your fault,' because it isn't, you people had my phone number, and I asked and all, but no. No no no don't let
3937-490: A tactical playbook that gives planning and equips responders with strategic direction for coordinating responses between agencies when facing mass violence. Police followed a traditional tactic at Columbine: surround the building, set up a perimeter, and contain the damage. That approach has been replaced by a tactic known as the Immediate Action Rapid Deployment tactic. This tactic calls for
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - Misplaced Pages Continue
4064-450: A team to advance into the site of any ongoing shooting, but even with just a single officer if more are not available. In fact, the majority of active shooters are stopped by a single officer. Police officers using this tactic are trained to move toward the sound of gunfire in formation and neutralize the shooter as quickly as possible. There has been widespread adoption of high-strength body armor and patrol rifles by police departments across
4191-641: A van, for which each received ten months of juvenile intervention counseling and community service in January 1998. They began to formulate plans then, as reflected in their journals. Harris wanted to join the United States Marine Corps , but his application was rejected shortly before the shootings because he was taking the drug fluvoxamine , an SSRI antidepressant , which he was required to take as part of court-ordered anger management therapy. Harris did not state in his application that he
4318-434: A victim's father. The pair claimed they were going to make copies of the tapes to send to news stations, but never did so. Harris and Klebold met at Ken Caryl Middle School during their seventh grade year. Over time, they became increasingly close, hanging out by often going out bowling, carpooling and playing the video game Doom over a private server connected to their personal computers. By their junior year of high school,
4445-477: A white t-shirt that read " Natural selection " and pants with black suspenders, which were reported as referring to Eric Harris . In September 2021, two teens were arrested in Lee County, Florida , and were accused of plotting a school shooting. A search conducted of the teen's homes showed a map of the school with security cameras labeled. Several knives and a gun were also found. The Sheriff Department said
4572-445: A year before the attack. Throughout the next eleven months, Harris and Klebold meticulously built explosives and gathered an arsenal of weapons. Both Harris and Klebold each left behind several journal writings and home videos, ones they made both alone and together, foreshadowing the massacre and explaining their motives. Harris and Klebold hoped this content would be viewed by the public extensively and inspire followers, although much of
4699-546: Is a public high school in Columbine, Colorado , United States, in the Denver metropolitan area . It is part of the Jefferson County Public Schools district. In 1999, it became the scene of an infamous mass shooting , where 12 students and one teacher were murdered by senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold before the pair committed suicide. Columbine High School opened in 1973 with
4826-599: The Dawson College shooting wrote a note praising Harris and Klebold. Convicted students Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik of Pocatello High School in Idaho, who murdered their classmate Cassie Jo Stoddart , mentioned Harris and Klebold in their homemade videos, and were reportedly planning a "Columbine-like" shooting. The perpetrator of the Emsdetten school shooting praised Harris in his diary. In September 2006,
4953-650: The Limp Bizkit song "Head for the Barricade", which is on the 2003 album Results May Vary , and the reference was not censored on the explicit or edited versions of the album. In 2004, the shooting was dramatized in the documentary Zero Hour , narrated by David Morrissey . In 2007, the massacre was documented in an episode of the National Geographic Channel documentary series The Final Report . The 2009 film April Showers , which
5080-661: The Treatment Advocacy Center , a legacy of the Columbine shootings is its "allure to disaffected youth." Ralph Larkin examined twelve major school shootings in the US in the following eight years and found that in eight of those, "the shooters made explicit reference to Harris and Klebold." A 2015 investigation by CNN identified "more than 40 people...charged with Columbine-style plots." A 2014 investigation by ABC News identified "at least 17 attacks and another 36 alleged plots or serious threats against schools since
5207-567: The psychiatric medications prescribed to Harris after his conviction may have exacerbated his aggressiveness. Klebold entitled his journal A Virtual Book: EXISTENCES . Klebold's first journal entry was March 31, 1997, over a year prior to when Harris began his own writings, and in it, he talks about his depression and suicidal thoughts, over two years prior to the massacre. For the rest of his writings, Klebold often wrote about his view that he and Harris were "god-like" and more highly evolved than every other human being, but his secret journal records
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - Misplaced Pages Continue
5334-488: The 20th anniversary of the massacre in 2019, and during the manhunt of Florida teenager Sol Pais , that she opposed the release of the Basement Tapes because of the call made by Eric Harris to other would-be shooters to "join him in infamy". She also highlighted that it was most likely males to be obsessed by the shooting and that the case of Sol Pais was rare due to her being a female. The Treatment Advocacy Center
5461-605: The April 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado." In 2011, Tristan van der Vlis shot and killed six people in a shopping mall in Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands before committing suicide. He was obsessed with the Columbine shootings. The date he chose for his attack was April 9, which was the birthday of Eric Harris, and he started shooting at 12:08 pm, the time when Harris committed suicide. In June 2014,
5588-537: The Challenging High Intellectual Potential Students program for gifted children. According to reports, Klebold was exceptionally bright as a young child, although he appeared somewhat sheltered in elementary school. When he transitioned to Ken Caryl Middle School, he found it difficult. Fellow classmates recalled Klebold being painfully shy and quiet, often to an uncomfortable degree. Klebold's parents were unconcerned with
5715-460: The Columbine shooters his heroes, wishing he could have met them, and said Harris was his idol out of the two boys. the 2018 Perm school stabbing occurred in Perm, Russia on the morning of January 15, 2018. The perpetrators, 16-year-old former student Lev Bijakov and tenth-grader Alexander Buslidze attacked students and a teacher with knives , after which they attempted suicide . As a result of
5842-582: The Columbine shooting, schools across the United States instituted new security measures such as transparent backpacks, metal detectors, school uniforms, and security guards. Some schools implemented the numbering of school doors to improve public safety response. Several schools throughout the country resorted to requiring students to wear computer-generated IDs. Schools also adopted a zero-tolerance approach to possession of weapons and threatening behavior by students. Several social science experts feel
5969-508: The Columbine victim counts, and other ties. In 2015, journalist Malcolm Gladwell writing in The New Yorker magazine proposed a threshold model of school shootings in which Harris and Klebold were the triggering actors in "a slow-motion, ever-evolving riot, in which each new participant's action makes sense in reaction to and in combination with those who came before." FBI former profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole said on CNN during
6096-404: The January arrest would be "god-like". On the day of the massacre, Klebold wore a black T-shirt which had the word "WRATH" printed in red. It was speculated that revenge for the arrest was a possible motive for the attack, and that the pair planned on having a massive gun battle with police during the shooting. Klebold wrote that life was no fun without a little death, and that he would like to spend
6223-622: The Supreme Court declared the "Columbine" movement as a terrorist group. Whilst the motivation for the ruling is unknown, sentencing for terrorist activity is punishable by life imprisonment in Russia . The Columbine shootings influenced subsequent school shootings, with several such plots mentioning it. Fear of copycats has sometimes led to the closing of entire school districts. According to psychiatrist Edwin Fuller Torrey of
6350-521: The US after being performed at a memorial service broadcast on USA-wide television. The song was pressed to CD, with the proceeds benefiting families affected by the massacre, and over 10,000 copies were ordered. Shortly following the release of the CD single, the song was also featured on the Lullaby for Columbine CD. Since the advent of online social media, a fandom for shooters Harris and Klebold has had
6477-533: The United States in response to the increased active shooter threat. Their goal is to stop the shooter at all costs; they are to walk past wounded victims, as the aim is to prevent the shooter from killing or wounding more. Dave Cullen has stated: "The active protocol has proved successful at numerous shootings...At Virginia Tech alone, it probably saved dozens of lives." The Russian Prosecutor General's Office actively sought to deter incitement to commit such copycat attacks. On 2 February 2022, with immediate effect,
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#17327873743216604-510: The aforementioned self-loathing and suicidal intentions. Page after page was covered in hearts, as he was secretly in love with a Columbine student. Although both had difficulty controlling their anger, Klebold's anger had led to his being more prone to serious trouble than Harris. After their arrest, which both recorded as the most traumatic thing they had ever experienced, Klebold wrote a letter to Harris, saying how they would have so much fun getting revenge and killing police, and how his wrath from
6731-438: The assault on Columbine High School that can be tied to the 1999 massacre." Ties identified by ABC News included online research by the perpetrators into the Columbine shooting, clipping news coverage and images of Columbine, explicit statements of admiration of Harris and Klebold, such as writings in journals and on social media, in video posts, and in police interviews, timing planned to an anniversary of Columbine, plans to exceed
6858-518: The attack, 15 people were injured, including the perpetrators. The two teens were said to be inspired by Harris and Klebold. The Kerch Polytechnic College massacre appears to be a copycat crime. The shooter wore a white shirt which said "Hatred" (in Russian), one fingerless glove, planted bombs, and committed suicide with a shotgun in the library, all very similar to Harris' outfit and suicide. Guilherme Taucci Monteiro and Luiz Henrique de Castro ,
6985-416: The attack, so this conclusion is often debated. In the following years, various media outlets attributed multiple motivating factors to the attack, including bullying , mental illness , racism , psychiatric medication , and violence in music, movies, and video games . Despite these conclusions, the exact motive for the attack remains inconclusive. Harris and Klebold have become pop culture icons , with
7112-561: The attacks in these videos and gave instructions in bomb making. Police cite the reason for withholding these tapes as an effort to prevent them from becoming "call-to-arms" and "how-to" videos that could inspire copycat killers . Some people have argued that releasing the tapes would be helpful, in terms of allowing psychologists to study them, which in turn could possibly help identify characteristics of future killers. Columbine High School Location: Columbine High School ( Columbine, Colorado ) Columbine High School ( CHS )
7239-462: The bomb, the match head lit the fuse. The weekend before the shootings, Harris and Klebold had purchased propane tanks and other supplies from a hardware store for a few hundred dollars. Several residents of the area claimed to have heard glass breaking and buzzing sounds from the Harris family's garage, which later was concluded to indicate they were constructing pipe bombs. More complex bombs, such as
7366-404: The bottom of the school's social hierarchy and that each had many friends, along with active social lives. Columbine High School was alleged to have an intense " jock culture", which saw popular students, mainly athletes, benefit from special treatment from faculty and other students. According to their journal entries, Harris and Klebold had seemed to begin planning the attack by May 1998, nearly
7493-426: The boys were described as inseparable. Chad Laughlin, a close friend of Harris and Klebold, said that they always sat alone together at lunch and often kept to themselves. A rumor eventually started that Harris and Klebold were gay and romantically involved, due to the time the pair spent together. It is unknown if they were aware of this rumor. Judy Brown believed Harris was more emotionally dependent on Klebold, who
7620-482: The commons and squirted ketchup packets all over them, laughing at them, calling them faggots", Brooks Brown says. "That happened while teachers watched. They couldn't fight back. They wore the ketchup all day and went home covered with it." In his book No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Death at Columbine , Brown wrote that Harris was born with mild chest indent . This made him reluctant to take his shirt off in gym class, and other students would laugh at him. "A lot of
7747-418: The commons. However, other commentators have disputed the theory that bullying was the motivating factor. Jeff Kass who has also published a book on the attack believes that bullying wasn't the cause. Peter Langman also argues against bullying being the cause of the attack. Other researchers have concurred. Harris began keeping a journal in April 1998, a short time after the pair was charged with breaking into
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#17327873743217874-525: The day, keeping more than 500,000 students across the state home. According to Pais' autopsy, however, Pais was already deceased before the manhunt even started on April 15. She had taken about a 40-minute Uber drive from DIA to a mall, and then purchased a shotgun and ammunition from the dealer she had been in contact with previously, before taking another Uber ride from the gun shop "into the mountains" near Mount Evans . According to this Uber driver, Pais "had no food or water and only minimal clothing," and had
8001-456: The duo for cosplay or Halloween . Eric David Harris was born on April 9, 1981, in Wichita, Kansas . Harris's parents were both born and raised in Colorado. His mother, Katherine Ann Poole, was a homemaker . His father, Wayne Harris, was working in the United States Air Force as a transport pilot. In 1983, the family moved to Dayton, Ohio , when Harris was two years old. Six years later,
8128-602: The earlier library attack, was also in the room, unable to move. By 12:08 pm, Harris and Klebold had killed themselves. In a subsequent interview, Kreutz recalled hearing a comment such as, "You in the library", around this time. Harris sat down with his back to a bookshelf and fired his shotgun through the roof of his mouth ; Klebold went down on his knees and shot himself in the left temple with his TEC-9. An article by The Rocky Mountain News stated that Patti Nielson overheard them shout "One! Two! Three!" in unison, just before
8255-463: The evidence has never been released by authorities. Harris and Klebold often wore trench coats in school, and in general, as part of their everyday outfits, so after the massacre, it was widely believed Harris and Klebold were part of a clique in school called the "Trenchcoat Mafia", a group of misfits in the school who supposedly rebelled against the popular students. This turned out to be untrue, as neither Harris nor Klebold had any affiliation with
8382-517: The fact that Klebold found the changing of schools uneasy, as they assumed it was just regular behavior among young adolescents. At the family home, the Klebolds also observed some rituals in keeping with Klebold's maternal great-grandfather's Jewish heritage. During his earlier school years, Klebold played baseball, soccer and T-ball . Klebold was in Cub Scouts with friend Brooks Brown, whom he
8509-485: The family relocated to Oscoda, Michigan . Michigan pastor William Stone lived across the street from the Harris family while they were located in Oscoda. Stone recalled them as "great neighbors" and often saw Wayne very engaged with his sons. The Harris family then moved to Plattsburgh, New York , in 1991. During his time at Stafford Middle School, Harris played Little League Baseball , regularly went to birthday parties and
8636-429: The first to attend Columbine High School when it opened in 1973. The school has undergone significant renovations since it first opened: in 1995, with the addition of a new cafeteria and library; in 1999–2000, with interior renovations to the corridors, cafeteria, and former library; and in the early 2000s, with the addition of the new HOPE Columbine Memorial Library and a memorial on the site. Columbine High School
8763-486: The group. The pair's aforementioned writings and videos gave insight into their rationale for the shooting. The FBI concluded that Harris was a psychopath , who exhibited narcissistic traits, unconstrained aggression, and a lack of empathy , while Klebold was concluded to be an angry depressive with a vengeful attitude toward individuals who he believed had mistreated him. However, neither Harris nor Klebold were formally diagnosed with any personality disorders prior to
8890-562: The gun sellers Pais had contacted in Florida. The FBI contacted Pais' Uber driver, who described Pais as cheerful and fluent in Spanish, and had "travelled to Colorado for recreation and was excited to see snow". At this point, the FBI decided to alert the public due to the danger of a copycat 20th anniversary shooting around April 20 at or near Columbine High School, although April 20 that year
9017-433: The halls of the school, and shooting bullies outside with fake guns. Both also displayed themes of violence in their creative writing projects; of a Doom -based story written by Harris on January 17, 1999, Harris's teacher said: "Yours is a unique approach and your writing works in a gruesome way — good details and mood setting." Harris and Klebold were unable to legally purchase firearms due to their both being underage at
9144-561: The initial explosion as they ran out of the school. At noon, this would be followed by bombs set up in their personal cars detonating, killing first responders and others on scene. When these devices failed to detonate, Harris and Klebold resorted to gunning down their classmates and teachers. It was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S history until it was surpassed by the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting committed by Nikolas Cruz on February 14, 2018. Harris
9271-453: The land of the free? how come, If im free, I cant deprive some fucking dumbshit from his possessions If he leaves them sitting in the front seat of his fucking van in plain sight in the middle of fucking nowhere on a fri-fucking-day night? Natural selection . Fucker should be shot. [ sic ]". When an economics class had Harris make an ad for a business, he and Klebold made a video called Hitmen for Hire on December 8, 1998, which
9398-444: The last moments of his life in nerve-wracking twists of murder and bloodshed. He concluded by saying that he would kill himself afterward in order to leave the world that he hated and go to a better place. Klebold was described as being "hotheaded, but depressive and suicidal". Some of the home-recorded videos, called "The Basement Tapes", have reportedly been destroyed by police. Harris and Klebold reportedly discussed their motives for
9525-461: The last year of his life, many noted a change in Klebold's behavior. Unlike before, Klebold became short-tempered, often prone to sudden outbursts of anger. Much of the information on Harris and Klebold's friendship is unknown, on their interactions and conversations, aside from the Basement Tapes, of which only transcripts have been released, aside from a short audio clip recorded surreptitiously by
9652-503: The library. It is believed they came back to the library to watch their car bombs detonate, which had been set up to explode at noon. This did not happen, as the aforementioned bombs failed. Harris and Klebold went to the west windows and opened fire on the police outside. No one was injured in the exchange. Between three and six minutes later, they walked to the bookshelves near a table where Patrick Ireland lay badly wounded and coming in and out of consciousness. Student Lisa Kreutz, injured in
9779-425: The library. Of the 56 library hostages, 34 remained unharmed, all of whom escaped after Harris and Klebold left the library initially. Investigators later found that Harris and Klebold had enough ammunition to have killed them all. This was 20 minutes after their lethal shooting spree had ended, leaving 12 students dead, one teacher dying, and another 24 students and staff injured. Ten of their victims had been killed in
9906-469: The line, saying it will not be censored this time because he was not as famous as when "I'm Back" was released. In 2024, he referenced the event once again in his song "Lucifer" Rapper Tyler, the Creator references the shooting in his song "Yonkers" from his album Goblin . also his song "Pigs" from his album Wolf was inspired by the two shooters. Fred Durst references the Columbine shooting in
10033-557: The massacre in the context of American gun culture , won several awards including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature . Also in 2002, A&E made "Columbine: Understanding Why". Rapper Eminem references the shooting multiple times throughout his discography. Most famously, "I'm Back" off of The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) contained a line about Columbine that was censored. He references this censorship in "Rap God" ( The Marshall Mathers LP 2 , 2013 ) and repeats
10160-409: The media. Some people, such as Robyn Anderson, who knew the perpetrators, stated that the pair were not obsessed with Nazism nor did they worship or admire Hitler in any way. Anderson stated, in retrospect, that there were many things the pair did not tell friends. In his journal, Harris mentioned his admiration of what he imagined to be natural selection , and wrote that he would like to put everyone in
10287-570: The memory of the victims. By 2019, the school remained a " macabre tourist attraction " for those fascinated by the massacre, with hundreds stopped annually caught trespassing on the grounds or trying to enter the buildings. In June 2019, the superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools proposed tearing down the school and rebuilding it more securely to lessen its "morbid fascination". On April 15, 2019, 18-year old Sol Pais bought three one-way tickets from Miami International Airport to Denver, Colorado . After arriving in Colorado, Pais bought
10414-450: The morons of the world. In March 1997, he wrote, "I do shit to supposedly ‘cleanse’ myself in a spiritual, moral sort of way... trying not to ridicule/make fun of people ([name omitted] at school), yet it does nothing to help my life morally." Klebold said on the Basement Tapes, "You've been giving us shit for years. You're fucking gonna pay for all the shit! We don't give a shit. Because we're gonna die doing it." However, they also stated on
10541-414: The one that detonated on the corner of South Wadsworth Boulevard and Ken Caryl Avenue, had timers . The two largest bombs built were found in the school cafeteria and were made from small propane tanks. Only one of these bombs went off, only partially detonating. It was estimated that if any of the bombs placed in the cafeteria had detonated properly, the blast could have caused extensive structural damage to
10668-538: The overall length to approximately 23 inches (580 mm). Meanwhile, Harris's Savage-Springfield 12-gauge pump shotgun was sawn off to around 26 inches (660 mm). The shooters also possessed a TEC-DC9 semi-automatic handgun, which had a long history. The manufacturer of the TEC-DC9 first sold it to Miami-based Navegar Incorporated. It was then sold to Zander's Sporting Goods in Baldwin, Illinois , in 1994. The gun
10795-421: The pair often portrayed, referenced and seen in film, television, video games, music and books. Many killers since the shooting have taken inspiration from the pair (dubbed the Columbine effect ), either hailing them as heroes or expressing sympathy for them. Harris and Klebold also have a fanbase, who have coined the term "Columbiners", who write fan fiction and draw fan art of them. Others have also dressed as
10922-548: The perpetrators of the Suzano massacre were inspired by the Columbine High School massacre; they hoped their attack would draw more attention than the Columbine massacre. On January 10, 2020, an 11-year-old student identified as José Ángel Ramos Betts perpetrated the Colegio Cervantes shooting , killing a teacher and wounding multiple teachers and classmates shortly before turning the gun on himself. The assailant wore
11049-544: The probability of shootings in schools of nearby states and the same state in upcoming years, stressing how these incidents are connected. For instance, divorce rate has a significant positive effect on the intensity level of school shooting cases. However, the percentage of minorities shows a negative impact, although not statistically significant yet. These results highlight the intricate social and economic elements involved, requiring broad-ranging approaches to tackle them well. A video game called Super Columbine Massacre RPG!
11176-533: The same place as victims. Harris and Klebold wrote some about how they would carry out the massacre, and less about why. Klebold penned a rough outline of plans to follow on April 20, and another slightly different one in a journal found in Harris's bedroom. In one entry on his computer, Harris referenced the Oklahoma City bombing , and they mentioned their wish to outdo it by causing the most deaths in US history. They also mentioned how they would like to leave
11303-410: The school and would have resulted in hundreds of casualties. On April 20, 1999, just weeks before Harris and Klebold were both due to graduate, Brooks Brown, who was smoking a cigarette outside during lunch break, saw Harris arrive at school. Brown had severed his friendship with Harris a year earlier after Harris had thrown a chunk of ice at his car windshield. Brown reconciled with Harris just prior to
11430-410: The school's computer server. According to early accounts of the shooting, they were very unpopular students and targets of bullying . While sources do support accounts of bullying specifically directed toward Harris and Klebold, accounts of them being outcasts have been reported to be false, since both of them had a close knit group of friends. Harris and Klebold were initially reported to be members of
11557-429: The school's library, they died by suicide . At the time, it was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. The ensuing media frenzy and moral panic led to "Columbine" becoming a byword for school shootings , and becoming one of the most infamous mass shootings ever perpetrated in the United States. Harris and Klebold were both born in 1981. Harris was born in Wichita, Kansas , but moved around frequently as
11684-415: The school, and informed the police via a neighbor's cell phone. By that time, Klebold had already arrived at the school in a separate car, and the two boys left two duffel bags, each containing a 20-pound propane bomb , inside the cafeteria . Their original plans indicated that when these bombs detonated, Harris and Klebold would be waiting at their cars and would shoot, stab and throw bombs at survivors of
11811-655: The shooter admired Eric Harris in his diary. Another example is the Jokela High School massacre in Finland in 2007. The perpetrator, Pekka-Eric Auvinen, wore a T-shirt with a message like the one by Klebold and Harris at Columbine, reading "Humanity is Overrated". These cases show how Columbine's ideas led to other attacks. In 2001, Charles Andrew Williams, the perpetrator of the Santana High School shooting , reportedly told his friends that he
11938-535: The shooting began, Harris and Klebold took their own lives in the library, where the majority of their victims died. At the time, it was the deadliest shooting at a high school in American history. The shooting was the most covered news story of 1999, and third most followed by the American public of the entire decade, surpassing the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash and the Kosovo War . Following
12065-416: The shooting, Klebold's mother remembered that shortly after Klebold's birth, she described what felt like a shadow cast over her, warning her that this child would bring her great sorrow. "I think I still make of it what I did at that time. It was a passing feeling that went over very quickly, like a shadow." Sue said in an interview with Colorado Public Radio . Klebold was soon diagnosed with pyloric stenosis,
12192-454: The shooting. Brown approached Harris near his car and scolded him for skipping his morning classes, because Harris was always serious about schoolwork and being on time. Harris replied, "It doesn't matter anymore." Harris followed up a few seconds later, "Brooks, I like you now. Get out of here. Go home." Brown, who felt uneasy, quickly left the school grounds. At 11:19 am, he heard the first gunshots after he had walked some distance away from
12319-455: The shootings with a classmate named Robyn Anderson. Harris and Klebold linked their personal computers on a network and played video games over the Internet. Harris created a set of levels for the game Doom , which later became known as the "Harris levels". The levels are downloadable over the internet through Doom WADs . Harris had a web presence under the handle "REB" (short for Rebel,
12446-574: The students planning the attack, claiming "dibs" on certain potential victims, and that they wanted "everything to go down like Columbine". In August 2022, the perpetrator of the 2022 Bend, Oregon shooting wrote in an online manifesto he was partially influenced by the Columbine massacre. New discoveries stress the possibility of spread, showing that there is a greater danger of more shootings nearby within about two weeks after an initial instance. Nevertheless, not all research concurs with this timing sequence. One state's school shooting can influence
12573-419: The tapes that nobody is to blame and nobody could have prevented the attack. Accounts from various parents and school staffers describe bullying at the school as "rampant". Nathan Vanderau, a friend of Klebold, and Alisa Owen, Harris's eighth-grade science partner, reported that Harris and Klebold were constantly picked on. Vanderau noted that a "cup of fecal matter" was thrown at them. "People surrounded them in
12700-476: The teens had a "particular interest in Columbine" and that they had been ordered to undergo mental evaluation before possible charges being filed. Additionally four teenagers were charged in Pennsylvania, after a police investigation found detailed evidence of a plan to target Dunmore High School outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania , on April 20, 2024, the 25th anniversary of the attack. Text messages between
12827-481: The tension in the school came from the class above us", Chad Laughlin states. "There were people fearful of walking by a table where you knew you didn't belong, stuff like that. Certain groups certainly got preferential treatment across the board. I caught the tail end of one really horrible incident, and I know Dylan told his mother that it was the worst day of his life." That incident, according to Laughlin, involved seniors pelting Klebold with "ketchup-covered tampons" in
12954-436: The time. Klebold then enlisted Robyn Anderson, an 18-year-old Columbine student and old friend of Klebold's, to make a straw purchase of two shotguns and a Hi-Point carbine for the pair. In exchange for her cooperation with the investigation that followed the shootings, no charges were filed against Anderson. After illegally acquiring the weapons, Klebold sawed off his Savage 311-D 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun , shortening
13081-612: The two boys parked further down road at another park entrance and since the park area was closed by that time of night, the arresting deputy decided to further inspect them. The deputy announced his presence as one of the boys prepared to move the stolen goods into the trunk of the car. Harris shortly after admitted to theft after the deputy asked about where the equipment came from. They were later charged with mischief , breaking and entering , trespassing , and theft . They both left good impressions on juvenile officers , who offered to expunge their criminal records if they agreed to attend
13208-552: The two perpetrators as being martyrs or heroes . The shooting has also had a significant impact on popular culture , with Harris and Klebold often seen and mentioned in several forms of media. Media stories often reference Harris, Klebold and the massacre whenever another school shooting occurs. The impact of the Columbine High School shooting is felt not only in terms of school safety and popular culture, but it also raises worries about student rights violations and excessive use of force in law enforcement methods. The event demands
13335-523: The weird-looking Eric KID come along, ooh fucking nooo." However, in another entry by Eric in his journal, he stated that even if he were complimented and respected more by his peers, the attack would've still, in all likelihood, occurred. Similarly, Klebold wrote in his journal both about perceived rejection, bullying others, his desire to belong, and his extreme contempt for others. In January 1997, he wrote, "I am GOD compared to some of those un-existable [sic] brainless zombies," referring to his perception of
13462-424: The world in general. When the pair began experimenting with pipe bombs , they posted results of the explosions on the websites. The website was shut down by America Online after the shootings and was preserved for the FBI. On the night of January 30, 1998, Harris and Klebold broke into a locked van to steal computers and other electronic equipment. A short while after a Jefferson County sheriff's officer drove upon
13589-524: The zero-tolerance approach adopted in schools has been implemented too harshly, however, with unintended consequences creating other problems. In addition to this, the shooting also affected student speech rights. School officials became more concerned about student expression, mainly if it was violent or threatening, which put students' First Amendment rights at risk. There have been legal battles over students' rights to free expression, as different judges have had varying interpretations of what constitutes
13716-676: Was "against war, oppression, fascism and violence against others" and that "none of us condone any Nazi beliefs whatsoever". An April 22, 1999, article in The Washington Post described Harris and Klebold: They hated jocks, admired Nazis and scorned normalcy. They fancied themselves devotees of the Gothic subculture, even though they thrilled to the violence denounced by much of that fantasy world. They were white supremacists, but loved music by anti-racist rock bands. The attack occurred on Hitler's birthday, which led to speculation in
13843-658: Was "part of the crowd". Kyle Ross, a former classmate of Harris, said, "He was just a typical kid." The Harris family finally settled back in Littleton, Colorado the next year when Wayne retired from the military. On a 1997 English class assignment, Harris wrote about how difficult the move was from New York to Colorado. "It was the hardest moving from Plattsburgh. I have the most memories from there", Harris continued. "When I left (his friends) I felt alone, lost and even agitated that I had spent so much time with them and now I have to go because of something I can't stop." Harris, in
13970-433: Was a "solid" soccer player who enjoyed the sport a lot. During his freshman year, Harris met Tiffany Typher. They had German class together. Typher later recounted that Harris quickly wooed her. Harris asked her to homecoming and she accepted. After the event, it appeared that Typher was no longer interested in seeing Harris anymore, for reasons never disclosed. When Typher refused to socialize with Harris again, Harris staged
14097-450: Was a Saturday. After the manhunt became public, it quickly made national headlines, and hundreds of people called the FBI claiming they had seen Pais panhandling, buying a gun or actually outside of Columbine High School. Columbine High School went on lockdown on the afternoon of April 16, and was dismissed normally at the end of the day. With the FBI finding no trace of Pais by the end of the day, Columbine and several dozen schools closed for
14224-417: Was also known to be quick to anger, and threatened people with bombs. Classmates also related that Harris was fascinated by war, and wrote out violent fantasies about killing people he did not like. Klebold was described by his peers and adults as painfully shy. Klebold often was fidgety whenever someone new talked to him, rarely opening up to people. Klebold was also exceptionally nervous in front of women. In
14351-505: Was based on the massacre. The 2016 biographical film I'm Not Ashamed , based on the journals of Rachel Scott, includes alleged glimpses of Harris's and Klebold's lives and interactions with other students at Columbine High School. The 1999 black comedy, Duck! The Carbine High Massacre is inspired by the Columbine massacre. The 2003 Gus Van Sant film Elephant (which won the Palme d'Or at that year's Cannes Film Festival ) depicts
14478-427: Was controversy over whether Harris and Klebold should be memorialized. Some were opposed, saying that it glorified murderers, while others argued that Harris and Klebold were also victims. Atop a hill near Columbine High School, crosses were erected for Harris and Klebold along with those for the people they killed, but the father of victim Daniel Rohrbough cut them down, saying that murderers should not be memorialized in
14605-511: Was friends with since the first grade. Brown lived near the house Harris's parents had bought when they finally settled in Littleton, and rode the same bus as Harris. Shortly after, Klebold had met Harris and the pair quickly became best friends. Later, Harris introduced Klebold to his friend Nathan Dykeman, who also attended their middle school, and they all became a tight-knit group of friends. Both Harris and Klebold worked together as cooks at
14732-564: Was going to "pull a Columbine," though none of them took him seriously. In 2005, Jeff Weise , who also wore a trench coat, killed his grandfather, who was a police officer, and his girlfriend. He took his grandfather's weapon and his squad car, and drove to his former high school in Red Lake and murdered several students before killing himself . In an apparent reference to Columbine, he asked one student if they believed in God. The perpetrator of
14859-661: Was later sold to a firearms dealer, Larry Russell, in Thornton, Colorado . In violation of federal law, Russell failed to keep records of the sale, yet he determined that the purchaser of the gun was twenty-one years of age or older. Two men, Mark Manes and Philip Duran, were convicted of supplying weapons to the two. The bombs used by the pair varied and were crudely made from carbon dioxide canisters, galvanized pipe, and metal propane tanks. The Co2 and pipe bombs were primed with matches placed at one end end their fuses. Both had striker tips on their sleeves. When they rubbed against
14986-580: Was more liked by the broader student population. In his journals, however, Klebold wrote that he felt that he was not accepted or loved by anyone. Due to these feelings, Klebold possibly sought validation from Harris. Klebold's mother believes Harris's rage, intermingled with Klebold's self-destructive personality, caused the boys to feed off of each other and enter in what eventually became an unhealthy friendship. At Columbine High School, Harris and Klebold were active in school play productions, operated video productions and became computer assistants, maintaining
15113-553: Was released in February 2004. It depicts them as part of the Trench Coat Mafia , a clique in the school who wore black trench coats, extorting money for protecting preps from bullies. They were apparently not a part of the Trench Coat Mafia, but were friends with some of its members. They wore black trench coats on the day of the massacre, and the video seemed a kind of dress rehearsal , showing them walking
15240-466: Was responsible for eight of the thirteen confirmed deaths ( Rachel Scott , Daniel Rohrbough, teacher Dave Sanders, Steve Curnow, Cassie Bernall , Isaiah Shoels, Kelly Fleming, and Daniel Mauser), while Klebold was responsible for the remaining five (Kyle Velasquez, Matthew Kechter, Lauren Townsend, John Tomlin, and Corey DePooter). There were 24 injured (21 of them by the shooters), most in critical condition. At 12:02 pm, Harris and Klebold returned to
15367-408: Was revealed that lyrics to KMFDM songs ("Son of a Gun", "Stray Bullet" and "Waste") were posted on Harris's website, and that the date of the massacre, April 20, coincided with both the release date of the album Adios and the birthday of Adolf Hitler . Harris noted the coincidence of the album's title and April release date in his journal. In response, KMFDM's Konietzko issued a statement that KMFDM
15494-422: Was said to be intelligent, but "needs to understand that hard work is part of fulfilling a dream." Several months later on April 30, Harris handed over the first version of a letter of apology he wrote to the owner of the van, which he completed the next month. In the letter, Harris expressed regret about his actions; however, in one of his journal entries dated April 12, he wrote: "Isn't america supposed to be
15621-545: Was set up in 1998 by Dr. Fuller. This Center's primary goal is to push for changes that cover all aspects of treatment for severe mental illness (SMI), primarily legal obstacles in getting this type of care, so that people with SMI get the backing and treatment they require to flourish. Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) is a method of giving mental health services in the community under civil court commitment. The AOT programs prioritize ensuring people stick with treatments and keeping safety within communities while offering
15748-469: Was still mildly observable during his autopsy . The Harris family lived in rented accommodations for the first three years that they lived in the Littleton area. While Harris was in 7th grade, he met Klebold. In 1996, the Harris family purchased and settled at a house south of Columbine High School. Harris's older brother, Kevin, attended college at the University of Colorado . Harris's father took
15875-471: Was taking any medications. According to the recruiting officer, Harris did not know about this rejection. Though some friends of Harris suggested that he had stopped taking the drug beforehand, the autopsy reports showed low therapeutic or normal (not toxic or lethal) blood-levels of fluvoxamine in his system, which was around 0.0031–0.0087 mg/ml, at the time of death. After the shootings, opponents of contemporary psychiatry like Peter Breggin claimed that
16002-409: Was the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern United States history. The shootings occurred on April 20, 1999, when senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire and killed 12 students and a teacher, and wounded 24 others, 21 of them by gunfire, before they both committed suicide in the library. The massacre made headlines both nationally and internationally, making Columbine
16129-420: Was written and directed by Andrew Robinson, who was a senior at Columbine High School during the shooting, was based on Columbine. The 2013 film Kids for Cash about the kids for cash scandal detail it as part of the "zero-tolerance" policy in the wake of the Columbine shootings. Columbine students, Jonathan and Stephen Cohen wrote a song called "Friend of Mine (Columbine)", which briefly received airplay in
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