Twenty years of Columbine

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Quote :

I'm not sure they wanted SWAT rather than regular cops, though. SWAT would probably not end well for them.

Exactly. This was moments before they killed themselves. I doubt walking away from the gunfight was either of their priorities

11:36

Deputy Searle reports a man on the roof wearing a red, white and blue striped shirt. Initially thought to be a possible shooter, the man is later identified an employee of a heating and air conditioning company on a service call at the school to fix a leak above the girls' locker room. The repairman is on the roof when the first shots are fired and, when he realizes something is wrong, he uses a pair of vice grips to clamp the roof access hatch closed so nobody can come up to the roof.

Sgt. Ken Ester of the Intelligence Unit reports to the southeast side of the school and assists Deputy Magor.

Several more pipe bombs are thrown into the cafeteria from the library hallway a floor above. Another explosion can be seen at this time on the cafeteria videotape.

Dispatch advises multiple reports of shots in the library and multiple suspects with different descriptions -- the last being “a white, red and blue striped shirt up on the roof.”

Jeffco SWAT team commander Manwaring arrives at Pierce and Leawood and advises dispatch that the command post and the SWAT staging area will be set up at that location.

11:37

Another pipe bomb is thrown over the railing from the hallway above and into the cafeteria area where it explodes. This can be heard on the 911 call made from inside the library.

Littleton Fire Department is staged at Weaver and Pierce Streets.

HanShotFirst wrote:

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Quote :

I'm not sure they wanted SWAT rather than regular cops, though. SWAT would probably not end well for them.

Exactly. This was moments before they killed themselves. I doubt walking away from the gunfight was either of their priorities

I don't mean they would die, I mean they could well be captured alive by SWAT. I don't think they wanted to engage with SWAT. They mention killing cops, but not taking on SWAT with a shotgun.

11:38

Deputy Walker, on the south side of the school, reports an explosion that blows out windows near the cafeteria. The explosion is from a pipe bomb.

As the pipe bomb explodes, several students run out of the south cafeteria doors toward Walker. The deputy directs them to take cover behind several cars, covering them with his own gun while they position themselves away from the line of fire. Walker radios to dispatch that he has students with him, but he does not have any safe path to evacuate them from the parking lot.

Dispatch reports that one shooter is in the food preparation area and that the shooter has 17 students in that area with him. In actuality, a 911 call received from a student hiding with 17 others in the school’s kitchen reports what he thinks is a shooter in the area. The investigation determined from the cafeteria videotape that several custodial staff, equipped with keys and school radios, were in the kitchen area at that time. The student assumed what he heard were the shooters and reported to dispatch that the shooters had keys to the school and walkie talkies.

11:39

Jefferson County Patrol Sgt. Phil Hy arrives on scene and begins identifying and disseminating pertinent information to the initial responders.

11:40

Deputies report 30 students have exited the school on the west side. Many of these students taking cover behind the patrol cars are those who are able to escape from the school library after Klebold and Harris leave the library and go into the science area.

Deputy Taborsky, protecting students who have fled out the west side of the school, reports that one of the shooters might be “Ned Harris” and that he is possibly wearing bulletproof armor. The witness probably was saying “Reb,” which was Harris’ nickname.

Dispatch advises that the suspects are possibly wearing body armor.

Deputy Walker reports more explosions inside the school. The explosions seem to be moving east.

...

From the library Harris and Klebold went into the science area. Witnesses described the two as looking through the windows of some of the classrooms’ locked doors, making eye contact with some of the students, yet doing nothing of any consequence.

A teacher reported seeing Klebold and Harris in the Science hallway, stopping in front of the chemical storage room just east of the Science Room where she was hiding with wounded teacher Dave Sanders an students. Several witnesses said the suspects were shooting into empty rooms and taped a Molotov cocktail on the storage room door. The device caused a small fire in the storage room. The gunmen did not appear to witnesses to be overly intent on gaining access to any of the rooms. Their behavior now seemed directionless.

The suspects left the science area and went down into the cafeteria together at 11:44. The cafeteria videotape recorded Harris kneeling down and resting his rifle on the stair railing and firing several shots, possibly at one of the large 20-pound propane bombs. From his actions, investigators determined that Harris knew where the bomb was located and in what duffel bag. Photos of the cafeteria show duffel bags and backpacks scattered all over, yet Harris seemed to know exactly where the bombs were. He apparently shot at the one, presumably in an attempt to make it explode. It didn’t.

The videotape also recorded Klebold walking directly over to the same bomb after Harris’ attempts to detonate it failed. The tape showed Klebold inspecting it and fiddling with something on the floor.

The suspects took a moment for a drink of water, drinking from water bottles left behind on the lunch tables by students as they fled the cafeteria.

Klebold then stood back and lit something, possibly a CO2 cartridge or a pipe bomb, and threw it at their propane bomb. They left the cafeteria as the bomb was detonated.

The videotape showed a partial detonation of the bomb and a fire at 11:46. The bomb was attached to smaller containers of flammable liquids that possibly were ignited by the device thrown by Klebold. That explosion caused the fire in the cafeteria that, in turn, set off the fire alarm and the sprinkler system. These events were caught on the cafeteria’s security cameras.

The large 20-lb propane bomb and the second complete bomb/duffel bag beside a nearby table did not explode.

Harris and Klebold were in the cafeteria about two and one-half minutes. They walked back up the stairs and to main office area to the east. A lengthy 911 phone call made by a school secretary and an unarmed school security officer from the main office reported shots fired in the office, into the ceiling and in the art hallway to the north between 11:53 a.m. and 11:55 a.m.

According to the Sheriff’s Office dispatch tape, law enforcement officers on the east side of the school reported noises and shots coming from the school’s northeast side at 11:53.

Klebold and Harris’ movements continued to be random. They returned to the cafeteria at 11:56 a.m. Their images, captured once again on the cafeteria’s security cameras, show a defeated posture. The bombs did not explode, the sprinkler system put out the fire caused by the gasoline and fuel explosion, and the damage seemed to be minimal compared to their original plan. The videotape shows the suspects standing in the cafeteria, then walking back towards the kitchen area for less than 30 seconds and then back up the stairs to the second floor at precisely 12:00 noon.

Klebold and Harris returned to the library where they fired through the library windows at law enforcement officers and paramedics outside the school. Shots were fired between 12:02 and 12:05 p.m. After that, no gunshots attributed to the gunmen were heard.

At this point, the only survivors in the library were Lisa Kruetz, Patrick Ireland, Patti Nielson and three other employees hiding in back rooms of the library. The survivors were unable to pinpoint any specific times they heard gunfire and could not tell the difference between the suspects’ gunfire and SWAT’s cover gunfire. Because of the cover fire occurring throughout the rescues, the witnesses were unable to pinpoint when Harris and Klebold killed themselves.

Investigators believe, however, that Harris and Klebold killed themselves shortly after they came back to the library, shortly after they shot at law enforcement and paramedics through the library windows.

At 12:08 p.m., a smoke alarm on the ceiling of the school library is activated. The smoke alarm is above the area where the bodies of the suspects are later found. A small fire from a Molotov cocktail presumably activated the alarm. The “cocktail,” lit by one of the gunmen, was placed on a library table. Evidence shows that when the glass bottle holding the cocktail got hot enough to break, the liquid inside the device spilled and started a small fire. A thorough investigation by a CBI arson investigator determined that there was evidence on the table and around the gunmen’s bodies indicating that the gunmen took their own lives before the fire occurred on the table. Additionally, the small fire from the Molotov cocktail is the only event that can be attributed to the fire alarm going off at 12:08 p.m. in the same area.

The Coroner’s findings reported that Klebold and Harris’s deaths were consistent with self-inflicted gunshots. Each died of a gunshot wound to the head.

11:41

Deputy Searle reports the man is still on the roof and has moved over to the north side.

11:42 – 11:43

Based on 911 calls coming in, dispatch advises that a suspect has possibly left the building.

Dispatch also reports one person wearing a red and white shirt on the north side of the roof, one suspect in the library with a shotgun and several bombs, and another person in the cafeteria with “bulletproof equipment and several bombs.”

11:44

In response to reports that one of the suspects may have left the building, several deputies on scene radio their positions around the school, confirming that a perimeter has been established and all exits are covered by law enforcement.

1. Jefferson County Deputy Bob Byerly reports that he and members of the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) are on the northeast side of the school by the tennis courts. He maintains a view of the north side of the school and the northeast doors.

2. Deputies Taborsky and Smoker are on the southwest, protecting and evacuating numerous students escaping out the west side.

3. Deputy Searle is on the northwest side of the building, assisting with evacuation and transportation of students and staff.

4. Sgt. Ester and Deputy Magor are on the southeast side, assisting students and diverting traffic away from the area.

5. Deputy Neal Schwieterman is on the west side by the ballfields and athletic shed, assisting with transporting students to triage and to safety.

6. Deputy Walker is protecting and evacuating students on the south side.

Klebold and Harris leave the science area and go down into the cafeteria. The cafeteria videotape records Harris kneeling down and resting his rifle on the stair railing and firing several shots at one of the large 20-pound propane bombs hidden in a duffel bag. Photos of the cafeteria show duffel bags and backpacks scattered throughout the area, yet Harris seems to know exactly where the bombs are located and in what bags. He apparently shoots at the one, presumably in an attempt to make it explode. It does not.

The videotape also shows Klebold walking directly over to the same bomb after Harris’ failed attempts to detonate it. Klebold seems to be tampering with something on the floor.

The suspects both take a moment to drink from water bottles left by students on the school lunch tables.

A witness hiding in the cafeteria hears one of the gunmen say, “Today the world’s going to come to an end. Today’s the day we die."

11:45

Harris and Klebold walk toward the food serving line in the cafeteria area.

Klebold throws something in the vicinity of the propane bomb.

Lt. Dave Walcher of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office arrives on scene. Walcher assumes the role of incident commander.

11:46

Harris and Klebold are in the cafeteria about 2 ½ minutes.

The cafeteria videotape shows that, as the gunmen are walking away, there is a partial detonation of a bomb and a subsequent fire. The bomb is attached to smaller containers of flammable liquids that may have been ignited by a device thrown by Klebold. That explosion causes the fire in the cafeteria that, in turn, moments later activates 5 fire sprinklers in the area. These events are recorded on the cafeteria’s surveillance cameras. The large 20-lb propane tank and the second complete bomb/duffel bag beside a nearby table do not explode.

Deputy Searle, outside the building, reports a fire in the cafeteria.

Four students run out of the cafeteria through a side door.

cakeman wrote:

HanShotFirst wrote:

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Quote :

I'm not sure they wanted SWAT rather than regular cops, though. SWAT would probably not end well for them.

Exactly. This was moments before they killed themselves. I doubt walking away from the gunfight was either of their priorities

I don't mean they would die, I mean they could well be captured alive by SWAT. I don't think they wanted to engage with SWAT. They mention killing cops, but not taking on SWAT with a shotgun.

Maybe. It depends on if they get the drop on you and E&D were sticking to the narrow hallways and with two of them an ambush would've been unlikely in those quarters. It would've likely been a tace to face stand off and as soon as they opened fire the swat would not be concerned with capture but would return fire with rapid and lethal precision

11:47

One student can be seen on the cafeteria videotape crawling out of the cafeteria side door.

One gallon of fuel ignites in the area of the partially detonated propane bomb.

Dispatch advises of reports of two suspects with UZIs, pipe bombs and shotguns.

During its late morning news program, Denver’s KMGH-TV Channel 7 announces that Jefferson County has confirmed gunshots fired at Columbine High School.

11:49

Suspects are in the office area.

Sgt. Ester reports that Denver Metro SWAT has arrived on the east side of the school.

It’s so weird to me how much of the event was on the news. Seeing all the scared kids running around and the bodies outside...

11:51

The 911 call made by Patti Nielson from the library is terminated by the dispatch center since no more activity could be heard on the line.

11:52

Jefferson County Undersheriff John Dunaway arrives at the command post and authorizes SWAT to make an immediate entry into the school.

Deputy Byerly reports shots fired on the east side of the building.

The fire sprinkler system alarm in the cafeteria is activated.

hvernon wrote:

It’s so weird to me how much of the event was on the news. Seeing all the scared kids running around and the bodies outside...

And how well two teenagers predicted the media response even as they were dead, and how "lucky" they were, e. g. with Patrick Ireland crawling out the window on live tv, with the bombs failing probably enhancing their status as 'martyrs' rather than psychotic mass murderers.

11:53 - 11L55

Jefferson County Sheriff John Stone, on his way to Columbine High School, calls Jefferson County Commissioner and Board Chairman Patricia Holloway. He alerts her that gunshots are being fired at the south Jefferson County school and there are reports of students injured and possible hostages taken.

Dispatch informs the command post that bomb squads from the Jefferson County and Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Offices are en route.

Dispatch also confirms a live bomb at Wadsworth and Chatfield. "Repeat. A live bomb at Wadsworth and Chatfield."

Law enforcement officers on the east side of the school report noises and shots coming from the school’s northeast side.

Searle reports that Denver Police Department personnel are at the shed on the west side of the school and they have “long guns.”

A two-hour 911 phone call (from 11:29 a.m. to 1:24 p.m.) from a school secretary and a school security officer hiding in the school’s main office reports shots fired in the office, into the ceiling and in the art hallway to the north.

Dispatch gives the command post a description of one of the suspects: “Eric Harris, 5’10”, thin build, shaved blond hair, black pants and white T-shirt, light blue gym backpack.”

Littleton paramedics transport student Stephanie Munson, shot in the ankle while escaping out the east main entrance, to Littleton Hospital.

11:56

Klebold and Harris’ movements continue to be extremely random. The cafeteria videotape shows the gunmen coming back down the stairs and into the cafeteria. Klebold is holding the TEC 9.

Television news announces reports of two gunmen at Columbine High School.

Deputy Smoker advises dispatch that four down on the west side need to be evacuated.

11:57

Two ambulances, responding to Gardner’s call for medical assistance on the south side, approach the south parking lot.

Walker reports shots fired from inside the school.

The cafeteria videotape shows Klebold and Harris standing in the cafeteria surveying the damage.

The suspects walk back toward the kitchen area.

Deputy Schwieterman reports an ambulance has arrived on the south side.

11:58

Schwieterman, positioned by the west side athletic shed, reports that there are five victims outside on the southwest side of the school and gives directions where ambulances should come into the area to rescue them.

Littleton Fire Department announces that its command post is set up at Leawood and Pierce.

I just left the memorial. There was heavy police presence keeping a watchful eye on everyone.
I left flowers at each persons plaque and at a few more.


There was a small makeshift memorial with 13 crosses but it seemed very private.

Media was there.

I’m going to get some lunch and return at 3 for the public event.


10 minutes from now 20 years ago Sue checks her messages at work and calls her husband.

11:59

The suspects leave the kitchen area.

12:00 noon

Klebold and Harris leave the cafeteria and go upstairs to the library.

The command post tells dispatch to request Channel 7’s news helicopter flying overhead to land in Clement Park in order to pick up a Sheriff’s deputy for an aerial survey of the school.

An armored vehicle is requested to rescue the injured because the scene is “not safe for medical.”

Uninterrupted media coverage about the shooting in progress at Columbine High School begins on local television channels.

@SO Is the event going on at the memorial right now more for families of victims?

I cant even read this thread with crying :(it hits close to home

12:02 p.m.

SWAT commands use of a Littleton fire truck to provide cover as the first Jefferson County, Littleton and Denver SWAT officers approach the school. Deputy Del Kleinschmidt, a Jefferson County K-9 team member assigned to SWAT, volunteers to drive the truck.

12:03

A television reporter interviews the mother of a student who told her about gunmen dressed in black in the high school’s commons area. The station also reports that, according to information gleaned from its police scanners, the school is being evacuated.

12:02 – 12:05

Littleton Fire Department paramedics rescue Sean Graves, Lance Kirklin and Anne Marie Hochhalter as they lay wounded outside the cafeteria. Because the scene is not safe, law enforcement deputies and officers move in closer to provide cover for paramedics Mark Gorman, Monte Fleming and John Aylward and emergency medical technician Jerry LoSasso as they retrieve the victims.

Gunfire erupts from the second story library windows above the cafeteria as the paramedics rescue the wounded students outside.

Deputy Walker sees a muzzle flash from a library window and returns fire.

Deputy Gardner fires three shots at the gunmen.

Denver police officers also provide suppression fire to the library windows. This allows the paramedics to retrieve the three wounded teens. The fourth student, Dan Rohrbough, is determined to be deceased. The paramedics rush the living to medical attention.

After the ambulances leave the scene with the wounded, the gunfire coming from the library windows ceases. No gunshots attributed to the gunmen are heard again.

Gardner turns his attention to a group of 15 students huddled behind a vehicle in the parking lot just a car away from him. One at a time, he evacuates the students down the line of cars to the protection of the last car farthest away from the school and the shooters.

Other students begin to escape, some out a side door of the cafeteria, and the officers “leapfrog” them back to Gardner or other waiting deputies.

A television news helicopter begins broadcasting aerial images of Columbine High School.

Jefferson County crime lab is en route to the scene with its mobile crime laboratory unit.

Eric and Dylan are in the last few minutes of their lives.

Eric fired his last shots at 12:05. He was dead by 12:08, when the Molotov cocktail exploded. Dylan died around the same time.

hvernon wrote:

@SO Is the event going on at the memorial right now more for families of victims?

There isn’t any specific event going on right now. A lot of people are at the memorial just leaving flowers. There’s just this little area of the park right near the memorial with 13 crosses that looked a little more private. It might not be I could be completely wrong. But the event at three is for the public. The only thing that’s going on now that’s more private is at the school itself. My friends are at some of the alumni stuff today. I’m not sure if I’m going to see them today

Where the memorial is you can see the school from the hill but it is a good walk. So as long as you don’t try to go towards the school when you shouldn’t it’s fine to be at the memorial right now

12:06

The first SWAT team, on foot behind a Littleton fire truck, arrives at the east main entrance to the school. Manwaring, leading the ad hoc team, splits the group into two teams and directs Jefferson County SWAT Deputy Allen Simmons to take his team into the school. It is estimated that at 12:06 p.m., Simmons’ team of five officers enters Columbine High School through the southeast doors. Manwaring will lead the second team, using the fire truck as a shield, to the west side where students are reported “down” and gunfire occurring.

Television news coverage broadcasts images of the SWAT team outside the high school.

Student Anne Marie Hochhalter is transported to Swedish Medical Hospital.

Dispatch advises that a victim shot in the head is at the Caley/Yukon triage area.

12:07

Deputy Walker asks dispatch to check on the status of the party on the roof.

12:08

Shortly after that last gunshot is fired from the library window at law enforcement and paramedics, Harris and Klebold kill themselves.

...

Eric, Dylan, and twelve of their victims are dead. Dave Sanders is still alive, and will linger on for hours before finally bleeding to death.

It all ends. But it's just the beginning of a new world they left behind.

It’s over now. May all the victims Rest In Peace.

At this moment twenty years ago, Eric and Dylan were finding out whether there really was a hell.

Read the rest of the timeline here:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] - Thank you for doing this again this year.

Thank you very much [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for reporting the shooting live and in details, it was harsh and heartbreaking.

I tried to watch Zero Hour in sync with the events that actually took place at the same time. But it seems like the documentary is a bit off in real time.

Jenn wrote:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] - Thank you for doing this again this year.

You're welcome. It's spiritually draining, but it does provide an interesting perspective.

The lives of so many people have now been changed forever. Some will recover; some will not.

For those who have suffered physical and emotional wounds, now begins a process - first of suffering, then (hopefully) of healing - that will last until the day they die.

I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since things changed forever.

joebox97 wrote:

The events after the library really puzzle me, them wondering the halls for a long time really doing nothing but throwing pipe bombs and shooting at lockers, not even attempting to kill anybody else. Their motives had to have changed half way through the shooting

Now that we lived the event again following the timeline, I wonder if, in addition to what has been said about adrenaline dropping, it may have also been because they realized they were finally feared and seen as powerful, and so there was no need to shoot at people anymore.

How strange to think that NBK is already "over," given that a) the vast majority of Americans are just beginning to find out about it, b) the cops will continue to stand outside the school for hours while Dave Sanders continues to bleed to death, and c) the bodies will remain in the library for well over a day.

In the days that follow, the media will create a compelling but distorted picture of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Millions of people, myself included, will devour every scrap of information they can find.

Many myths will be formed in these next few days and hours. The Trenchcoat Mafia will become part of American lore and legend. Some myths will be debunked (and eventually replaced with other false narratives); others will linger on for decades.

Millions of people will go to bed tonight and wake up tomorrow morning believing that 25 people died at Columbine. The official death toll will not be revised downward until tomorrow afternoon.

LPorter101 wrote:

How strange to think that NBK is already "over,"

And sadly for many people who would be traumatized for life and suffer from PTSD, the shooting was only the beginning of horror...

It’s odd to think that Columbine is known for being televised, but really the shooting itself was already over at that time. It was just people evacuating and the bodies being moved, etc.

Neah wrote:

LPorter101 wrote:

How strange to think that NBK is already "over,"

And sadly for many people who would be traumatized for life and suffer from PTSD, the shooting was only the beginning of the horror...

Yes.

Eric and Dylan will forever haunt the memories of their victims. In that sense, they got their wish.

And, to the extent that sites such as this one help keep their legend alive, we are giving them exactly what they wanted. They wanted to be immortal, and here we are, twenty years later, commemorating their crimes.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Here are the birthdays of all 15 people who died at Columbine High School on that date, and the number of days that each of them was alive:

Eric Harris - Thursday, April 9, 1981 - 6,585 days
Dylan Klebold - Friday, September 11, 1981 - 6,430 days

Dave Sanders - Monday, October 22, 1951 - 17,347 days
Isaiah Shoels - Monday, August 4, 1980 - 6,833 days
Lauren Townsend - Saturday, January 17, 1981 - 6,667 days
Rachel Scott - Wednesday, August 5, 1981 - 6,467 days
Cassie Bernall - Friday, November 6, 1981 - 6,374 days
Corey DePooter - Wednesday, March 3, 1982 - 6,257 days
Kyle Velasquez - Wednesday, May 5, 1982 - 6,194 days
John Tomlin - Wednesday, September 1, 1982 - 6,075 days
Kelly Fleming - Thursday, January 6, 1983 - 5,948 days
Matt Kechter - Saturday, February 19, 1983 - 5,904 days
Daniel Mauser - Saturday, June 25, 1983 - 5,778 days
Daniel Rohrbough - Friday, March 2, 1984 - 5,527 days
Steven Curnow - Tuesday, August 28, 1984 - 5,348 days