Columbine High School massacre

Columbine High School massacre
File:Eric harris dylan klebold.jpg Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold caught on the high school's security cameras in the cafeteria shortly before committing suicide.
Location	Columbine, Colorado, U.S.
Date	April 20, 1999 11:19 am – 12:08 pm (UTC-6)
Target	Students and faculty at Columbine High School
Attack type	School shooting, mass murder, massacre, murder-suicide, fire, suicide attack, shootout, attempted bombing, late car explosion
Weapons	Intratec TEC-DC9, Hi-Point 995 Carbine, Savage 67H pump-action shotgun, Stevens 311D double barreled sawed-off shotgun, 99 explosives, 4 knives
Deaths	15 (including the 2 perpetrators)
Injured	21
Perpetrators	Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Motive	Disputed

The Columbine High School massacre (often known simply as Columbine) was a school shooting which occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a shooting spree in which a total of 12 students and 1 teacher were murdered. They also injured 21 other students directly, with three further people being injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair then committed suicide. It is the fourth-deadliest school massacre in United States history, after the 1927 Bath School disaster, 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and the 1966 University of Texas massacre, and remains the deadliest for an American high school.

The massacre sparked debate over gun control laws, the availability of firearms within the United States and gun violence involving youths. Much discussion also centered on the nature of high school cliques, subcultures and bullying, in addition to the influence of violent movies and video games in American society. The shooting resulted in an increased emphasis on school security, and a moral panic aimed at goth culture, social outcasts, gun culture, the use of pharmaceutical anti-depressants by teenagers, teenage internet use and violent video games.

Preliminary activities and intent

Early warning signs began to surface in 1996, when Eric Harris first created a private website on America Online. Harris had initially created the site to host gaming levels of the video game Doom which he and his friend, Dylan Klebold, had created, primarily for friends. Upon this site, Harris began a blog, which included jokes and small journal entries concerning his thoughts on parents, school, and friends. By the end of the year, the site contained instructions on how to cause mischief, as well as instructions on how to make explosives and logs in which he described as the trouble he and Klebold were causing. Beginning in early 1997, the blog postings began to show the first signs of Harris's ever-growing anger against society.

Harris's site attracted few visitors, and caused no concern until late 1997, when Klebold gave the web address to Brooks Brown, a former friend of Harris. Brown's mother had filed numerous complaints with the Jefferson County Sheriff's office concerning Harris, thinking of him as being dangerous. The website contained numerous death threats directed against Brown: Klebold somehow knew that if Brooks accessed the address, he would discover the content and inform his parents, with their subsequent actions leading to the authorities being notified. Brown's parents subsequently viewed the content of the site and contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, and an investigator named Michael Guerra was subsequently notified of the site's existence. Upon accessing Harris's website site, Guerra discovered numerous violent threats directed against the students and teachers of Columbine High School. Other material included blurbs Harris had written concerning his general hatred of society, and his desire to kill those who annoyed him. Harris had begun noting the completion of construction of pipe bombs upon his site. In addition, he had mentioned a gun count and compiled a hit list of individuals he wished to target (although no overall plan detailing how he intended to attack targets he had specified was ever posted upon the site). As Harris had stated upon his website that he was in possession of explosives, Guerra wrote a draft affidavit, requesting a search warrant of the Harris household, but the document was never filed.

On January 30, 1998, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold committed an act of theft in which both stole tools and other equipment from a van parked near the city of Littleton, Colorado. Both youths were arrested and subsequently attended a joint court hearing, where they pleaded guilty to the felony theft. The judge sentenced the duo to attend a juvenile diversion program.

Within the juvenile diversion program, both boys attended mandated classes and conversed with diversion officers. One of the classes the pair attended focused upon anger management. Harris also began attending therapy classes with a psychologist. However, despite Klebold having a history of drinking and having failed a dilute urine test, neither he nor Harris attended any substance abuse classes.

Harris and Klebold were eventually released from diversion several weeks early because of their good actions upon the program, though both youths still remained on probation. Harris wrote an ingratiating letter to the owner of the equipment they stole, offering apologies and empathy for his and Klebold's actions. Harris would continue to attend scheduled appointments with his psychologist until a few months before he and Klebold were to commit the Columbine High School massacre.

Shortly after his and Klebold's court hearing, Harris's online blog disappeared, and his website was reverted to its original purpose of posting user-created levels of the online video game Doom. Harris began to write a paper journal, where he documented his thoughts and plans. He also boasted in these journal entries that he had faked his previously written letter of regret to the owner of the van from which he and Klebold had stolen items and applauded himself as to his deception skills.

Despite having reverted his website to the its initially created purpose of hosting video game trivia, Harris continued to dedicate a section of his website to posting information regarding his and Klebold's progress regarding their collection of guns and building of the bombs they subsequently used in the attack upon their school. (After the existence of this website was made public, AOL permanently deleted the website from its servers.)

Medication

In one of his scheduled meetings with his psychiatrist, Eric Harris complained of depression, anger and to possessing suicidal thoughts. As a result of this, he was prescribed the anti-depressant Zoloft. He subsequently complained to feeling restless and to experiencing a lack of concentration to his doctor, and in April, he was switched to a similar anti-depressant drug— Luvox. At the time of his death, Harris had therapeutic Luvox levels in his system. Some analysts, such as psychiatrist Peter Breggin, have argued that one or both of these medications may have contributed to Harris's actions. Breggin claimed that side-effects of these drugs include increased aggression, loss of remorse, depersonalization, and mania. A subsequent study conducted by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices identified Luvox as being 8.4 times more likely than other medications to be associated with violence.

Journals and videos

Harris and Klebold both began keeping journals of their progress soon after their arrests. The pair documented their arsenal with video tapes that were kept secret.

Journal entries reveal that the pair had formulated an elaborate plan for a major bombing rivaling the Oklahoma City bombing. The entries contained blurbs about ways to escape to Mexico, hijacking an aircraft at Denver International Airport and crashing into a building in New York City, as well as details about the attacks. The pair hoped that after setting off home-made explosives in the cafeteria at the busiest time of day, killing many hundreds of students, they would use their guns to shoot survivors as they fled from the school. Then, as police vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, and reporters came to the school, bombs set in the boys' cars would detonate, killing the emergency personnel, media, and law enforcement officers; this original plan backfired when the explosives did not detonate. The pair kept videos that documented the explosives, ammunition, and weapons they had obtained illegally. In these videos, the shooters revealed all the elaborate and creative ways the two had thought up to hide their arsenals in their own homes, as well as the ways they would deceive their parents about their activities. Some videos contained footage of the pair doing target practice in nearby foothills, as well as shots of the areas of the high school they planned to attack. On April 20, approximately thirty minutes before the attack, a final video had the pair saying goodbye and apologizing to their friends and families.

Firearms

In the months prior to the attacks, Harris and Klebold acquired two 9 mm firearms and two 12-gauge shotguns. A rifle and the two shotguns were bought by a friend named Robyn Anderson at the Tanner Gun Show in December 1998. Through a friend named Robert Duran, Harris and Klebold later bought a handgun from an individual named Mark Manes for a sum of $500.

Using instructions acquired upon the Internet, Harris and Klebold constructed a total of 99 improvised explosive devices of various designs and sizes. They sawed the barrels and butts off their shotguns to make them easier to conceal. The perpetrators committed numerous felony violations of state and federal law, including the National Firearms Act and the Gun Control Act of 1968, even before the massacre began.

During the shootings, Harris carried a 12-gauge Savage-Springfield 67H pump-action shotgun, which he discharged 25 times and a Hi-Point 995 Carbine 9 mm carbine with thirteen 10-round magazines, which was fired 96 times.

Klebold carried a 9 mm Intratec TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun manufactured by Navegar, Inc. with one 52-, one 32-, and one 28-round magazine and a 12 gauge Stevens 311D double-barreled sawed-off shotgun. Klebold's primary weapon was the TEC-9 handgun, which was fired 55 times.

April 20, 1999: The massacre

At 11:10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold arrived at Columbine High School separately. Harris parked his vehicle in the Junior student parking lot and Klebold in the Senior student parking lot. From these locations, both youths had excellent views of the school cafeteria's side entrance, and each youth had initially intended to open fire upon students fleeing the school through the main entrances when bombs they intended to place inside the cafeteria detonated, with each shooter positioned to cover a main exit of the school and open fire on fleeing students.

Shortly before arriving at the school, Harris and Klebold had placed a small fire bomb in a field located approximately one mile (1600 m) away from Columbine High School. This bomb was set to explode at 11:14 a.m., and is thought to have been placed in this location as a diversion for emergency personnel. The bomb partially detonated however, causing a small fire that was extinguished by the fire department.

Upon their arrival at Columbine, the duo met near Harris's car and armed two 20 pound (9 kg) propane bombs before entering the cafeteria a few minutes prior to the beginning of the A lunch shift, placing the duffel bags containing the bombs inside. Each bomb was set to explode at approximately 11:17 a.m. However, a custodian removed the security camera video tape, rewound it, and placed a new tape into the slot just as the duo entered the cafeteria. Though the act of placing the bombs was not recorded, just the new tape was started, the bags could be seen clearly. Klebold and Harris then returned to their vehicles to await the explosion of the bombs they had planted.

As the two youths returned to their vehicles, Harris encountered Brooks Brown, a classmate with whom he had recently patched up a longstanding series of disagreements. Brown was surprised to see Harris exiting a vehicle with a gym bag, commenting to Harris that he had been absent from a class test that morning, but Harris seemed unconcerned. Harris then warned him: "Brooks, I like you now. Get out of here. Go home." Brown, feeling uneasy, walked away. Several minutes later, students departing Columbine for their lunch break noticed Brown heading down South Pierce Street away from the school. Meanwhile, Harris and Klebold armed themselves by their vehicles and waited for the bombs to explode.

Shooting begins

When the cafeteria bombs failed to explode, Harris and Klebold armed themselves with their weapons, convened and walked towards the school. They first walked to the top of the West Entrance steps (the highest point upon the campus). From this vantage point, the cafeteria's side entrance was located at the bottom of the staircase, with the school's main West Entrance located to their left and the athletic fields to their right. Klebold and Harris threw a pipe bomb, which exploded.

Injuries and deaths in initial incident

1. Rachel Scott, age 17. Killed after being shot in the head, torso and leg on a grassy area next to the West Entrance of the school.

2. Richard Castaldo, age 17. Shot in the arm, chest, back and abdomen on the same grassy area.

3. Daniel Rohrbough, age 15. Killed after being shot in the chest at the base of the West Staircase.

4. Sean Graves, age 15. Shot in the back, foot and abdomen on the West Staircase.

5. Lance Kirklin, age 16. Shot with wounds to the leg, neck and jaw on the West Staircase.

6. Michael Johnson, age 15. Escaped from the grassy knoll with wounds to his face, arm and leg.

7. Mark Taylor, age 16. Shot in the chest, arms and leg on the grassy knoll.

8. Anne-Marie Hochhalter, age 17. Shot in the chest, arm, abdomen, back, and left leg near the cafeteria's entrance.

9. Brian Anderson, age 16. Injured near the West Entrance by flying glass.

10. Patti Nielson, age 35. Hit in the shoulder by shrapnel near the West Entrance.

11. Stephanie Munson, age 16. Shot in the ankle inside the North Hallway.

12. Dave Sanders, age 47. Died from loss of blood after being shot in the neck and back inside the South Hallway.

At 11:19 a.m., a witness heard Eric Harris yell "Go! Go!" At that moment, the two gunmen pulled out their guns from beneath their trenchcoats and Harris immediately began shooting with his 9 mm semi-automatic carbine at two 17-year-old students who had been sitting upon a grassy knoll next to the West Entrance of the school. One of these students, Rachel Scott, was hit four times and killed instantly. The other student the duo fired on, Richard Castaldo, was shot eight times and critically wounded. It is unknown who fired first or which gunman shot and killed Scott. Many rumors subsequently surfaced regarding the cause of the rampage, including the possible targeting of Christians. One such rumor regarding the murder of Rachel Scott was that the shooters had first asked Scott if she believed in God, then killed her after she answered affirmatively. The FBI later concluded that this interaction did not take place.

After shooting Scott and Castaldo, Harris removed his trench coat and aimed his 9 mm carbine down the West Staircase towards three youths: 15-year-olds Daniel Rohrbough and Sean Graves and 16-year-old Lance Kirklin. The three friends had been ascending the staircase directly below the shooters. Kirklin later reported seeing Klebold and Harris standing at the top of the staircase, before opening fire. All three youths were shot and wounded. Harris and Klebold then turned and began shooting south at five students sitting upon the grassy knoll adjacent to the steps and opposite the West Entrance of the school. One youth, 15-year-old Michael Johnson, was hit in the face, leg and arm, yet managed to continue running and escaped; another youth, 16-year-old Mark Taylor, was shot in the chest, arms and leg and fell to the ground, where he feigned death. The other three escaped uninjured. Klebold then walked down the steps towards the cafeteria. As he descended, he shot Lance Kirklin once more in the face, critically wounding him. Daniel Rohrbough and Sean Graves had descended the staircase as Klebold and Harris's attention had been diverted by the students upon the knoll; Graves had collapsed in front of the door to the cafeteria's side entrance; Rohrbough, who had been shot in the leg and abdomen, had descended the staircase. Klebold walked towards Rohrbough and shot him through the upper left chest at close range, killing him. He then continued down the staircase and entered the cafeteria, walking over the injured Sean Graves as he did so. It is speculated that Klebold entered the cafeteria to check why the propane bombs had failed to explode. As Klebold entered the cafeteria, Harris began to shoot down the steps at several students sitting near the cafeteria's entrance, severely wounding 17-year-old Anne-Marie Hochhalter as she attempted to flee, before Klebold exited the cafeteria and ascended the staircase to meet Harris.

The two youths then shot in the direction of students standing close to a soccer field, but did not hit anyone. They then made their way towards the West Entrance, throwing pipe bombs as they did so— none of which detonated. Inside the campus, a teacher named Patti Nielson, having noted the commotion, walked towards the West Entrance with a 16-year-old student named Brian Anderson. Nielson had intended to walk outside to tell the two students to "Knock it off," thinking that Klebold and Harris were either filming a video or pulling a prank. As Anderson opened the first set of double doors, Harris and Klebold shot out the windows, injuring him with flying glass. Nielson was hit in the shoulder from shrapnel. Reacting in fear, Nielson stood and ran down the hall into the library, alerting the students inside to the danger and demanding they duck underneath desks and remain silent. Nielson then dialed 9-1-1 and concealed herself underneath the library's administrative counter. Brian Anderson remained behind, caught between the exterior and interior doors.

Soon thereafter, at approximately 11:24 a.m., a Jefferson County deputy sheriff arrived at the scene and began shooting at Harris and Klebold, distracting them from the injured Brian Anderson. (Anderson subsequently escaped to the library where he concealed himself inside an open staff break room.) Harris fired a total of ten shots at the officer, who then reported a Code 33 (officer in need of emergency assistance) to his colleagues. When his gun ran out of ammunition, Harris ran inside the school with Klebold. The duo then proceeded down the main North Hallway, throwing pipe bombs and shooting at anyone they came upon. In the course of walking down the main North Hallway, 17-year-old Stephanie Munson was shot in the ankle, although she was able to walk out of the school. The duo then shot out the windows to the East Entrance of the school. After proceeding through the hall several times and shooting towards—and missing—any students they saw, Harris and Klebold proceeded towards the West Entrance and turned into the Library Hallway.

Moments prior to Klebold having previously entered the cafeteria, Coach Dave Sanders had evacuated the cafeteria from a staircase leading up to the second floor of the school. The staircase was located around the corner from the Library Hallway in the main South Hallway. (It is thought, but not confirmed, that after evacuating the cafeteria, Sanders was rushing towards the library to evacuate the students when he came upon the shooters.) Sanders and a student turned the corner and walked down the Library Hallway and were confronted by Harris and Klebold approaching from the corner of the North Hallway. Sanders and the student turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Harris and Klebold shot at both Sanders and the student, hitting Sanders twice in the chest as he reached the South Hallway, but missing the student. This student then ran into a science classroom where he alerted those in sight to conceal themselves. As the student fled, Harris and Klebold returned up the North Hallway. Dave Sanders subsequently struggled towards the science area, where a teacher took him into the science classroom where approximately 30 students were located. A sign was soon placed in the window reading: "1 bleeding to death," in order to alert police and medical personnel of Sanders' location. Two students within the classroom administered first aid and attempted to control blood loss with shirts from the male students in the room. A teacher and several students also remained in contact with police outside of the school using a phone in the classroom. All the students in the room were subsequently evacuated safely, but Sanders died at approximately 3:00 p.m. He was the only teacher to have died in the shootout.

Library massacre

As the shooting unfolded, Patti Nielson talked on the phone with emergency services, recounting her experience and urging students to take cover underneath desks. According to transcripts, her call was received by a 9-1-1 operator at 11:25:05 a.m. The time period between the call being answered and the shooters entering the library was four minutes and ten seconds. Before entering, the shooters threw two bombs into the cafeteria from the staircase in the South Hallway, both of which exploded. One of these bombs can be seen on the security tape recording. They then threw a further bomb in the Library Hallway, which also exploded, damaging several lockers. At 11:29 a.m., Harris and Klebold entered the library, where a total of 52 students, two teachers and two librarians were hiding.

As the shooters approached the library, Harris yelled for everyone to "Get up!" in a tone so loud that he can be heard upon Patti Nielson's 9-1-1 recording at 11:29:18. This expression by Harris was immediately followed by Klebold yelling "Everybody get up!". Staff and students hiding in the library exterior rooms later stated they also heard the gunmen utter such statements as: "Everyone with white hats, stand up! This is for all the shit you've given us for the past four years!" and: "All jocks stand up! We'll get the guys in white hats!" (Wearing a white baseball cap at Columbine was a tradition amongst sports team members.) When no one stood up in response, Harris was then heard to say: "Fine, I'll start shooting anyway!" He first fired his shotgun twice at a desk, not knowing that Evan Todd was hiding underneath it. Todd was hit by the wood splinters from the desk he was hiding underneath, but was not seriously injured. The shooters then made their way towards the opposite side of the library, to two rows of computers. Todd used the time to conceal himself behind the administrative counter. A 16-year-old student named Kyle Velasquez was sitting at the north—or upper—row of computers; police later said Velasquez had not hidden underneath the desk when Klebold and Harris had first entered the library, but that he had curled up underneath the computer table. Klebold shot at him first, hitting him in the head and back, killing him. Klebold and Harris then placed down their ammunition-filled duffel bags at the south—or lower—row of computers and reloaded their weapons. They then walked back towards the windows facing the outside staircase. Noticing police evacuating students outside the school, Harris stated: "Let's go kill some cops." He and Klebold then began to shoot out the windows of the library and in the direction of the police, who returned fire.

Injuries and deaths in the library

13. Evan Todd, age 15. Sustained minor injuries from the splintering of a desk he was hiding under.

14. Kyle Velasquez, age 16. Killed from gunshot wounds to the head and back.

15. Patrick Ireland, age 17. Shot in the arm, leg, head and foot.

16. Daniel Steepleton, age, 17. Shot in the thigh.

17. Makai Hall, age 18. Shot in the knee.

18. Steven Curnow, age 14. Killed from a shot to the neck.

19. Kacey Ruegsegger, age 17. Shot in the hand, arm and shoulder.

20. Cassie Bernall, age 17. Killed from a shot to the head.

21. Isaiah Shoels, age 18. Killed from a shot to the chest.

22. Matthew Kechter, age 16. Killed from a shot to the chest.

23. Lisa Kreutz, age 18. Shot in the shoulder, hand, arms and thigh.

24. Valeen Schnurr, age 18. Injured with wounds to the chest, arms and abdomen.

25. Mark Kintgen, age 17. Shot in the head and shoulder.

26. Lauren Townsend, age 18. Killed from multiple gunshot wounds to the head, chest and lower body.

27. Nicole Nowlen, age 16. Shot in the abdomen.

28. John Tomlin, age 16. Killed from multiple shots to the head and neck.

29. Kelly Fleming, age 16. Killed from a shot to the back.

30. Jeanna Park, age 18. Shot in the knee, shoulder and foot.

31. Daniel Mauser, age 15. Killed from a single shot to the face.

32. Jennifer Doyle, age 17. Shot in the hand, leg and shoulder.

33. Austin Eubanks, age 17. Shot in the head and knee.

34. Corey DePooter, age 17. Killed from shots to the chest and neck.

After firing at police and evacuating students, Klebold turned his attention away from the windows and fired his shotgun at a nearby table, injuring three students named Patrick Ireland, Daniel Steepleton, and Makai Hall. He then removed his trench coat. As Klebold fired at Ireland, Steepleton and Hall, Harris grabbed his shotgun and walked towards the lower row of computer desks, firing a single shot from his gun underneath the first desk in the row without looking to see if anyone was hiding underneath the desk. This shot hit 14-year-old Steven Curnow, causing a fatal wound to his neck. Harris then shot underneath the adjacent computer desk, injuring 17-year-old Kacey Ruegsegger in the hand, arm and shoulder.

Harris then walked over to the table across from the lower computer row, slapped the surface twice with his hand before kneeling and saying "peek-a-boo" to 17-year-old Cassie Bernall, before shooting her in the head. As Harris had been holding the shotgun with one hand when he fired, the recoil from the weapon hit his face, breaking his nose. Although one witness reported that Bernall was the student who was asked: "Do you believe in God?", the exchange occurred between Klebold and a surviving student named Valeen Schnurr. Three students who witnessed Bernall's death, including the person who was hiding underneath the same table as her, have testified that Klebold and Bernall did not exchange words. Though some students who were in the library asserted the exchange did occur, none of them actually witnessed it. These students may have heard the subsequent exchange between Klebold and Schnurr, and have been misled by news reports attributing the words to Bernall.

After fatally shooting Bernall, Harris turned his attention towards the next table, where a student named Bree Pasquale had sat next to the table rather than underneath it. Pasquale had not hidden beneath the desk as there was insufficient room to conceal her. Harris asked Pasquale if she wanted to die, and the girl responded with a plea for her life. Witnesses later reported that at this time, Harris seemed disoriented — possibly from the heavily bleeding wound to his face. As Harris taunted Pasquale, Klebold noted one of the three students he had previously wounded — 17-year-old Patrick Ireland — attempting to provide aid to Makai Hall, who had suffered a wound to his knee. As Ireland attempted to aid Hall, his head rose above the table and into Klebold's view. Klebold shot Ireland a second time, hitting him twice in the head and once in the foot. Ireland was knocked unconscious, but survived.

Klebold then proceeded toward another set of tables, where he discovered 18-year-old Isaiah Shoels and 16-year-olds Matthew Kechter and Craig Scott (the younger brother of Rachel Scott), hiding underneath one table. All three youths were popular athletes at the school. Klebold unsuccessfully attempted to pull Isaiah out from underneath the table. He then called to Harris, shouting "Reb! There's a nigger over here". Harris left Bree Pasquale and joined him. Klebold and Harris taunted Shoels for a few seconds, making derogatory racial comments towards him. Harris then knelt down and shot him in the chest at close range, killing him. Klebold also knelt down and opened fire, hitting and killing Matthew Kechter. Craig Scott remained uninjured and laid in the blood of his friends and feigning death. Harris turned and threw a CO₂ bomb at the table where Hall, Steepleton, and Ireland were located. The CO₂ bomb landed on Daniel Steepleton's thigh. Makai Hall immediately grabbed the bomb and threw it south (away from the shooters).

Harris then walked toward the bookcases between the west and center section of tables in the library. He jumped on one of the bookcases and shook it, then shot in an unknown direction within that general area. (It is unknown what Harris was shooting at, since no one could see him from the other side of the bookcase.) Klebold then walked through the main area, past the first set of bookcases, the central desk area and a second set of bookcases into the east area as Harris walked from the bookcase he had shot from, past the central area to where he met with Klebold. Klebold then shot at a display case located next to the door, then turned and shot at the closest table to him, hitting 17-year-old Mark Kintgen in the head and shoulder. He then turned towards the table located to his left and fired, injuring 18-year-olds Lisa Kreutz and Valeen Schnurr with the same shotgun bullet, before he approached the same table and fired with the TEC-9, killing 18-year-old Lauren Townsend.

As Klebold shot and killed Townsend and injured Schnurr, Kreutz and Kintgen, Harris approached another table where two girls had hidden. He bent down to look at them and dismissed them as "pathetic". The two shooters then approached an empty table where they again reloaded their weapons. Schnurr, who had been badly wounded, began to cry out, "Oh, God help me!" Klebold approached her and asked her if she believed in God. Schnurr floundered in her answer; first replying "no" and then "yes", in an attempt to appease Klebold. Klebold then asked her why; whereupon Schnurr replied that it was because it was what her family believed. He taunted her, reloaded his shotgun, then walked away. The slightly injured Evan Todd also reported that at this point, Klebold had also said: "God is gay." The exchange between Schnurr and Klebold was subsequently, and incorrectly, attributed to the verbal exchange between Harris and Cassie Bernall.

Harris then moved to another table where he fired twice, injuring 16-year-olds Nicole Nowlen and John Tomlin. When Tomlin started moving away from the table, Klebold came around and kicked him. Harris then taunted Tomlin's attempt at escape before Klebold shot the youth repeatedly, killing him. Harris then walked back over to the other side of the table where Lauren Townsend lay dead. Behind the table, a 16-year-old girl named Kelly Fleming had, like Bree Pasquale, sat next to the table rather than underneath it because of a lack of space. Harris shot Fleming with his shotgun, hitting her in the back and killing her instantly. He then shot at the table behind Fleming, hitting both Townsend and Kreutz again and wounding 18-year-old Jeanna Park. An autopsy later revealed that Townsend had been killed from the first shot.

At 11:37 a.m., the shooters moved to the center of the library, where they continued to reload their weapons at a table located midway across the room. Harris then noticed a student hiding nearby and asked him to identify himself. This student was John Savage, an acquaintance of Klebold's. Savage stated his name and asked Klebold what they were doing, to which Klebold replied: "Oh, just killing people." Savage then asked if they were going to kill him. Possibly because of the sound of the fire alarm, Klebold initially replied: "What?" Savage then asked again whether they were going to kill him. Klebold hesitated, then told him to leave the library. Savage fled immediately, and escaped through the library's main entrance.

After Savage had fled the library, Harris turned and fired his carbine at the table directly north of where they'd been, grazing 15-year-old Daniel Mauser's ear. Harris fired again and hit Mauser in the nose at close range and killing him. Both shooters then moved south from this location and fired randomly underneath another table, critically injuring two 17-year-olds named Jennifer Doyle and Austin Eubanks and fatally wounding another 17-year-old named Corey DePooter. DePooter, the last fatality of the massacre, was later credited with keeping his friends calm during the ordeal.

At this point, several witnesses later stated they heard both Harris and Klebold comment upon how they no longer found a thrill in shooting their victims. Klebold was quoted as having said, "Maybe we should start knifing people, that might be more fun." (Both youths had been equipped with knives.) Klebold and Harris then moved away from the table and headed toward the library's main counter. Harris threw a Molotov cocktail toward the southwestern end of the library as he went, but this device failed to explode. Harris then came around the east side of the counter and Klebold joined him from the west; they converged close to where Evan Todd had moved after having been wounded by splinters after having previously hidden underneath a photocopy machine. Harris and Klebold mocked Todd, who was wearing a white hat signifying that he was a jock. When the shooters demanded to see his face, Todd lifted the hat up halfway so they could not see it. Klebold asked Todd to give him one reason why he should not kill him, whereupon Todd replied: "I don't want trouble," to which Klebold replied: "You [Todd] used to call me a fag. Who's a fag now?!" The shooters continued to taunt Todd and debated killing him, but they eventually walked away. At this point, Harris's nose was still bleeding heavily, which may have caused him to decide to leave the library. Klebold then turned and fired a single shot into an open library staff break room, hitting a small television. He then slammed a chair down on top of the computer terminal upon the library counter, directly above the bureau where Patti Nielson had hidden.

The two then walked out of the library at 11:42 a.m., ending the massacre.

Almost immediately, 34 uninjured and 10 injured students evacuated the room through the north door, which led out to the sidewalk adjacent to the west entrance, where the rampage had begun. Patrick Ireland, who had been knocked unconscious, and Lisa Kreutz, who was unable to move, remained in the building. Patti Nielson joined Brian Anderson and the three library staff in the exterior break room, into which Klebold had fired shots earlier. They locked themselves in and remained there until they were freed, at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Suicide of the shooters

After leaving the library, Harris and Klebold entered the science area of the school, where they threw a small fire bomb into an empty storage closet, causing a fire which was subsequently extinguished by a teacher who had hidden in an adjacent room. The duo then proceeded toward the south hallway, where they shot into an empty science room at the end of the hall. At approximately 11:44 a.m. Harris and Klebold were captured on the school security cameras as they re-entered the cafeteria. The recording shows Harris kneeling on the landing and firing a single shot towards one of the propane bombs he and Klebold had earlier left in the cafeteria in an unsuccessful attempt to detonate it. He then took a sip from one of the drinks left behind by a fleeing student as Klebold approached the propane bomb and examined it. The recording then shows Klebold lighting a Molotov cocktail and throwing it at the propane bomb. As the two left the cafeteria, the Molotov cocktail exploded, partially detonating one of the propane bombs at 11:46 a.m. Two minutes later, approximately one gallon of fuel ignited in the same vicinity, causing a fire that was extinguished by the fire sprinklers.

After leaving the cafeteria, the duo returned to the main north and south hallways of the school, shooting aimlessly. Harris and Klebold then walked through the south hallway into the main office before returning to the north hallway. On several occasions, the pair looked through the windows of classroom doors, making eye contact with students concealed inside, but neither Harris nor Klebold attempted to enter any of the rooms. After leaving the main office, Harris and Klebold walked towards a bathroom entrance, where they taunted students who had hidden inside, making such comments as: "We know you're in there" and "Let's kill anyone we find in here." Again neither attempted to enter the bathroom. At 11:55 a.m., the two returned to the cafeteria where they briefly entered the school kitchen, only to return back up the staircase and into the south hallway at 11:58 a.m.

Deaths of the shooters

35. Eric Harris, age 18. Committed suicide by a single shot to the mouth.

36. Dylan Klebold, age 17. Committed suicide by a single shot to the head.

At 12:02 p.m., Harris and Klebold re-entered the library, which was now empty of all living students except for the unconscious Patrick Ireland and Lisa Kreutz. Once inside, they again shot at police through the west windows, but to no avail.

At approximately 12:08 p.m, Patti Nielson, who had locked herself inside a break room with a student and library staff, overheard Harris and Klebold suddenly shout in unison: "One! Two! Three!" These words were immediately followed by the sound of gunfire. The duo had committed suicide: Harris by firing his shotgun through the roof of his mouth; Klebold by shooting himself in the left temple with his TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun.

File:VictimLibraryWindowColumbine.jpg

Library victim Patrick Ireland being pulled from library windows after the massacre

Patrick Ireland had regained and lost consciousness several times after being shot by Klebold. He had managed to crawl to the library windows where, at 2:38 p.m., Ireland reached out of the windows, falling into the arms of two SWAT team members standing on the roof of an emergency vehicle. These SWAT team members were later criticized for allowing Ireland's body to then drop over seven feet to the ground, while doing nothing to attempt to assure he could be lowered to the ground safely or break his fall. 18-year-old Lisa Kreutz, who had been shot in her shoulder, arms, hand and thigh, remained injured in the library. In a subsequent interview, Kreutz recalled hearing a statement similar to "You in the library" around the time of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's suicide. Kreutz lay injured in the library, keeping track of time by the sound of the school's bells, until police arrived. She had tried to move from where she lay, but became light-headed. She was evacuated, along with Ms. Nielson, Brian Anderson and the three library staff who had concealed themselves in the break room, at 3:22 p.m.

Shooting ends

By noon, SWAT teams were stationed outside the school, and ambulances started taking the wounded to local hospitals. Meanwhile, families of students and staff at the school were asked to gather at nearby Leawood Elementary School to await information.

A call for additional ammunition for police officers in case of a shootout came at 12:20 p.m. The killers had ceased shooting just minutes earlier. Authorities reported pipe bombs by 1:00 p.m., and two SWAT teams entered the school at 1:09 p.m., moving from classroom to classroom, discovering hidden students and faculty. All students, teachers, and school employees were taken away, questioned, and then offered medical care in small holding areas before being bussed to meet with their family members at Leawood Elementary. Officials found the bodies in the library by 3:30 p.m.

By 4:00 p.m. the sheriff made an initial estimate of 25 dead students and teachers. The estimate was ten over the true count, but close to the total count of wounded students. He stated that police officers were searching the bodies of Harris and Klebold. At 4:30 p.m. the school was declared safe. At 5:30 p.m. additional officers were called in, as more explosives were found in the parking lot and on the roof. By 6:15 p.m., officials had found a bomb in Klebold's car in the parking lot. The sheriff decided to mark the entire school as a crime scene; thirteen of the dead, including the shooters, were still inside the school at the time. At 10:45 p.m. the bomb in the car detonated when an officer tried to defuse it. The car was damaged, but no one was injured.

In the end, twelve students and one teacher were killed; twenty-four other students were injured as a direct result of the massacre. Three more were injured indirectly as they attempted to escape the school. Harris and Klebold are thought to have committed suicide about forty-five minutes after the massacre began.

Immediate aftermath

On April 21 bomb squads combed the high school. At 10:00 a.m., the bomb squad declared the building safe for officials to enter. By 11:30 a.m., a spokesman of the sheriff declared the investigation underway. Thirteen of the bodies were still inside the high school as investigators photographed the building.

At 2:30 p.m., a press conference was held by Jefferson County District Attorney David Thomas and Sheriff John Stone, at which they said that they suspected others had helped plan the shooting. Formal identification of the dead had not yet taken place, but families of the children thought to have been killed had already been notified. Throughout the late afternoon and early evening, the bodies were gradually removed from the school and taken to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office to be identified and autopsied. By 5:00 p.m., the names of many of the dead were known. An official statement was released, stating that there were 15 confirmed deaths and 27 injuries related to the massacre.

On April 30 high-ranking officials of Jefferson County and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office met to decide if they should reveal that Michael Guerra, a Sheriff's Office detective, had drafted an affidavit for a search warrant of Harris's residence a year before the shootings, based on his previous investigation of Harris's website and activities. They decided not to disclose this information at a press conference held on April 30, nor did they mention it in any other way. Over the next two years, Guerra's original draft and investigative file documents were lost. Their loss was termed "troubling" by a Grand Jury convened after the file's existence was reported in April 2001.

In the months following the shooting, considerable media attention focused upon Cassie Bernall, who had been killed by Eric Harris in the library and who Harris was reported to have asked "Do you believe in God?" immediately prior to her murder. Bernall was reported to have responded "Yes" before being killed. Valeen Schnurr claims that this exchange was with her, and Emily Wyant, the only living witness to Bernall's death, confirms that Bernall did not have this discussion. Bernall and Rachel Scott were regarded as Christian martyrs by Evangelical Christians. The official investigation attributed the statement to survivor Valeen Schnurr. Despite this conclusion, student witness Joshua Lapp maintains that it was Cassie Bernall who was asked about her beliefs and responded "yes" before being shot. However, Lapp was unable to correctly point out the where Bernall was located, and was himself closer to Schnurr during the shootings. Another witness, Craig Scott, whose sister Rachel Scott was also portrayed as a Christian martyr, claimed that the discussion was with Cassie Bernall. When asked to point to where he heard the conversation coming from, he pointed to where Schnurr was shot.

The search for rationale

In the aftermath, a great deal of speculation occurred about the killers' motivation and whether anything could have prevented the crime. Unlike many previous school shootings, the fact that both shooters committed suicide made the Columbine High School massacre particularly difficult to assess.

In their investigation into how Harris and Klebold had acquired their firearms, police did learn the pair had acquired one of the weapons used through a friend named Mark Manes. Manes and another individual, Philip Duran, who had introduced the duo to Manes, were eventually prosecuted for their roles in supplying guns to Harris and Klebold. Each was charged with supplying a handgun to a minor and possession of a sawed-off shotgun. Manes and Duran were sentenced to a total of six years and four-and-a-half years in prison respectively.

Bullying

The link between bullying and school violence has attracted increasing attention since the 1999 attack at Colorado's Columbine High School. Both of the shooters were classified as gifted children and had allegedly been victims of bullying for four years. A year later, an analysis by officials at the US Secret Service of 37 premeditated school shootings found that bullying, which some of the shooters described "in terms that approached torment," played the major role in more than two-thirds of the attacks. A similar theory was expounded by Brooks Brown in his book on the massacre; he noted that teachers commonly looked the other way when confronted with bullying.

Early stories following the shootings charged that school administrators and teachers at Columbine had long condoned a climate of bullying by the so-called jocks or athletes, allowing an atmosphere of outright intimidation and resentment to fester which, they claimed, could have helped trigger the perpetrators' extreme violence. Reportedly, homophobic remarks were directed at Klebold and Harris.

However, Dave Cullen (in Columbine), while acknowledging the pervasiveness of bullying in high schools including Columbine, strongly disputes the theory of "revenge for bullying" as a motivation for the actions of Harris and Klebold, on the grounds that the two were not actually victims of bullying. Indeed, Harris in particular was more a perpetrator of bullying than a victim.

Psychopathy and depression

In July 1999 the FBI organized a major summit on school shooters in Leesburg, Virginia. Attending were psychologists, psychiatrists, and representatives from recent school shootings, including a large Columbine contingent. Attorney General Janet Reno was in attendance. The FBI eventually published a major report on school shooters, though it steered clear of pinpointing the causes of any individual case.

On the fifth anniversary of Columbine, the FBI's lead Columbine investigator and several psychiatrists went public with their conclusions in a news article. There they argued Harris was a clinical psychopath and Klebold was depressive. They believed the plan was masterminded by Harris, who they thought had a messianic-level superiority complex and hoped to illustrate his massive superiority to the world.

The attack on Columbine High School was the culmination of more than a year of planning, firearms acquisition, and bomb building. Harris's journals, in particular, show methodical preparation over a long period of time, including several experimental bomb detonations. The massacre was anything but a failure of impulse control.

Video games

Main article: Video game controversy

Jerald Block, a US psychiatrist, has differed with the FBI opinion of psychopathology and depression, arguing that the killers' actions are not well explained by such diagnoses. Rather, he states that Klebold and Harris were immersed in games like Doom, and that their lives were most gratifying while playing in a virtual world.

Both Harris and Klebold were fans of video games such as Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. Harris often created levels for Doom that were widely distributed; these can still be found on the Internet as the Harris levels. Rumors that the layout of these levels resembled that of Columbine High School circulated, but appear to be untrue. Harris spent a great deal of time creating another large mod, named Tier, calling it his "life's work." The mod was uploaded to the Columbine school computer and to AOL shortly before the attack, but appears to have been lost. One researcher argued that it is nearly certain the Tier mod included a mock-up of Columbine High School.

As they got into trouble, the two teenagers started to get their computer access restricted. Jerald Block believes that anger that was being projected into the games was now unleashed into the real world. In addition, the computer restrictions opened up substantial amounts of idle time that would have otherwise gone towards their online activities. They increasingly used that time to express their anger, and their antisocial tendencies likewise increased. This, in turn, generated more restrictions. Finally, after being arrested and banned from their computers for about a month, the two teens became homicidal and began documenting plans to attack the school. Block writes that the plan to attack the school first appears in Klebold's writings, and that Klebold may have considered using a different partner-in-crime than Harris. That person's name was redacted by the police from Klebold's journal.

Some analysts argued that part of the killers' problem may have been desensitization due to their constant exposure to violent imagery in such video games, as well as music and movies, theorizing that their obsession with these forms of media may have led them to depersonalization. American news media compared the massacre to a fantasy sequence from the 1995 film The Basketball Diaries, in which protagonist Leonardo DiCaprio wears a black trench coat and shoots six classmates in his school's hallways. Several unsuccessful lawsuits against video game manufacturers were filed as a result by parents of some of the victims. Harris and Klebold were fans of the movie Natural Born Killers, and used the film's acronym, NBK, as a code in their home videos and journals.

See also: Super Columbine Massacre RPG!

Other factors explored

Social climate

A frequent topic of discussion during and after the initial investigations was social cliques within high schools. One perception formed was that both Klebold and Harris had been isolated from their classmates, which may have prompted feelings of helplessness, insecurity, and depression, as well as a strong need for attention. This concept has been questioned, as both Harris and Klebold had a close circle of friends and a wider informal social group.

Goth subculture

In the weeks following the Columbine shootings, media reports upon Harris and Klebold portrayed the duo as being part of a Gothic cult. As a result of this media attention, an increased suspicion of Gothic subculture subsequently manifested. Harris and Klebold had initially been thought to be members of "The Trenchcoat Mafia;" an informal club within Columbine High School. Later, such characterizations were considered incorrect.

Music

Blame for the shootings was directed on a number of metal or 'dark music' bands such as KMFDM and Rammstein. The majority of that blame was directed at Marilyn Manson and his eponymous band. After being linked by news outlets and pundits with sensationalist headlines such as "Killers Worshipped Rock Freak Manson" and "Devil-Worshipping Maniac Told Kids To Kill," many came to believe that Manson's music and imagery were, indeed, Harris and Klebold's sole motivation, despite later reports that the two were not fans.

In the immediate aftermath, the band canceled the remaining North American dates of their Rock is Dead Tour out of respect for the victims, while steadfastly maintaining that music, movies, books or video games were not to blame. Manson stated:

The [news] media has unfairly scapegoated the music industry and so-called Goth kids and has speculated, with no basis in truth, that artists like myself are in some way to blame. This tragedy was a product of ignorance, hatred and an access to guns. I hope the [news] media's irresponsible finger-pointing doesn't create more discrimination against kids who look different.

On May 1, 1999 the embattled musician expanded his rebuttal to the accusations leveled at him and his band in his Rolling Stone magazine op-ed piece, "Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?" He castigated the ensuing hysteria and moral panic and what he saw as the irresponsibly handled news media coverage; he chastised America's habit of hanging blame on scapegoats to escape responsibility. Columbine and America's fixation on a culture of guns, blame, and 'celebrity by death' was further explored in the group's 2000 album Holy Wood.

In 2002 Manson appeared in Michael Moore's documentary, Bowling for Columbine; his appearance was filmed during the band's first show in Denver since the shooting. When Moore asked what he would have said to the students at Columbine, he replied, "I wouldn't say a single word to them. I would listen to what they have to say and that's what no one did."

Sascha Konietzko of KMFDM released a statement stating their music denounced "war, oppression, fascism and violence against others."

Choice of date

Due to ambiguities in the written record of their planning, many theories still exist about the choice of date for the shootings. One theory states that the original date the pair had chosen to target the school was April 19, due to the fact that Robyn Anderson (a close friend of Klebold who purchased some of the weaponry used in the massacre) would not be present on that date. Due to delays in the manufacturing of the propane bombs and in acquiring ammunition, the date was moved to April 20. April 19 was also the fourth anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing and the date of the immolation of the Waco Siege, further strengthening another theory that the original intended date of the Columbine High School massacre was actually April 19; both Harris and Klebold had mentioned in their homemade videos that they had hoped to overshadow these events with their own actions. It is also believed that the shootings were perhaps plotted for these days because of their proximity to the end of the year activities.

The actual date of the shooting happened to coincide with the birthday of Adolf Hitler, leading to some to speculate that Harris and Klebold were Neo-Nazis.

Impact on school policies

Secret Service report on school shootings

A United States Secret Service study concluded that schools were placing false hope in physical security, when they should be paying more attention to the pre-attack behaviors of students. Zero-tolerance policies and metal detectors "are unlikely to be helpful," the Secret Service researchers found. The researchers focused on questions concerning the reliance on SWAT teams when most attacks are over before police arrive, profiling of students who show warning signs in the absence of a definitive profile, expulsion of students for minor infractions when expulsion is the spark that push some to return to school with a gun, buying software not based on school shooting studies to evaluate threats although killers rarely make direct threats, and reliance on metal detectors and police officers in schools when the shooters often make no effort to conceal their weapons.

In May 2002 the Secret Service published a report that examined 37 US school shootings. They had the following findings:

• Incidents of targeted violence at school were rarely sudden, impulsive acts.
• Prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker’s idea and/or plan to attack.
• Most attackers did not threaten their targets directly prior to advancing the attack.
• There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence.
• Most attackers engaged in some behavior prior to the incident that caused others concern or indicated a need for help.
• Most attackers had difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures. Moreover, many had considered or attempted suicide.
• Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted, or injured by others prior to the attack.
• Most attackers had access to and had used weapons prior to the attack.
• In many cases, other students were involved in some capacity.
• Despite prompt law enforcement responses, most shooting incidents were stopped by means other than law enforcement intervention.

School security

Following the Columbine shooting, schools across the United States instituted new security measures such as see-through backpacks, metal detectors, and security guards. Some schools implemented school door numbering to improve public safety response. Several schools throughout the country resorted to requiring students to wear computer-generated IDs. At the same time, police departments reassessed their tactics and now train for Columbine-like situations after criticism over the slow response and progress of the SWAT teams during the shooting.

Anti-bullying policies

In response to expressed concerns over the causes of the Columbine High School massacre and other school shootings, some schools across America have renewed existing anti-bullying policies in addition to adopting a zero tolerance approach to both possession of weapons and threatening behavior by students. Despite the nature of the Columbine incident, several social science experts feel the zero tolerance approach adopted in schools has been implemented too harshly.

Long-term results

Police tactics

One significant change to police tactics following Columbine is the introduction of the Immediate Action Rapid Deployment tactic, used in situations with an active shooter. Police followed the traditional tactic at Columbine: surround the building, set up a perimeter, contain the damage. That approach has been replaced by a tactic which takes into account the presence of an active shooter whose interest is to kill, not to take hostages. This tactic calls for a four-person team to advance into the site of any ongoing shooting, optimally a diamond-shaped wedge, but even with just a single officer if more are not available. Police officers using this tactic are trained to move toward the sound of gunfire and neutralize the shooter as quickly as possible. 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. David Cullen, author of the 2009 book Columbine, said that, "The active protocol has proved successful at numerous shootings during the past decade. At Virginia Tech alone, it probably saved dozens of lives."

Gun control

The HOPE Columbine Memorial Library that replaced the library where most of the massacre unfolded

The shooting resulted in calls for more gun control measures. In 2000 federal and state legislation was introduced that would require safety locks on firearms as well as ban the importation of high-capacity ammunition magazines. Though laws were passed that made it a crime to buy guns for criminals and minors, there was considerable controversy over legislation pertaining to background checks at gun shows. There was concern amongst the gun lobby over further restrictions on Second Amendment rights in the US. In 2001, K-Mart, which sold ammunition to the shooters, announced it would no longer sell handgun ammunition, action encouraged by and documented in Michael Moore's film Bowling for Columbine.

Memorials

In 2000 youth advocate Melissa Helmbrecht organized a remembrance event in Denver featuring two surviving students, called the "Day of Hope."

A permanent memorial "to honor and remember the victims of the April 20, 1999 shootings at Columbine High School" was dedicated on September 21, 2007, in Clement Park, a meadow adjacent to the school where impromptu memorials were held in the days following the shooting. The memorial fund raised $1.5 million in donations over eight years of planning.

The Columbine memorial

Becoming part of the vernacular

Since the shooting, "Columbine" or "the Columbine incident" has become a euphemism for a school shooting. Charles Andrew Williams, the Santana High School shooter, reportedly told his friends that he was going to "pull a Columbine," though none of them took him seriously. Many foiled school shooting plots mentioned Columbine and the desire to "outdo 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.

Seung-Hui Cho, the shooter in the Virginia Tech massacre, mentioned "martyrs like Eric and Dylan," apparently referring to Columbine High School gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

See also

• Columbine (book)
• Columbine High School massacre in modern culture
• List of school-related attacks
• List of United States firearms topics

References

General

• Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. The Columbine Report (Columbine documents JC-001-000001 through JC-001-010937, 10,937 pages).
• Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Template:PDFlink hosted by the Rocky Mountain News.
• "Report: 12 killed at Columbine in first 16 minutes". CNN.com. May 16, 2000.

Further reading

• Altheide, David L. "The Columbine Shootings and the Discourse of Fear," American Behavioral Scientist, 52 (June 2009), 1354–70.
• Elliot Aronson: Nobody Left to Hate. Teaching Compassion After Columbine. First Owl Books 2001. ISBN 978-0-8050-7099-6.
• Kass, Jeff. Columbine: A True Crime Story. Ghost Road Press 2009. ISBN 978-0-9816525-6-6.

External links

• Video of the evacuation in progress, Second video of the evacuation (KUSA-TV (9News) news coverage via CNN)
• HOPE Columbine Memorial Library
• "Columbine High School massacre". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
• Columbine Memorial
• FBI file on the Columbine massacre
• Jefferson County CO Library – Columbine massacre archives
• The Lullaby for Columbine Project
• Download 35,000+ pages of official Columbine Documents
• A detailed report on crimelibrary.com
• Additional details from CNN
• Columbine High School Official website
• Patricia Nielsen's 911 call from the Library
• Columbine: 10 Years On – slideshow by The First Post
• Columbine: Massacre and Aftermath – slideshow by Life magazine
• 2011 interview with survivor Brooks Brown