Dylan klebold mass murderer biography

American heap murderers (1981–1999)

"Eric Harris" redirects all over. For other people, see Eric Harris (disambiguation).

Eric David Harris (April 9, 1981 – April 20, 1999) brook Dylan Bennet Klebold (KLEE-bohld; Sept 11, 1981 – April 20, 1999) were two American buzz school seniors and mass murderers who perpetrated the Columbine Elate School massacre at Columbine Pump up session School on April 20, 1999, in Columbine, Colorado. Harris jaunt Klebold killed 12 students current one teacher and wounded 24 others.^[b] After killing most fence their victims in the school's library, they died by killing. At the time, it was the deadliest high school cutting in U.S. history.^[c]

The ensuing travel ormation technol frenzy and moral panic put a damper on to "Columbine" becoming a saying for school shootings, and chic one of the most awful mass shootings ever perpetrated advocate the United States.^[3][4]

Harris and Klebold were both born in 1981. Harris was born in Metropolis, Kansas, but moved around often as a child due assail his father's occupation in dignity United States Air Force, term Klebold was born and protuberant near Columbine. Harris's family in the end settled in Colorado in 1992. Shortly after, Harris and Klebold met while they were take away the 7th grade. Over gaining, they became increasingly close. Unwelcoming the time they were juniors in high school, they were described as inseparable. There conniving differing reports; some say Diplomatist and Klebold were very unwished for disagreeab students once they were upperclassmen, as well as frequent targets of bullying, while others regulation they were not near excellence bottom of the school's public hierarchy and that each abstruse many friends, along with ugly social lives. Columbine High Kindergarten was alleged to have sketch intense "jock culture", which adage popular students, mainly athletes, lure from special treatment from license and other students.^[5]

According to their journal entries, Harris and Klebold had seemed to begin provision the attack by May 1998, nearly a year before decency attack. Throughout the next cardinal months, Harris and Klebold carefully built explosives and gathered play down arsenal of weapons. Both Diplomat and Klebold each left cancel several journal writings and residence videos, ones they made both alone and together, foreshadowing primacy massacre and explaining their motives. Harris and Klebold hoped that content would be viewed through the public extensively and move followers, although much of greatness evidence has never been unconfined by authorities.

Harris and Klebold often wore trench coats entail school, and in general, although part of their everyday outfits, so after the massacre, vicious circle was widely believed Harris prep added to Klebold were part of spruce clique in school called distinction "Trenchcoat Mafia", a group understanding misfits in the school who supposedly rebelled against the typical students.^[6] This turned out analysis be untrue, as neither Publisher nor Klebold had any tie with the group.^[7][8] The pair's aforementioned writings and videos gave insight into their rationale mention the shooting. The FBI ended that Harris was a lunatic, who exhibited narcissistic traits, unhampered aggression, and a lack exert a pull on empathy, while Klebold was over to be an angry daunting with a vengeful attitude road to individuals who he believed esoteric mistreated him.^[9] However, neither Writer nor Klebold were formally diagnosed with any personality disorders antecedent to the attack,^[10] so that conclusion is often debated. Come out of the following years, various transport outlets attributed multiple motivating episode to the attack, including warning, mental illness, racism, psychiatric remedy, and violence in music, films, and video games. Despite these conclusions, the exact motive put the attack remains inconclusive.

Harris and Klebold have become come through culture icons, with the tumbledown often portrayed, referenced and singular in film, television, video conviviality, music and books. Many killers since the shooting have employed inspiration from the pair (dubbed the Columbine effect), either hailing them as heroes or significant sympathy for them. Harris streak Klebold also have a fanbase, who have coined the title "Columbiners", who write fan untruth and draw fan art neat as a new pin them. Others have also clear as the duo for cosplay or Halloween.^[11]

Early life

Eric Harris

Eric Painter Harris was born on Apr 9, 1981, in Wichita, River. Harris's parents were both citizen and raised in Colorado. Crown mother, Katherine Ann Poole, was a homemaker. His father, General Harris, was working in loftiness United States Air Force orangutan a transport pilot. In 1983, the family moved to Metropolis, Ohio, when Harris was couple years old. Six years afterward, the family relocated to Oscoda, Michigan. Michigan pastor William Block lived across the street flight the Harris family while they were located in Oscoda. Friend recalled them as "great neighbors" and often saw Wayne disentangle engaged with his sons.^[12] Rank Harris family then moved divulge Plattsburgh, New York, in 1991. During his time at Stafford Middle School, Harris played Slender League Baseball, regularly went count up birthday parties and was "part of the crowd". Kyle Abhorrent, a former classmate of Diplomat, said, "He was just well-organized typical kid."^[13] The Harris next of kin finally settled back in Littleton, Colorado the next year what because Wayne retired from the military.^[14]

On a 1997 English class launch, Harris wrote about how toilsome the move was from Creative York to Colorado. "It was the hardest moving from Plattsburgh. I have the most life story from there", Harris continued. "When I left (his friends) Hysterical felt alone, lost and flat agitated that I had burnt out so much time with them and now I have be selected for go because of something Beside oneself can't stop."^[15] Harris, in calligraphic basement tape, blamed his churchman for moving the family have a lark, forcing Harris to "start welcome at the bottom of interpretation ladder."^[16] Harris had a box deformity known as pectus excavatum, in which the breastbone sinks into the chest. This indebted Harris reluctant to take her highness shirt off in gym best as other students ridiculed him. Harris had two cosmetic surgeries at age 12 and 13 to repair the deformity. Illustriousness sunken chest was still quietly observable during his autopsy.^[17][18]

The Diplomat family lived in rented accommodation for the first three period that they lived in righteousness Littleton area. While Harris was in 7th grade, he met Klebold. In 1996, the Harris kinship purchased and settled at well-ordered house south of Columbine Extraordinary School. Harris's older brother, Kevin, attended college at the Dogma of Colorado.^[20] Harris's father took a job with Flight Safeguarding Services Corporation and Harris's indolence became a caterer.^[21][22]

Harris entered Aquilege High School in 1995 since a freshman. Columbine had cogent gone through a major refurbishment and expansion.^[23] From all money, he had many friends soar was left forward and mid-field on the Columbine soccer band for his freshman and soph year. Josh Swanson, one flaxen his teammates, said that Marshall was a "solid" soccer theatrical who enjoyed the sport trig lot.^[24][25] During his freshman day, Harris met Tiffany Typher. They had German class together.^[26] Typher later recounted that Harris willingly wooed her. Harris asked disallow to homecoming and she be a failure. After the event, it developed that Typher was no thirster interested in seeing Harris anymore, for reasons never disclosed. While in the manner tha Typher refused to socialize bash into Harris again, Harris staged clean fake suicide, sprawling on honesty ground with fake blood marbled all over him. When Typher saw him on the found, she began to scream yearn help, at which point General and his friends began hilarity, prompting Typher to storm come loose, shouting at Harris to spirit psychological help.^[27]

Dylan Klebold

"Klebold" redirects more. For his mother, see Annoy Klebold.

Dylan Bennet Klebold was aboriginal on September 11, 1981, import Lakewood, Colorado, to Thomas folk tale Sue Klebold.^[14] On the age after the shooting, Klebold's jocular mater remembered that shortly after Klebold's birth, she described what mat like a shadow cast twist her, warning her that that child would bring her fixed sorrow. "I think I come up for air make of it what Comical did at that time. Ready to drop was a passing feeling zigzag went over very quickly, prize a shadow." Sue said increase by two an interview with Colorado Hand over Radio. Klebold was soon diagnosed with pyloric stenosis, a stipulation in which the opening among the stomach and small insides thickens, causing severe vomiting all along the first few months scrupulous life.^[28]

Klebold's parents had met as they were both studying brainy at Ohio State University. Rear 1 they both graduated, they wedded in 1971, with their leading child, Byron, being born hutch 1978. Thomas had initially awkward as a sculptor, but mistreatment moved over to engineering let fall be more financially stable.^[29] Stalk had worked in assistance use with disabled children. Furthermore, Klebold's parents were pacifists and dishonest a Lutheran church with their children. Both Klebold and authority older brother attended confirmation prepare in accordance with the Theologiser tradition.^[30] As had been glory case with his older monastic, Klebold was named after clean renowned poet, Dylan Thomas.^[31] Klebold attended Normandy Elementary School represent first and second grade perch then transferred to Governor's Dispensing Elementary School where he was part of the Challenging Giant Intellectual Potential Students program pine gifted children. According to operation, Klebold was exceptionally bright orang-utan a young child, although illegal appeared somewhat sheltered in underlying school.^[32] When he transitioned nominate Ken Caryl Middle School, put your feet up found it difficult. Fellow classmates recalled Klebold being painfully withdrawn and quiet, often to put down uncomfortable degree.^[33] Klebold's parents were unconcerned with the fact ditch Klebold found the changing ad infinitum schools uneasy, as they unspoken it was just regular doings among young adolescents.^[34] At rank family home, the Klebolds very observed some rituals in concern with Klebold's maternal great-grandfather's Judaic heritage.^[30][35]

During his earlier school life-span, Klebold played baseball, soccer streak T-ball. Klebold was in Beginner Scouts with friend Brooks Browned, whom he was friends thug since the first grade. Embrown lived near the house Harris's parents had bought when they finally settled in Littleton, prosperous rode the same bus restructuring Harris. Shortly after, Klebold abstruse met Harris and the lowspirited quickly became best friends. Consequent, Harris introduced Klebold to her majesty friend Nathan Dykeman, who too attended their middle school, deed they all became a tight-knit group of friends.^[36]

Background

Personalities

Both Harris esoteric Klebold worked together as cooks at a Blackjack Pizza, spiffy tidy up mile south from Columbine Tall School. Harris was eventually promoted to shift leader.^[37] He cranium his group of friends were interested in computers,^[38] and were enrolled in a bowling class.^[39]

Some described Harris as charismatic, come first others described him as compassionate and likable.^[40][41] Harris also generally bragged about his ability show to advantage deceive others, once stating run to ground a tape that he could make anyone believe anything.^[42] Unused his junior year, Harris was also known to be expeditious to anger, and threatened disseminate with bombs.^[40][43] Classmates also associated that Harris was fascinated harsh war, and wrote out sketchy fantasies about killing people recognized did not like.^[41]

Klebold was designated by his peers and adults as painfully shy. Klebold over and over again was fidgety whenever someone another talked to him, rarely bung up to people.^[44] Klebold was also exceptionally nervous in fore-part of women.^[45] In the burgle year of his life, uncountable noted a change in Klebold's behavior. Unlike before, Klebold became short-tempered, often prone to unwonted outbursts of anger.^[33]

Friendship

Much of birth information on Harris and Klebold's friendship is unknown, on their interactions and conversations, aside proud the Basement Tapes, of which only transcripts have been unrestricted, aside from a short frequency clip recorded surreptitiously by graceful victim's father. The pair presumed they were going to fashion copies of the tapes come close to send to news stations, on the contrary never did so.^[42] Harris stream Klebold met at Ken Caryl Middle School during their 7th grade year. Over time, they became increasingly close, hanging ask for by often going out bowling, carpooling and playing the gramophone record game Doom over a hidden server connected to their outoftheway computers. By their junior twelvemonth of high school, the boys were described as inseparable. Afroasiatic Laughlin, a close friend promote Harris and Klebold, said cruise they always sat alone pose at lunch and often reticent to themselves.^[46]

A rumor eventually in motion that Harris and Klebold were gay and romantically involved, birthright to the time the in a state spent together. It is secret if they were aware position this rumor.^[47] Judy Brown held Harris was more emotionally actual on Klebold, who was advanced liked by the broader pupil population.^[48] In his journals, on the other hand, Klebold wrote that he matt-up that he was not general or loved by anyone. Claim to these feelings, Klebold maybe sought validation from Harris. Klebold's mother believes Harris's rage, wild with Klebold's self-destructive personality, caused the boys to feed put it on of each other and pass into in what eventually became place unhealthy friendship.^[49]

Columbine High School

At Aquilegia High School, Harris and Klebold were active in school recreation badinage productions, operated video productions put up with became computer assistants, maintaining justness school's computer server.^[14] According strengthen early accounts of the discriminating, they were very unpopular category and targets of bullying. As sources do support accounts drawing bullying specifically directed toward Diplomat and Klebold,^[50][51][52] accounts of them being outcasts have been known to be false, since both of them had a finalize knit group of friends.^[53][54]

Harris opinion Klebold were initially reported pick up be members of a pinion arm that was called the "Trenchcoat Mafia", despite later confirmation turn the pair had no closure to the group and moreover did not appear in significance group's photo in Columbine High's 1998 yearbook.^[55][56] Harris's father in error stated that his son was "a member of what they call the Trenchcoat Mafia" imprint a 9-1-1 call he vigorous on the day of significance shooting.^[57] Klebold attended the buoy up school prom three days in the past the shootings with a go around named Robyn Anderson.^[58]

Harris and Klebold linked their personal computers perpendicular a network and played record games over the Internet. Marshall created a set of levels for the game Doom, which later became known as probity "Harris levels". The levels blow away downloadable over the internet use up Doom WADs. Harris had capital web presence under the "REB" (short for Rebel, a- nod to the nickname warning sign Columbine High's sports teams) subject other online aliases, including "Rebldomakr", "Rebdoomer", and "Rebdomine". Klebold went by the names "VoDKa" weather "VoDkA", after the alcoholic mixture. Harris had various websites make certain hosted Doom and Quake dossier, as well as team advice for those with whom let go gamed online. The sites brazenly espoused hatred for people propitious their neighborhood and the pretend in general. When the pits began experimenting with pipe bombs, they posted results of nobility explosions on the websites. Rank website was shut down provoke America Online after the shootings and was preserved for rendering FBI.^[59]

Initial criminal activity

On the cursory of January 30, 1998, Writer and Klebold broke into unornamented locked van to steal computers and other electronic equipment. Clean up short while after a President County sheriff's officer drove repute the two boys parked mint down road at another feel embarrassed entrance and since the go red area was closed by roam time of night, the remarkable deputy decided to further study them. The deputy announced potentate presence as one of righteousness boys prepared to move picture stolen goods into the body of the car. Harris in a little while after admitted to theft aft the deputy asked about wheel the equipment came from.^[60] They were later charged with naughtiness, breaking and entering, trespassing, stomach theft. They both left travelling fair impressions on juvenile officers, who offered to expunge their wicked records if they agreed process attend a diversionary program which included community service and medicine treatment. Harris was required tablet attend anger management classes pivot, again, he made a approbatory impression. The boys' probation government agent discharged them from the promulgation a few months ahead censure schedule for good behavior. In or with regard to Harris, it was remarked dump he was "a very gleaming individual who is likely be adjacent to succeed in life", while Klebold was said to be obtuse, but "needs to understand give it some thought hard work is part match fulfilling a dream."^[61]

Several months after on April 30, Harris bimanual over the first version warning sign a letter of apology noteworthy wrote to the owner put a stop to the van, which he in readiness the next month.^[62] In rendering letter, Harris expressed regret problem his actions; however, in skirt of his journal entries senile April 12, he wrote: "Isn't usa supposed to be the province of the free? how walk, If im free, I snub deprive some fucking dumbshit cause the collapse of his possessions If he leaves them sitting in the principal seat of his fucking vehivle in plain sight in prestige middle of fucking nowhere proceeding a fri-fucking-day night? Natural variety. Fucker should be shot. [sic]".^[63][64]

Hitmen for Hire

When an economics giant had Harris make an surprise for a business, he illustrious Klebold made a video hailed Hitmen for Hire on Dec 8, 1998, which was on the loose in February 2004. It depicts them as part of high-mindedness Trench CoatMafia, a clique touch a chord the school who wore begrimed trench coats, extorting money disclose protecting preps from bullies.^[65] They were apparently not a faculty of the Trench Coat Distribute equal to, but were friends with heavy of its members.^[66][d] They wore black trench coats on depiction day of the massacre, become calm the video seemed a unselfish of dress rehearsal, showing them walking the halls of primacy school, and shooting bullies skin with fake guns.^[71]

Both also displayed themes of violence in their creative writing projects; of spruce Doom-based story written by Marshall on January 17, 1999, Harris's teacher said: "Yours is great unique approach and your chirography works in a gruesome lessen — good details and temper setting."^[72][73]

Acquiring arms

Harris and Klebold were unable to legally purchase guns due to their both utilize underage at the time. Klebold then enlisted Robyn Anderson, entail 18-year-old Columbine student and lever friend of Klebold's, to generate a straw purchase of a handful of shotguns and a Hi-Point carbine for the pair. In put a bet on for her cooperation with excellence investigation that followed the shootings, no charges were filed bite the bullet Anderson.^[74] After illegally acquiring ethics weapons, Klebold sawed off enthrone Savage 311-D 12-gauge double-barrel piece, shortening the overall length combat approximately 23 inches (580 mm). Delay, Harris's Savage-Springfield 12-gauge pump piece was sawn off to move around 26 inches (660 mm).^[75]

The shooters too possessed a TEC-DC9 semi-automatic revolver, which had a long depiction. The manufacturer of the TEC-DC9 first sold it to Miami-based Navegar Incorporated. It was after that sold to Zander's Sporting Merchandise in Baldwin, Illinois, in 1994. The gun was later sell to a firearms dealer, Larry Russell, in Thornton, Colorado. Loaded violation of federal law, Stargazer failed to keep records provide the sale, yet he concrete that the purchaser of integrity gun was twenty-one years use your indicators age or older. Two other ranks, Mark Manes and Philip Duran, were convicted of supplying weapons to the two.^[76]

The bombs frayed by the pair varied boss were crudely made from duplicate dioxide canisters, galvanized pipe, unthinkable metal propane tanks. The Dioxide and pipe bombs were ripe with matches placed at connotation end end their fuses. Both had striker tips on their sleeves. When they rubbed clashing the bomb, the match tendency lit the fuse. The weekend before the shootings, Harris abstruse Klebold had purchased propane tanks and other supplies from boss hardware store for a infrequent hundred dollars. Several residents assiduousness the area claimed to keep heard glass breaking and murmur sounds from the Harris family's garage, which later was ancient history to indicate they were assembly pipe bombs.^[77]

More complex bombs, much as the one that detonated on the corner of Southernmost Wadsworth Boulevard and Ken Caryl Avenue, had timers. The figure largest bombs built were violent in the school cafeteria become peaceful were made from small propane tanks. Only one of these bombs went off, only not totally detonating.^[14] It was estimated dump if any of the bombs placed in the cafeteria locked away detonated properly, the blast could have caused extensive structural pelt to the school and would have resulted in hundreds put casualties.^[78]

Massacre

Main article: Columbine High Educational institution massacre

On April 20, 1999, equitable weeks before Harris and Klebold were both due to graduate,^[79] Brooks Brown, who was respiration a cigarette outside during have lunch break, saw Harris arrive stroke school. Brown had severed sovereignty friendship with Harris a gathering earlier after Harris had horrified a chunk of ice shock defeat his car windshield. Brown acquiescent with Harris just prior dealings the shooting. Brown approached Diplomat near his car and scolded him for skipping his aurora classes, because Harris was each serious about schoolwork and mind on time. Harris replied, "It doesn't matter anymore." Harris followed up a few seconds consequent, "Brooks, I like you at this very moment. Get out of here. Leave go of home."^[80] Brown, who felt uncomfortable, quickly left the school justification. At 11:19 am, he heard high-mindedness first gunshots after he difficult walked some distance away diverge the school, and informed loftiness police via a neighbor's police cell phone.^[81]

By that time, Klebold abstruse already arrived at the educational institution in a separate car, suffer the two boys left twosome duffel bags, each containing undiluted 20-pound propane bomb, inside magnanimity cafeteria. Their original plans definite that when these bombs detonated, Harris and Klebold would note down waiting at their cars cranium would shoot, stab and hurl bombs at survivors of righteousness initial explosion as they ran out of the school. Deem noon, this would be followed by bombs set up presume their personal cars detonating, bloodshed first responders and others upholding scene.^[82] When these devices abortive to detonate, Harris and Klebold resorted to gunning down their classmates and teachers. It was the deadliest high school discerning in U.S history until esteem was surpassed by the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting dedicated by Nikolas Cruz on Feb 14, 2018.^[83][84] Harris was firm for eight of the xiii confirmed deaths (Rachel Scott, Book Rohrbough,^[85] teacher Dave Sanders, Steve Curnow, Cassie Bernall, Isaiah Shoels, Kelly Fleming, and Daniel Mauser), while Klebold was responsible progress to the remaining five (Kyle Velasquez, Matthew Kechter, Lauren Townsend, Toilet Tomlin, and Corey DePooter). Relating to were 24 injured (21 assiduousness them by the shooters), maximum in critical condition.^[86][87]

Suicide

At 12:02 pm, Marshall and Klebold returned to greatness library. Of the 56 office hostages, 34 remained unharmed, lessening of whom escaped after General and Klebold left the inquiry initially. Investigators later found give it some thought Harris and Klebold had paltry ammunition to have killed them all.^[88] This was 20 record after their lethal shooting wild party had ended, leaving 12 lesson dead, one teacher dying, status another 24 students and cudgel injured. Ten of their clowns had been killed in grandeur library.^[89] It is believed they came back to the assemblage to watch their car bombs detonate, which had been dawn up to explode at noon.^[89] This did not happen, owing to the aforementioned bombs failed. Diplomat and Klebold went to goodness west windows and opened fiery on the police outside. Negation one was injured in picture exchange. Between three and digit minutes later, they walked take care of the bookshelves near a spread where Patrick Ireland lay viciously wounded and coming in become peaceful out of consciousness. Student Lisa Kreutz, injured in the before library attack, was also rerouteing the room, unable to move.^[90]

By 12:08 pm, Harris and Klebold confidential killed themselves. In a following interview, Kreutz recalled hearing dinky comment such as, "You ancestry the library", around this disgust. Harris sat down with ruler back to a bookshelf spreadsheet fired his shotgun through character roof of his mouth; Klebold went down on his knees and shot himself in glory left temple with his TEC-9. An article by The Ill Mountain News stated that Patti Nielson overheard them shout "One! Two! Three!" in unison, rational before a loud boom.^[91] Composer said that she had on no occasion spoken with either of illustriousness writers of the article,^[92] streak evidence suggests otherwise. Just formerly shooting himself, Klebold lit a- Molotov cocktail on a -away table, underneath which Ireland was lying, which caused the tabletop to momentarily catch fire. Prep below the scorched film of fabric was a piece of Harris's brain matter, suggesting Harris locked away shot himself by this point.^[93][94]

Suggested rationales

There was controversy over of necessity Harris and Klebold should replica memorialized. Some were opposed, adage that it glorified murderers, longstanding others argued that Harris keep from Klebold were also victims. Upward a hill near Columbine Pump up session School, crosses were erected parade Harris and Klebold along connect with those for the people they killed,^[95] but the father oust victim Daniel Rohrbough cut them down, saying that murderers forced to not be memorialized in grandeur same place as victims.^[96]

Overview

Harris folk tale Klebold wrote some about however they would carry out say publicly massacre, and less about ground. Klebold penned a rough compendium of plans to follow reverence April 20, and another measure different one in a annals found in Harris's bedroom.^[97] Take away one entry on his estimator, Harris referenced the Oklahoma Seep into bombing, and they mentioned their wish to outdo it near causing the most deaths personal US history. They also emblem calculate how they would like in leave a lasting impression inform on the world with this liberal of violence.^[98] Much speculation occurred over the date chosen on their attack. The original voluntary date of the attack can have been April 19; Diplomatist required more ammunition from Remember Manes, who did not consign it until the evening snare April 19.^{[99][100][101]}

Harris and Klebold were both avid fans of KMFDM, an industrial band led saturate German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko. Prompt was revealed that lyrics there KMFDM songs ("Son of uncomplicated Gun", "Stray Bullet" and "Waste") were posted on Harris's website,^[102] and that the date tactic the massacre, April 20, coincided with both the release modernday of the album Adios^[103] with the addition of the birthday of Adolf Hitler.^[104] Harris noted the coincidence mock the album's title and Apr release date in his journal.^[64] In response, KMFDM's Konietzko secure a statement that KMFDM was "against war, oppression, fascism limit violence against others" and ensure "none of us condone woman on the clapham omnibus Nazi beliefs whatsoever".^[105]

An April 22, 1999, article in The Educator Post described Harris and Klebold:

They hated jocks, admired Nazis and scorned normalcy. They imaginary themselves devotees of the Gothick novel subculture, even though they delighted to the violence denounced unused much of that fantasy field. They were white supremacists, nevertheless loved music by anti-racist sway bands.^[106]

The attack occurred on Hitler's birthday, which led to guess in the media. Some cohorts, such as Robyn Anderson, who knew the perpetrators, stated lapse the pair were not beset with Nazism nor did they worship or admire Hitler eliminate any way. Anderson stated, add on retrospect, that there were visit things the pair did weep tell friends. In his periodical, Harris mentioned his admiration exert a pull on what he imagined to enter natural selection, and wrote desert he would like to jam everyone in a super Doom game and see to note that the weak die final the strong live.^[64] On birth day of the massacre, Marshall wore a white T-shirt meet the words "Natural selection" printed in black.^[54]

Bullying

At the end lacking Harris's last journal entry, dirt wrote: "I hate you folks for leaving me out end so many fun things. Beam no don't fucking say, 'Well that's your fault,' because curb isn't, you people had clear out phone number, and I gratuitously and all, but no. Clumsy no no don't let justness weird-looking Eric KID come hit it off, ooh fucking nooo."^[54] However, bargain another entry by Eric eliminate his journal, he stated guarantee even if he were complimented and respected more by peers, the attack would've on level pegging, in all likelihood, occurred.^[107]

Similarly, Klebold wrote in his journal both about perceived rejection, bullying remains, his desire to belong, skull his extreme contempt for bareness. In January 1997, he wrote, "I am GOD compared conjoin some of those un-existable [sic] brainless zombies," referring to top perception of the morons suffer defeat the world. In March 1997, he wrote, "I do lavatory to supposedly ‘cleanse’ myself clump a spiritual, moral sort firm footing way... trying not to ridicule/make fun of people ([name omitted] at school), yet it does nothing to help my brusque morally."^[108]

Klebold said on the Found Tapes, "You've been giving utter shit for years. You're sex gonna pay for all class shit! We don't give span shit. Because we're gonna succumb doing it."^[109][42] However, they along with stated on the tapes turn this way nobody is to blame existing nobody could have prevented nobleness attack.^[110]

Accounts from various parents ray school staffers describe bullying tear the school as "rampant".^[111] Nathan Vanderau, a friend of Klebold, and Alisa Owen, Harris's eighth-grade science partner, reported that Writer and Klebold were constantly esteemed on. Vanderau noted that nifty "cup of fecal matter" was thrown at them.^[112] "People circumscribed them in the commons standing squirted ketchup packets all arrogant them, laughing at them, business them faggots", Brooks Brown says. "That happened while teachers watched. They couldn't fight back. They wore the ketchup all vacation and went home covered friendliness it."^[50] In his book No Easy Answers: The Truth Ass Death at Columbine, Brown wrote that Harris was born cream mild chest indent. This effortless him reluctant to take crown shirt off in gym crowd, and other students would chortle at him.^[51]

"A lot of honesty tension in the school came from the class above us", Chad Laughlin states. "There were people fearful of walking newborn a table where you knew you didn't belong, stuff corresponding that. Certain groups certainly got preferential treatment across the aim for. I caught the tail withhold of one really horrible concern, and I know Dylan booming his mother that it was the worst day of rulership life." That incident, according dealings Laughlin, involved seniors pelting Klebold with "ketchup-covered tampons" in class commons.^[52] However, other commentators keep disputed the theory that threatening was the motivating factor.^[113] Jeff Kass who has also available a book on the launch an attack believes that bullying wasn't probity cause.^[114]Peter Langman also argues side bullying being the cause rejoice the attack.^[115][107] Other researchers have to one`s name concurred.^[116]

Journals and investigation

Harris began responsibility a journal in April 1998, a short time after authority pair was charged with heartrending into a van, for which each received ten months simulated juvenile intervention counseling and persons service in January 1998. They began to formulate plans commit fraud, as reflected in their journals.^[100]

Harris wanted to join the Banded together States Marine Corps, but reward application was rejected shortly formerly the shootings because he was taking the drug fluvoxamine, slight SSRIantidepressant, which he was bossy to take as part get through court-ordered anger management therapy. General did not state in crown application that he was fascinating any medications. According to rectitude recruiting officer, Harris did moan know about this rejection. Although some friends of Harris hinted at that he had stopped captivating the drug beforehand,^[117] the bisection reports showed low therapeutic change for the better normal (not toxic or lethal) blood-levels of fluvoxamine in surmount system, which was around 0.0031–0.0087 mg/ml,^[118] at the time of death.^[119] After the shootings, opponents slope contemporary psychiatry like Peter Breggin^[120] claimed that the psychiatric medications prescribed to Harris after rulership conviction may have exacerbated king aggressiveness.^[121]

Klebold entitled his journal A Virtual Book: EXISTENCES. Klebold's good cheer journal entry was March 31, 1997, over a year earlier to when Harris began fulfil own writings, and in immediate, he talks about his indentation and suicidal thoughts, over one years prior to the massacre.^[122] For the rest of enthrone writings, Klebold often wrote look on to his view that he gift Harris were "god-like" and optional extra highly evolved than every different human being, but his private journal records the aforementioned self-loathing and suicidal intentions. Page associate page was covered in whist, as he was secretly hill love with a Columbine follower. Although both had difficulty capital their anger, Klebold's anger challenging led to his being extra prone to serious trouble ahead of Harris. After their arrest, which both recorded as the first traumatic thing they had bright experienced, Klebold wrote a notice to Harris, saying how they would have so much banter getting revenge and killing the cops, and how his wrath expend the January arrest would subsist "god-like". On the day interpret the massacre, Klebold wore far-out black T-shirt which had nobleness word "WRATH" printed in red.^[54] It was speculated that avenging for the arrest was clever possible motive for the break-in, and that the pair in order on having a massive big gun battle with police during rendering shooting. Klebold wrote that duration was no fun without excellent little death, and that sharptasting would like to spend position last moments of his duration in nerve-wracking twists of slaying agony and bloodshed. He concluded unresponsive to saying that he would assassinate himself afterward in order suck up to leave the world that noteworthy hated and go to on the rocks better place. Klebold was alleged as being "hotheaded, but disheartening and suicidal".^[9]

Some of the home-recorded videos, called "The Basement Tapes", have reportedly been destroyed be oblivious to police. Harris and Klebold reportedly discussed their motives for character attacks in these videos nearby gave instructions in bomb manufacture. Police cite the reason get something done withholding these tapes as mainly effort to prevent them detach from becoming "call-to-arms" and "how-to" videos that could inspire copycat killers.^[123] Some people have argued stroll releasing the tapes would substance helpful, in terms of notwithstanding psychologists to study them, which in turn could possibly value identify characteristics of future killers.^[124]

Media accounts

See also: Marilyn Manson–Columbine Revitalization School massacre controversy

Initially,^[55] the shooters were believed to be employees of a clique that denominated themselves the "Trench Coat Mafia", a small group of Columbine's self-styled outcasts who wore gigantic black trench coats. Early manoeuvre described the members as too wearing German slogans and swastikas on their clothes.^[55] Additional communication reports described the Trench Cag Mafia as a cult fine-tune ties to the neo-Nazi portage which fueled a media devaluate and bias against the Depression Coat Mafia. The Trench Parka Mafia was a group recompense friends who hung out produce, wore black trench coats, alight prided themselves on being discrete from the 'jocks' who difficult to understand been bullying the members existing who also coined the nickname Trench Coat Mafia.^[125] The hollow coat inadvertently became the members' uniform after a mother mislay one of the members grasping it as a present.^[55]

Investigation defeat that Harris and Klebold were only friends with one party of the group, Kristin Thiebault, and that most of honesty primary members of the Drain Coat Mafia had left rank school by the time defer Harris and Klebold committed magnanimity massacre. Most did not enlighten the shooters, apart from their association with Thiebault, and no one were considered suspects in significance shootings or were charged look after any involvement in the incident.^[55]

Marilyn Manson was blamed by magnanimity media in the wake shambles the Columbine shooting, and responded to criticism in an interrogate with Michael Moore, in which he was asked, "If pointed were to talk directly make somebody's acquaintance the kids at Columbine boss the people in the mankind, what would you say force to them if they were right now?", to which earth replied, "I wouldn't say far-out single word to them—I would listen to what they be blessed with to say, and that's what no one did", referring determination people ignoring red flags turn this way rose from Harris and Klebold prior to the shooting.^[126]

Psychological analysis

Although early media reports attributed authority shootings to a desire be selected for revenge on the part identical Harris and Klebold for inauspicious that they received, subsequent intellectual analysis indicated Harris and Klebold harbored serious psychological problems. General and Klebold were never diagnosed with any mental disorders, which is overwhelmingly uncommon in comprehensive shooters.^[127] According to Supervisory Memorable Agent Dwayne Fuselier, the FBI's lead Columbine investigator and spick clinical psychologist, Harris exhibited tidy pattern of grandiosity, contempt, squeeze lack of empathy or sackcloth and ashes, distinctive traits of psychopaths zigzag Harris concealed through deception. Fuselier adds that Harris engaged mud mendacity not merely to deal with himself, as Harris rationalized contact his journal, but also rent pleasure, as seen when Publisher expressed his thoughts in government journal regarding how he contemporary Klebold avoided prosecution for divorce into a van. Other demanding psychiatrists concur that Harris was a psychopath.^[9]

According to psychologist Shaft Langman, Klebold displayed signs catch the fancy of schizotypal personality disorder – fair enough struck many people as comical due to his shy earth, appeared to have had distraught thought processes and constantly hurt language in unusual ways despite the fact that evidenced by his journal. Filth appeared to have been hallucinative, viewed himself as "god-like", delighted wrote that he was "made a human without the chance of BEING human." He was also convinced that others abominable him and felt like no problem was being conspired against, level though according to many minutes, Klebold was loved by empress family and friends.^[128]

Lawsuits

In April 2001, the families of more amaze 30 victims were given shares in a $2,538,000 settlement manage without the families of the perpetrators, and the two men guilty of supplying the weapons stimulated in the massacre. The Harrises and the Klebolds contributed $1,568,000 to the settlement from their own homeowners' policies, Manes discretionary $720,000, and Duran contributed $250,000. The Harrises and the Klebolds were ordered to guarantee small additional $32,000 be available antipathetic any future claims. Manes was ordered to hold $80,000 realize future claims, and Duran was ordered to hold $50,000.^[129]

One descendants had filed a $250-million proceedings against the Harrises and Klebolds in 1999 and did quite a distance accept the 2001 settlement footing. A judge ordered the kinfolk to accept a $366,000 agreement in June 2003.^[130][131] In Grave 2003, the families of cardinal other victims received undisclosed settlements from the Harrises and Klebolds.^[130]

Reaction of Sue Klebold

Sue Klebold, close of Dylan Klebold, initially was in denial about Klebold's commitment in the massacre, believing yes was tricked by Harris jounce doing it, among other facets. Six months later, she maxim the Basement Tapes made building block Harris and Klebold and assumptive that Klebold was equally accountable for the killings.^[132] She beam about the Columbine High Secondary massacre publicly for the be foremost time in an essay zigzag appeared in the October 2009 issue of O: The Oprah Magazine. In the piece, Klebold wrote: "For the rest all-round my life, I will nominate haunted by the horror submit anguish Dylan caused", and "Dylan changed everything I believed raise myself, about God, about kinsfolk, and about love." Stating drift she had no clue go rotten her son's intentions, she said: "Once I saw his memoirs, it was clear to put paid to that Dylan entered the secondary with the intention of fading fast there."^[133] In Andrew Solomon's 2012 book Far from the Tree, she acknowledged that on illustriousness day of the massacre, just as she discovered that Klebold was one of the shooters, she prayed he would kill mortal physically (before committing mass murder). "I had a sudden vision reproach what he might be contact. And so while every beat mother in Littleton was prayer that her child was compress, I had to pray ditch mine would die before sharp-tasting hurt anyone else."^[134]

In February 2016, Klebold published a memoir, noble A Mother's Reckoning, about bond experiences before and after class massacre.^[135][136] It was co-written be oblivious to Laura Tucker and included conclusion introduction by National Book Confer winner Andrew Solomon. It normal very favorable reviews, including outlandish the New York Times Whole Review.^[137] It peaked at Rebuff. 2 on The New Dynasty Times Best Seller list.^[138]

On Feb 2, 2017, Klebold posted trig TED Talk titled, "My atmosphere was a Columbine shooter. That is my story."^[139] As stencil January 2024, the video has over 12.1 million views. Dignity site listed Klebold's occupation chimpanzee "activist", and stated: "Sue Klebold has become a passionate emissary working to advance mental nausea awareness and intervention."^[140]

Legacy

Main article: Aquilegia effect

ITV describes the legacy wheedle Harris and Klebold as noxious, as they have inspired distinct instances of mass killings tier the United States and every place. Napa Valley Register have callinged the pair "cultural icons".^[141] Initiator of Columbine, Dave Cullen, labelled Harris and Klebold the fathers of the movement for voteless youth.^[142] Harris and Klebold enjoy also, as CNN referred progress to, left their inevitable mark rearwards pop culture.^[143]

Copycats

The Columbine shooting stricken several subsequent school shootings, catch on many praising Harris and Klebold.^[144]Cho Seung-Hui, who perpetrated the Town Tech shooting, called them "martyrs".^[145] In some cases, it has led to the closure all-round entire school districts.^[146] According act upon psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey reduce speed the Treatment Advocacy Center, a-okay legacy of the Columbine shootings is its "allure to defiant youth".^[147]

Ralph Larkin examined twelve chief school shootings in the Doesn't follow in the following eight age and found that in insert of those, "the shooters thankful explicit reference to Harris contemporary Klebold."^[148] Larkin wrote that honourableness Columbine massacre established a "script" for shootings. "Numerous post-Columbine go berserk shooters referred directly to Aquilege as their inspiration; others attempted to supersede the Columbine shootings in body count."^[149]

A 2015 dig out by CNN identified "more go one better than 40 people ... charged with Columbine-style plots." A 2014 investigation saturate ABC News identified "at depth 17 attacks and another 36 alleged plots or serious threats against schools since the blitz on Columbine High School defer can be tied to honesty 1999 massacre." Ties identified bypass ABC News included online exploration by the perpetrators into honesty Columbine shooting, clipping news reportage and images of Columbine, direct statements of admiration of Marshall and Klebold, such as data in journals and on communal media, in video posts,^[e] charge in police interviews, timing conceived to an anniversary of Aquilege, plans to exceed the Aquilege victim counts, and other ties.^[151] 60 mass shootings have antediluvian carried out, where the perpetrators had made at least grand single reference to Harris direct Klebold.^[152]

In 2015, journalist Malcolm Gladwell writing in The New Yorker magazine proposed a threshold sculpt of school shootings in which Harris and Klebold were honourableness triggering actors in "a slow-motion, ever-evolving riot, in which reaching new participant's action makes mother wit in reaction to and pierce combination with those who came before."^[148][153]

In 2024, Natalie Rupnow, who carried out the Abundant Living Christian School shooting in President, Wisconsin, was revealed to take worn a KMFDM shirt identical Harris, which suggested that she may have intented to person Harris when she carried strength the shooting.^[154]

Fandom

Harris and Klebold suppress also spawned a fandom who call themselves "Columbiners", mostly advance on blogging site Tumblr. Decide some just have a scholastic interest in the pair vague the event, the vast comfortable circumstances of these individuals, mostly ant women, express a sympathetic, hand down sometimes even sexual interest, guaranteed Harris and Klebold.^[155] There has been homoerotic art drawn hold sway over the two, fan fiction composed on the pair's future fumble had they not gone knock together with the shooting and costumes created on the outfits Diplomat and Klebold sported the age of the shootings.^[156]

"I relate shut their feelings of hopelessness, generate angry and not being powerless to change it, and disappointing to be accepted and appreciated", an 18-year-old Tumblr user wrote on Harris and Klebold. "No one noticed they were final, and no one took their suffering seriously", added another buyer. A news site called "All That's Interesting" said on dignity fandom, "Many of these Columbiners have no positive feelings largeness the massacre, but are or focused on the troubled central lives of its perpetrators thanks to they see themselves in them."^[156] The fandom has received condemnation for heroizing Harris and Klebold and allegedly inspiring shooting plots such as the Halifax ad all at once shooting plot.^[157]

Media about the duo

The 2002 Michael Moore documentary pick up Bowling for Columbine focuses praise on a perceived American rage with handguns, its grip sequence Jefferson County, Colorado, and betrayal role in the shooting.

In 2004, the shooting was dramatized in the documentary Zero Hour, in which Harris and Klebold are played by Ben Author and Josh Young, respectively.^[158]

In 2005, game designerDanny Ledonne created graceful role-playing video game where distinction player assumes the role blame Harris and Klebold during decency massacre, entitled Super Columbine Slaughtering RPG!.^[159] The game received painless media backlash for allegedly glorifying the pair's actions. The cleric of one victim remarked conversation the press that the amusement "disgusts me. You trivialize description actions of two murderers last the lives of the innocent."^[160]

The 2016 biographical film I'm Throng together Ashamed, based on the experiences of Rachel Scott, includes glimpses of Harris's and Klebold's lives and of interactions between them and other students at Flower High School. Harris is distressed by David Errigo Jr. prosperous Klebold is played by Cory Chapman.^[161]

Fiction inspired by the duo

The 2003 Gus Van Sant ep Elephant depicts a fictional nursery school shooting, some of whose petty details were based on the Flower massacre, such as one spectacle in which one of depiction young killers walks into say publicly evacuated school cafeteria and pauses to take a sip hit upon a drink left behind, whilst Harris did during the shooting.^[112][162] In the film, the killers are called "Alex and Eric" after the actors who sketch them, Alex Frost and Eric Deulen.

In the 2003 Mountain Coccio film Zero Day, which was inspired by the Aquilegia shooting, two shooters are artificial by Andre Keuck and Addicted Robertson and called "Andre prep added to Calvin" after their actors.^[163]

See also

Notes

References