COLUMBINE BY DAVE CULLEN
Study Guide UA-PTC • Allen Loibner-Waitkus •
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• Columbine by Dave Cullen • Study Guide
Columbine Massacre Overview
T
he Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that occurred on 20 April 1999 at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County (Jeffco), Colorado, United States, near Littleton in the Denver metropolitan area. The perpetrators, senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered twelve students and one teacher. They injured twenty-one additional people with gunshots, and exchanged gunfire with the police. The pair subsequently committed suicide. The crime has inspired several copycats,
and “Columbine” has become a euphemism for a school shooting. At the time, it was the most deaths ever to happen from one. In addition to the shootings, the attack involved several homemade bombs. The largest of these were two placed in the cafeteria of the school, car bombs were in the parking lot, and at a local park (intended to divert first responders). The cafeteria and car bombs failed to detonate. The pair’s motives remain unclear, but they planned for about a year and wished the massacre to rival the Oklahoma City bombing and cause the most deaths in United States history. The attack has been referred to by USA Today as a “suicidal attack [that was] planned
as a grand—if badly implemented—terrorist bombing.” Due to a delay in entering the school, local police have been heavily criticized for not intervening during the shooting. It resulted in the introduction of the Immediate Action Rapid Deployment tactic, used in situations with an active shooter whose goal is to kill rather than take hostages. It also resulted in an increased emphasis on school security with zero tolerance policies, and sparked debate over gun control laws, high school cliques, subcultures, and bullying; as well as a moral panic over goths, gun culture, social outcasts, the use of pharmaceutical antidepressants by teenagers, teenage Internet use, and violence in video games.
About the Author
D
ave Cullen is a journalist and author who has contributed to numerous publications, including the New York Times. He is considered the nation’s foremost authority on the Columbine killers and has also written extensively on Evangelical Christians, gays in the military, politics, and pop culture. A graduate of the MFA program at the University of Colo-
rado at Boulder, Cullen has won several writing awards, including an Edgar Award, Goodreads Choice Award, Barnes and Noble Discover Award, and GLAAD Media Award. Parkland: Birth of a Movement, Cullen’s book on the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is set to be released 12 February 2019. For more information on Columbine, Parkland: Birth of a Movement, and their author— Dave Cullen—you can visit www. DaveCullen.com.
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People Kil ed CASSIE BERNALL STEVEN CURNOW COREY DEPOOTER KELLY FLEMING
MATTHEW KECHTER DANIEL MAUSER DANIEL ROHRBOUGH COACH DAVE SANDERS RACHEL SCOTT
ISAIAH SHOELS JOHN TOMLIN LAUREN TOWNSEND KYLE VELASQUEZ
People Seriously Injured OUTSIDE RICHARD CASTALDO LANCE KIRKLIN SEAN GRAVES MICHAEL JOHNSON MARK TAYLOR ANNE-MARIE HOCHHALTER
IN THE LIBRARY EVAN TODD MAKAI HALL PATRICK IRELAND DANIEL STEEPLETON KACEY RUEGSEGGER LISA KREUTZ VALEEN SCHNURR MARK KINTGEN NICOLE KNOWLEN JEANNA PARK JENNIFER DOYLE AUSTIN EUBANKS
The Kil ers ERIC HARRIS DYLAN KLEBOLD
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INSIDE* BRIAN ANDERSON PATTI NIELSON STEPHANIE MUNSON NICHOLAS “NICK” FOSS JOYCE JANKOWSKI ADAM KYLER KACEY JOHNSON *This list includes those injured inside the school who were not injured in the library
Important People in the Book Anderson, Robyn—Dylan Klebold’s 18-year-old prom date (though not a love interest) who, because she was old enough, bought guns for the killers, not (apparently) knowing their intentions. Battan, Kate—A detective for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. Battan was named lead investigator of the Columbine Massacre when she arrived at the scene and kept the position throughout the investigation following the massacre. Bernall, Cassie—One of the victims killed in the library and an Evangelical junior at Columbine. She was seen by many as a martyr for voicing her belief in God before being shot. The story was later proved to be completely untrue. Bernall, Misty—The mother of Cassie Bernall, she wrote She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall following the massacre. Despite knowing the story about her daughter voicing her belief in God before being shot was untrue, she went on to publish the book, more than a million copies of which were sold.
which she reported to the police. She and her husband, Randy, took printed copies of several pages of Harris’s website to the sheriff’s office. A deputy drafted a warrant to search Harris’s home, which may have stopped the massacre, but despite the warrant, Harris’s house was not searched. The Jeffereson County Sheriff’s Department lied about being made aware of the website by the Browns until years after the massacre. DeAngelis, Frank—Columbine High School’s principal at the time of the massacre. Duran, Phil—A friend of Harris and Klebold, he brokered a deal between the two killers and Mark Manes to illegally buy guns. Duran and Manes are the only two people charged with any crimes relating to the Columbine Massacre.
Dykeman, Nate—A good friend of Harris and Klebold, who (although very close to both killers) was not involved in the massacre and (arguably) had no knowledge of it beforehand. Fuselier, Dwayne—An FBI supervisory special agent and head of the domestic terrorism unit in Denver, Dr. Fuselier, whose son, Brad, attended Columbine High School, became the first FBI agent to arrive. Though he originally went to the school out of concern for his son and not in an official capacity, Fuselier spent years investigating the massacre, and his in-depth research gives us the best insight into the motives and psychological issues of the killers. Guerra, Mike—One of the deputies who helped investigate the massacre, Guerra was also the officer who took the Brown’s com-
Brown, Brooks—A former friend of Klebold and Harris, Brown and Harris had a falling out, and Harris had made threats against Brown on his website. Despite this, Harris said, “Brooks, I like you now. Get out of here. Go home,” just before the massacre began. Brown, Judy—The mother of Brooks Brown, she had several run-ins with Harris, many of
Columbine High School Principal Frank DeAngelis (Ret.)
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plaint about Harris’s website and drafted the warrant (which was never acted upon) to search the Harris home before the massacre. “Harriet”—The only pseudonym Cullen uses in Columbine. Klebold was in love with “Harriet,” but most doubt she was even aware of his attraction to her. Klebold often mentioned her in his journals. Harris, Eric—One of the two killers, Harris was probably the leader. Harris, Kathy—Eric Harris’s mother. Harris, Wayne—The father of Eric Harris and a former Air Force test pilot. Heckler, Zack—A friend of Harris and Klebold, Heckler was aware that the killers were experimenting with pipe bombs, but he had no knowledge of the massacre before it took place.
Ireland, Patrick—One of the survivors shot in the library, Ireland is best known as the student seen live on national television escaping, with the assistance of first responders, through the second-story library window Klebold, Byron—Dylan Klebold’s older brother. Klebold, Dylan—One of the two killers. Because of his appearance, many (even to this day) consider him to be the more evil of the two, but Klebold killed fewer people than Harris and probably was more focused on his own suicide than murder. Klebold, Sue—Dylan Klebold’s mother, who later wrote the book A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy and has become a passionate and effective agent working tirelessly to advance mental health awareness and intervention. Klebold, Tom—Dylan Klebold’s
Eric Harris
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father. Kriegshauser, Bob—The officer in charge of the Diversion Program Harris and Klebold were required to complete following their arrest for breaking into a van on 30 January 1998. Manes, Mark—Sold guns to Harris, with Phil Duran acting as a middleman. He and Duran are the only two people charged with crimes following the Columbine Massacre. Marxhausen, Don—The Lutheran minister at the church the Klebolds briefly attended. His decision to serve as the officiant at Dylan Klebold’s funeral made his a controversial figure. Morris, Chris—A friend of Harris and Klebold, he was suspected of being involved in the massacre, but it was later proved that he was not involved. Rohrbough, Brian—The father of
Dylan Klebold
Columbine students grieve outside the school after the attack. victim Danny Rohrbough, he became a vocal and often antagonistic figure after the massacre. Sanchez, Andrea—A counselor in the Diversion Program Harris and Kelbold were court ordered to enroll in following their arrest for breaking into a van. Harris prided himself in his ability to “snow” her by convincing her he felt guilty about his actions. Sanders, Dave—The Columbine High School coach who helped hundreds of students escape Columbine. He was shot by the killers and bled to death in a science classroom. Most people, including a judge, agreed that he would have lived had law enforcement’s handling of the situation been swifter and better organized. Schnurr, Valeen—At gunpoint Schnurr was asked if she believed in God, to which she replied, “Yes. I believe in God.” The killers decided not to shoot her. When investigators proved Schnurr, not
Cassie Bernall, declared her belief in God, many people shunned Schnurr for damaging Bernall’s legacy. Scott, Rachel—The first victim killed, she was shot outside the school before the killers entered
the school. Stone, John—The newly (at the time) elected sheriff of Jefferson County. By most accounts Sheriff Stone handled the investigation poorly and became an embarrassment to the community.
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Timeline: Before the Massacre* SOPHOMORE YEAR January 1997 The missions begin. February 28, 1997 Wayne Harris starts his journal. 31 March 1997 Dylan starts his journal. Summer 1997 Eric and Dylan start at Blackjack; build first pipe bomb. 23 July 1997 Dylan first mentions killing in his journal—possibly figuratively. 7 August 1997 Eric’s Web site is reported to the police. It lists his “I HATE” rants.
JUNIOR YEAR 2 October 1997 Eric, Dylan, and Zack are suspended for breaking into lockers. 3 November 1997 Dylan first mentions a killing spree in his journal. Unknown Eric and Dylan steal from the school computer room. 30 January 1998 Eric and Dylan are arrested for breaking into a van. 15 February 1998 Deputies find a pipe bomb near Eric’s house. 16 February 1998 Eric begins seeing a psychiatrist and soon starts taking Zoloft. Spring 1998 Eric’s dad catches him with a pipe bomb. 18 March 1998 Dylan warns Brooks Brown about Eric’s death threats. 19 March 1998 Eric and Dylan conduct their intake interview for the Diversion program. 25 March 1998 Eric and Dylan are formally sentenced in court.
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April 1998 Investigator Guerra drafts an affidavit for a warrant to search Eric’s house. 8 April 1998 Eric receives his Diversion program contract. April 10, 1998 Eric begins his journal. By 9 May 1998 Eric and Dylan outline the attack, write about it in each other’s yearbook. 14 May 1998 Eric has switched from Zoloft to Luvox.
SENIOR YEAR 22 October 1998 Eric begins pipe bomb arsenal production; resumes journal writing the next day. 13 November 1998 Eric turns in his paper on Nazis. 17 November 1998 Eric describes his sadistic rape fantasies in his journal. 22 November 1998 Eric and Dylan buy two shotguns and a rifle at the Tanner Gun Show. 2 December 1998 Eric fires his weapon for the first time. 23 January 1999 Eric and Dylan buy the TEC-9 from Mark Manes. 20 January 1999 Eric and Dylan complete the Diversion program, and Dylan resumes his journal. 7 February 1999 Dylan submits his prescient story about killing “preps.” 6 March 1999 Eric and Dylan practice shooting at Rampart Range. 15 March 1999 Eric and Dylan begin filming the Basement Tapes. 20 March 1999 Eric attempts to recruit Chris Morris. 5, 8, and 15 April 1999 Eric talks to a Marine recruiter.
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17 April 1999 The prom. 20 April 1999 The massacre. *Timeline comes from Dave Cullen’s Columbine.
Timeline: The Columbine Massacre* 20 APRIL 1999 11:10 a.m. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold arrive at Columbine High School. Shortly after 11:14 a.m. The killers enter the commons, plant the two large bombs, and return to their cars to arm themselves. 11:19 a.m. The first confirmed sighting of the killers. The arm themselves and one of them (probably Harris) yells, “Go! Go!” The first shots are fired. 11:22 a.m. The first 911 call is made from inside Columbine High School. 11:24 a.m. First responders arrive at the school, but none of them enter the building. 11:29 a.m.-11:36 a.m. The library massacre. 11:33 a.m. SWAT is called for the first time. 11:49 a.m. The first SWAT team arrives. 11:52 a.m. SWAT teams are instructed to enter the school immediately. 12:06 p.m. The first SWAT team enters the school. 12:08 p.m. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot themselves in the library.
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12:30 p.m. Local television reporters gain access to the triage area. 1:15 p.m. The second SWAT team enters the school. 2:15 p.m. “1 bleeding to death” sign seen in the window of Science Room 3. 2:38 p.m. Patrick Ireland climbs out of/is pulled from the library window. 3:00 p.m. SWAT members get to Dave Sanders. Paramedic pronounces Sanders dead. 3:22 p.m. Library entered by officials. 4:00 p.m. Sheriff Stone (incorrectly) announces twenty-five people are dead. 4:30 p.m. Bomb squad declares the school safe (despite more bombs being found later). 4:45 p.m. Harris and Klebold pronounced dead. *Timeline taken from a variety of sources and compiled by Allen Loibner-Waitkus.
Patrick Ireland jumps/is pulled from the second story library window. Columbine High School during the massacre on 20 April 1999.
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• Columbine by Dave Cullen • Study Guide