Statement

• I do not condone what they did, matter a fact I feel for the people who died on the day. I feel empathy for all that was involved on that day, especially for the victims, parents, the perpetrators, and their parents as well. This is just my way of researching and seeing how crazy the world really is.

Topics covered here

• Background info on the perpetrators
• Childhoods
• Before, during, and after the shooting at Columbine
• The motive of the shooting on April 20, 1999
• The effects it had on the U.S. and the influence it had over the years
• The weapons used
• The day before the shooting

Background Info for Eric Harris and Childhood

• Name: Eric David Harris
• Birthdate: April 9, 1981
• Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas
• Job: Shift Leader at Blackjack’s Pizzeria
• Family: Wayne Harris and Katherine Ann Poole (parents), Kevin Harris (brother)
• Height: 5’9
• Weight: 135-140
• Right or Lefted handed: Right
• His parents were both born in Colorado, Well as for

Eric he was born in Kansas.

• His father, Wayne Harris worked

in the Air Force as a transport pilot, Wayne Harris held eleven different positions at six different bases in Ohio, Michigan, and New York.

• His mother, Katherine “Kathy,” was just a stay-at-home mom type.
• Eric was a "normal guy" when he lived in Plattsburgh. "My mouth just dropped," former classmate Kyle Ross said. "He was a typical kid. He didn't seem anything like what is portrayed on TV."
• Plattsburgh, New York, was the last place the Harrises lived before Wayne was forced to retire from the military in 1993 due to some cutbacks. Eric's father told his former classmates at Englewood High School's 20th reunion that his goal in life was to raise two good sons (Eric & Kevin) * The Harris family moved from New York to Colorado in July 1993.
• In Colorado, Wayne got a job in Flight Safety Services Corporation in Englewood, and Kathy got a job as a caterer.
• Eric went to Ken Caryl Middle School, where he met Dylan Klebold in the seventh or eighth grade. They became close friends and spent a lot of time together, which formed their bond.

Background Info for Dylan Klebold and Childhood

• Name: Dylan Bennet Klebold
• Birthdate: September 11, 1981
• Birthplace: Lakewood, CO
• Job: Cook at Blackjack’s Pizzeria
• Family: Thomas Klebold and Susan Yassenoff (parents) Byron Klebold (brother)
• Height: 6'3
• Weight: 143
• Attended: Normandy Elementary School in Littleton, CO between first and second
• Car: Black 1982 BMW
• Fetishes: Feet and BDSM
• Left-handed or right-handed: Left
• Tom Klebold was a geophysicist, and Sue Klebold worked with handicapped people.
• Both were from Columbus, Ohio, and went to Ohio State University.
• Sue was from a Jewish community there, and also the granddaughter of the late philanthropist and construction magnate Leo Yassenoff, who built the local Jewish community center in Columbus.
• Dylan Klebold attended Normandy Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado, for first and second grade and transferred to Governor's Ranch Elementary School, where he was part of the CHIPS (Challenging High Intellectual Potential Students) program for gifted and talented children. His parents also told the investigators he was a bit sheltered at Governor's Ranch Elementary and had a strong belief that his transition to Ken Caryl Middle School was somewhat difficult for him because he was so quiet and shy.
• During his earlier years of school, He played T-ball, baseball, and soccer.
• He was in Cub Scouts with friend Brooks Brown, a boy he had been best friends with since the first grade.
• Dylan was described by those who knew him to be a follower and that Harris had a strong influence on him, particularly contributing to the shooting. According to most, “He was also depicted by those who knew him as a young man who lacked confidence in himself - 'painfully shy', some said - but that he was not quick to anger.” Dylan wasn’t seen to most to do such a thing than Eric.

The Bullying Endured

• They were both made fun of for what they listened to, athletic abilities, how they dressed, and how they looked, mainly. they had groups of twenty guys throwing ketchup on them, knocking them over, shoving them in lockers, called fags, but nothing was done.
• Dylan once had tampons filled with ketchup thrown at him, which he came home crying and didn’t get an answer why, and it is talked about in Sue’s book.
• Eric had a chest deformity called a Pectus Excavatum and was anxious about changing in the locker rooms at school because of it, and it’s possible that other kids made fun of him because of it.
• In his journal, he also said that “Whatever I do, people make fun of me, and sometimes directly to my face,” and there are a few more statements like this, so it’s clear that they were bullied, and their journals and statements have proof of that.
• Dylan’s French teacher was also stated by a classmate that the main teacher who made fun of Dylan in class the most.
• But they also bullied people themselves which to me doesn’t make sense, But they did it because they were treated shitty themselves.
• t also states on the ACS website that “Eric and Dylan were both picked on by jocks during their bowling classes because “the jocks thought they could play the game better.” It did not help that both boys bowled unusually, with Dylan tossing his ball like a softball and Eric throwing his like a basketball.”
• Once, A student in Dylan’s gym class said Dylan wasn’t very coordinated and that everybody made fun of him in class. They even called him “stretch” because he was so tall. Another classmate said students would refer to Dylan as “the jolly green giant.”
• Nathan Vanderau also said that Eric and Dylan were constantly picked on. Vanderau noted that a “cup of fecal matter” was thrown at them once for no reason. Also, I want to say that teachers just let it happen and did not take action to stop those bullied at CHS.

How they met

• Eric went to Ken Caryl Middle School, where he met Dylan Klebold in the seventh or eighth grade, where Eric introduced him to Nate Dykeman, and also met Chris Morris during this time.

The Van incident

• On the night of 1998 on January 30, Harris and Klebold broke into a locked van to steal, which they tried to steal computers and other electronic equipment. Soon, after they do so, a Jefferson County sheriff drove close to the two boys were parked further down the road at another park entrance which the park was closed during the time since it was late at that time of night. The deputy decided to investigate it further to figure out what was going on because they were suspicious. The sheriff deputy decided to announce that one of them was ready to move the things they stole into the truck of one of their cars. Guilty, Eric admitted to the theft that they were involved in, after the sheriff asked where it had come from. They were both charged with mischief, breaking and entering, trespassing, and theft. They were mature, which left an impression on the juvenile officers that was good in court, so they decided that they both could expunge their crimes by taking a diversionary program, which included some community service and psychiatric treatment. Eric had to attend anger management classes. They both did good in these programs, which left their probation officer to discharge them from the programs and their charges. Eric was seen as "a very bright individual who is likely to succeed in life", while Dylan was said to be intelligent, but "needs to understand that hard work is part of fulfilling a dream. Months later, after the incident, Eric handed an apology note to the owner of the van, showing his regret for his devilish actions that included his friend. But in one of his journal entries from April 12, he wrote: "Isn't America supposed to be 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."

Their Home Videos

• Hitmen for Hire(Revenge for Hire): Eric and Dylan played the part of hitmen-for-hire who would rearrange revenge on bullies. They were the men in black that geeks, outcasts, nerds, and other picked-on individuals could turn to in order to take care of antagonists who were harassing them and making their lives miserable (like they do). In the film, Dylan and Eric run around in their black trench coats and sunglasses, taking out the 'bad guys', the so-called bullies. It is the most well-known tape video they have made and similar to what they did on April 20, 1999.
• Rampage Range: Eric and Dylan test guns with Mark Manes at the Rampage Range located in Colorado. Eric and Dylan goof off most of the video.
• Dylan Klebold’s “Daily Routine”: Short video of Dylan and his friend driving to Columbine High and shows Dylan at his locker.
• Radioactive Clothing: Inspired by Vampires (1998) as Eric Veik is the cameraman.
• Car wax Advertisement (Bicycle Video): Filmed outside Blackjack Pizza for class, and Mike Vendegnia plays the consumer in the video. Not finished, but they lost interest in the idea. Just throwing bikes around and breaking them.
• Rebel News Network spot: Dylan Klebold sets fire to RNN for this piece that was run on the Rebel News Network for CHS.
• Car Chase: Video made by Eric Harris, Eric Veik, etc. Filmed mostly inside a moving car.
• Pulp Fiction (Truck Video): Short video of Dylan with a friend trying to act out a scene.

Before the Shooting

• In January, the same month as the van incident had happened, Sue said the only time she ever saw Dylan cry was once when he came home from school and went to his bedroom. Dylan dumped out a box of stuffed animals from his closet and buried himself underneath them. When Sue went up to his bedroom to see what was wrong, he was asleep under all of these stuffed toys. He never did tell Sue what had happened that day. Dylan and Eric were plotting “NBK” which was inspired by Natural Born Killers, as they had a hit list of those they wanted to kill. In the months before the shooting, they both kept track of journal entries, to-do lists, as well as their hit list. They would mark off every item that they had gotten in their journal, which they would use for the massacre. Harris and Klebold would create illustrations of how they wanted to look, the guns they would use, and how they would hide weapons on the day of the shooting. Dylan and 15 Eric began to collect and stockpile weapons for the shooting. They collected a series of guns, 16 knives, and different products and substances to make bombs. They also made profiles that mentioned their plan for April 20 as well as how everyone would be “sorry” that day. 17 This marked the beginning of what they would soon play out on April 20, 1999. How they acquired the weapons was from a friend of Harris and Klebold, who was Robyn, who bought the shotguns and the Hi-Point 9mm Carbine at the Tanner Gun Show in December of 1998 from unlicensed sellers. The weapons they had were an Intratec TEC-DC9 assault pistol, a Hi-Point 9mm Carbine, a Savage 67H pump-action shotgun, and a Savage 311-D 12-gauge shotgun.

During the Shooting

• According to Melissa Miller, on April 20, 1999, she was ducking behind a truck in the park lot and saw that the two guys were wearing black trench coats and had guns in their hands. At first, she thought that it was a prank and that they must have been paintball guns, but as they started shooting students outside the school, she realized it was not a prank and that students were being shot at with real weaponry. They also planted bombs in the cafeteria, which didn’t successfully blow up the school and kill everyone, which was their plan, but failed for them. The attacks lasted approximately 49 minutes, from 11:10 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. They also planted a bomb at the Wadsworth Boulevard field, which successfully went off, igniting a small fire. At 11:19 am, Dylan and Eric became anxious and tired of waiting and began to open fire on those in the halls. They celebrated their attack as Dylan went inside the cafeteria to check on the bombs, which had failed, and Eric proceeded to shoot a teacher and a student. The faculty of the school moved quickly and helped move students from the cafeteria to a safer place. Eric and the on-site police officer fired at each other, and then Eric joined Dylan in the cafeteria, where they soon went up the stairs to the second floor in where they opened fire on anyone they saw in the halls. They carelessly fired at the building when the halls were empty, and they continued into the library. Eric began shooting at the front counter, and students and a few teachers crouched down under tables. One by one, Eric and Dylan taunted people inside the library and ruthlessly killed them without remorse as they approached the table where they were under. One of the victims was Patrick Ireland, who was shot twice as he was trying to help someone close to him who was also shot. After seven and a half minutes, Dylan and Eric left the library, and they went to the science room where a bomb went off and ignited a small fire. Then they went to the cafeteria, where the bombs didn’t go off in there and then returned to the library after 12:08 pm, the alarms in the school went off, and Eric and Dylan shot themselves in the head, which resulted in their self-inflicted death. Killing themselves without any consequences of what they have done to others. I always wonder what they would be like at court and what would have happened if they had lived.

Aftermath of the Shooting

• The shooting left a big impact around the globe as it made many copycats worldwide trying to do what they did. The lives of families, friends, teachers, and students were deeply affected by the situation. Everyone had a different experience and effect from the event caused by the two shooters, but all of them were endless significant. After time to process and heal, students began to open up about the day that would be remembered forever by those at Columbine High and Worldwide. Meanwhile, reporters and news stations struggled to figure out what to film live and what to show the public as new information began to come in daily. They knew they had to remain in the control room to supervise and decide what shots to put on the air. The story lasted ten days and was one of the most intense stories that Denver stations had ever covered. Many began to ask themselves why they would both commit the crime of taking lives. In the past decades, there have been many shootings around the world, which the Virginia Tech one was other one which was inspired by the Columbine one, as well as Sandy Hook and many more.

The one mistake

• Chris Morris, A group member of the Trenchcoat Mafia, was taken into custody because they had suspicions that he had something to do with the Columbine shooting, which he didn't. He was soon taken out of custody as there was no proof for this, and he was home at the time of the shooting. Once he learned of the massacre from the news, while skipping class to play video games at a friend's house, he realized who the shooters might be and contacted police.
• Morris told investigators that he dialed 911 in an attempt to reach a detective but got disconnected. Then, answering a page from his mother, who works for the Cherry Hills Police Department, he talked to a detective there.
• Afterward, Morris said, he finally reached the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. An investigator confirmed Morris's story.
• He went to Clement Park, where authorities cuffed him and led him away for questioning. Morris gave a detailed account of his movements that day, starting about 5:50 a.m., when the friend who was supposed to pick him up and drive him to an early bowling class never showed.

Lawsuits

• On August 12, 2003, Families proceeded to file a “wrongful death lawsuit” against the parents of Dylan and Eric, claiming that they should have known what their kids were 27 doing before the shooting. They didn’t know what their children were doing and just felt deep guilt and grief for their children who killed themselves and others. This proves that people struggled with and how they eagerly yearned for justice for their losses.

The Motive (reason)

• The motive of why they did the massacre because their feelings stemmed from resentment toward peers, authority figures, and society. They felt bullied, which contributed to their desire for revenge, and they wanted to be remembered through their actions. They also left behind writings that included themes of nihilism and anti-social beliefs, even though they were not tied to any specific organized ideology. Klebold and Harris also struggled with signs of depression, anger, and mental health issues, with no help but using coping methods of violent video games, music, and certain online communities may have desensitized them, but they shouldn’t be blamed for their interests.

Obsession with DOOM

• The game lets them express their anger and a sense of planning. Eric Harris was also really good at making WADS for Doom, as they also liked Quake as well.

Here are those who died in the shooting

• Rachel Scott
• Daniel Rohrbough
• Dave Sanders (A coach/teacher)
• Steve Curnow
• Cassie Bernall
• Isaiah Shoels
• Kelly Fleming
• Daniel Mauser
• Kyle Velasquez
• Matthew Kechter
• Lauren Townsend
• John Tomlin
• Corey DePooter

Those who were injured

• Brian Anderson
• Richard Castaldo
• Jennifer Doyle
• Stephan Eubanks
• Nicholas Foss
• Sean Graves
• Makai Hall
• Anne Hochhalter
• Patrick Ireland
• Michael Johnson
• Joyce Jankowski
• Mark Kintgen
• Lisa Kreutz
• Lance Kirklin
• Adam Kyler
• Stephanie Munson
• Patricia Nielson
• Nicole Nowlen
• Jeanna Park
• Kacey Ruegsegger
• Valeen Schnurr
• Daniel Steepleton
• Evan Todd
• Mark Taylor

My Strawpage That Isn't finished, But Here

• https://columarchive99.straw.page/