Fifteen years of Columbine

It's been nearly 15 years - three-quarters of a generation - since Eric and Dylan killed 15 people.

It's hard to imagine, isn't it?

As of today (December 3), April 20 is 137 days away.

On this day 15 years ago, 15 people had already celebrated their last Halloween and their last Thanksgiving. They had gone trick-and-treating for the last time. They had shopped Black Friday for the last time. They had seen their last summer and their last fall.

They were 22 days removed from their last Christmas, 29 days from their last New Year's Day, 72 days from their last Valentine's Day, 121 days from their last Easter.

Dave Sanders, Isaiah Shoels, Rachel Scott, Cassie Bernall, Kyle Velasquez, John Tomlin, Daniel Mauser, and Steven Curnow had celebrated their last birthdays.

...

Steven Curnow was the youngest of Eric and Dylan's victims. He was born on Tuesday, August 28, 1984.

As of Tuesday, December 10, 2013, he will have been dead for as long as he was alive.

...

On the old board, I had an annual thread counting down to the various anniversaries. It helped me put things in perspective. (For some reason, I have a strong inclination toward organizing information chronologically - don't ask me why.) I'd like to revive that thread right now.

Thursday, December 3, 1998

Eric Harris makes the following journal entry:

Quote :

yesterday we fired our first actual firearms ever. 3 rounds from the carbine. taught that ground a thing or 2. I even had the 2 clips in my pocket while talking to vodkas dad about senior ditch day. God it felt great firing off that bad boy, and hopefully I'll be able to get more than just 4 clips for it. I dubbed my shotgun "Arlene" after Arlene Sanders from the DOOM books. She always did love the shotgun. Vodka's DB is looking very fucking awesome, all cut down to the proper lengths. this is a bitch trying to keep up on homework while working on my guns, bombs, and lying. by the way, I bought that flask in the mall and I had a friend fill it up w/ scotch whiskey, only had about 3 swigs in the 3 weeks I had it. plus monday I gave my T and IC to Vodka, just in case. I never really did like alcohol, just wasn't my thing, but It felt good to just have around. that argument on the 22nd was a real bitch, but I think I should have won a fucking oscar. I even quoted a few movies, remember "what the hell am I gonna do now man?! what am I gonna do!?" thats good ole Hudson from aliens. Sounded good too. and hey goddamnit I would have been a fucking great marine, It would have given me a reason to do good. and I would never drink and drive, either. It will be weird when we actually go on the rampage. hopefully we will have plenty of clips and bombs. Im gonna still try and get my calico 9mm. just think, 100 rounds without reloading.... hell yeah!

We actually may have a chance to get some machine pistols thanks to the Brady bill. If we can save up about 200$ real quick and find someone who is 21+ we can go to the next gun show and find a private dealer and buy ourselves some bad-ass AB-10 machine pistols. Clips for those things can get really fucking big too.
12/3/98

It certainly is hard to imagine 15 years has passed. I remember 1999 very well as far as experiences within my own life go. However I don't have a clear memory of Columbine happening, although I do vaguely remember the various news stories that followed the event. This point in particular made me feel extremely sad:

Quote :

Steven Curnow was the youngest of Eric and Dylan's victims. He was born on Tuesday, August 28, 1984.

As of Tuesday, December 10, 2013, he will have been dead for as long as he was alive.

Steven Curnow would have been older than me had he been alive today.

Eric's journal entry that you posted LPorter101, i actually read yesterday (while looking for a quote) I didn't notice it had been written on December 3rd, strange.
But anyway, i like this kind of post, i enjoyed reading it on the old forum. It really puts things in perspective sometimes.

This is a wonderful idea. I think it helps put the years of all their lives into perspective, and shows how important the event and their presence in the world remains throughout the years that have passed since.  It's hard to imagine that almost fifteen years have come and gone since I first saw the event on the news. I'll turn 25 in February, so that's the milestone of having a quarter of my life already gone.. I sometimes wonder where the years went.  

A few months ago I did a search on "1999" and came across an interesting article about the last year before the new millennium. It mentioned the Bill Clinton sex scandal and how the internet was on it's way to becoming the all consuming virtual world it is today as well as some other things..... it also happened to mention Columbine as well. If I remember correctly it was a "Time" article that came out in 2006. I just thought it was interesting that an article talking about the important events of 1999 would just happened to have mentioned the shooting along with Bill Clinton and the internet revolution.

It was a hell of a way to end the millennium.

There was still dial-up internet at that time. It was slooooowwwww...

No blogs, no YouTube, no Google, no Facebook. No cyberbullying...oh wait, yes, Eric Harris was cyberbullying already in 1997-98.

And the fear of Y2K. Crazy end-of-the-world things would happen on January 1st 2000.

Those were the good times. Nostalgia strikes.

Thursday, December 17, 1998

Eric Harris makes the following entry in his journal:

Quote :

Woohoo, I'll never have to take a final again! feels good to be free. I just love Hobbes and Nietzche. Well tomorrow I'll be ordering 9 more 10 round clips for my carbine. I'm gonna be so fucking loaded in about a month. the big things we need to figure now is the time bombs for the commons and how we will get them in and leave then there to go off, without any fucking Jews finding them. I wonder if anyone will write a book on me. sure is a ton of symbolism, double meanings, themes, appearance vs reality shit going on here. oh well, it better be fuckin good if it is writtin.
12/17/98

In world news, the United States and Britain are bombing Iraq as part of Operation Desert Fox. Also, House Republicans are preparing to impeach President Clinton.

LPorter101 wrote:

Thursday, December 17, 1998

Eric Harris makes the following entry in his journal:

Quote :

Woohoo, I'll never have to take a final again! feels good to be free. I just love Hobbes and Nietzche. Well tomorrow I'll be ordering 9 more 10 round clips for my carbine. I'm gonna be so fucking loaded in about a month. the big things we need to figure now is the time bombs for the commons and how we will get them in and leave then there to go off, without any fucking Jews finding them. I wonder if anyone will write a book on me. sure is a ton of symbolism, double meanings, themes, appearance vs reality shit going on here. oh well, it better be fuckin good if it is writtin.
12/17/98

In world news, the United States and Britain are bombing Iraq as part of Operation Desert Fox. Also, House Republicans are preparing to impeach President Clinton.

I've always wondered how much Eric actually knew about Hobbes and Nietzche. I've also wondered if Eric knew just how much of an impact his action were going to have.

Eric had a very poor understanding of how other human beings viewed the world.  His predictions of how the world would react are extremely poorly informed.  He focuses almost entirely on the media reaction, and has little to say about how parents (his own and other students') will be plunged into a lifetime of grief.  

This is consistent with his broader, psychopathic lack of feeling for others.

lasttrain wrote:

Eric had a very poor understanding of how other human beings viewed the world.  His predictions of how the world would react are extremely poorly informed.  He focuses almost entirely on the media reaction, and has little to say about how parents (his own and other students') will be plunged into a lifetime of grief.  

This is consistent with his broader, psychopathic lack of feeling for others.

Eric: "My parents are the best fucking parents I have ever known. My dad is great. I wish I was a fucking sociopath so I didn't have any remorse, but I do. This is going to tear them apart. They will never forget it." He then addresses his parents directly, if briefly: "There is nothing you guys could have done to prevent any of this. There is nothing that anyone could have done to prevent this. No one is to blame except me and Vodka. Our actions are a two man war against everyone else."

Eric goes on to say that it's been "hard" on him lately. His parents have been on his "back for putting things off"; things like "insurance, and the Marine Corp". He talks about how "this is my last week on earth".

Eric: "To all you 'Culios' [I'm guessing the officer heard 'coolios' but this is how Zimmerman spelled it in the report] out there still alive, sorry I hurt you or your friends."

Didn't he show at least some feeling for others in the basement tapes?

lasttrain wrote:

 He focuses almost entirely on the media reaction, and has little to say about how parents (his own and other students') will be plunged into a lifetime of grief.  

I completely disagree.

"Yea... Everyone I love, I'm really sorry about all this. I know my mom and dad will be just like.. just fucking shocked beyond belief. I'm sorry, all right. I can't help it." -- Eric Harris, 30 mins before the attack.

Eric does appear that way on the surface but if you look a bit deeper, you'll see he wasn't really a sociopath.

gustopoet wrote:

lasttrain wrote:

 He focuses almost entirely on the media reaction, and has little to say about how parents (his own and other students') will be plunged into a lifetime of grief.  

I completely disagree.

"Yea... Everyone I love, I'm really sorry about all this. I know my mom and dad will be just like.. just fucking shocked beyond belief. I'm sorry, all right. I can't help it." -- Eric Harris, 30 mins before the attack.

Eric does appear that way on the surface but if you look a bit deeper, you'll see he wasn't really a sociopath.

To bad the only bit of remorse that Eric shows is for his parents and his friends and not the parents and friends of those he murdered. Not to mention the fact he didn't seem to have a problem in killing his friends when he said "if you survive" when talking about his friends having his stuff.

At the end of the day Eric thought only of himself and what he wanted to do. If he cared about his parents and friends as much as he says he does he could have found a different way of dealing with his problems.

Lifetime wrote:

At the end of the day Eric thought only of himself and what he wanted to do. If he cared about his parents and friends as much as he says he does he could have found a different way of dealing with his problems.

Yes, that's true. He was a selfish killer but I don't think he was a sociopath. His inability to think beyond himself is not special; it applies to most people and this is particularly accented during our teenage years. But I think he did understand his actions would have long-term consequences and he showed remorse for the long-term consequences NBK would cause his immediate family and rejoiced in the prolonged pain it would inflict on others. I also think he somewhat correctly gauged the impact NBK would have on others like "copycat" killers and...even on people like us, who study the event. For a kid his understanding of others was actually quite accomplished. Most people can't see beyond their own noses.

Lifetime wrote:

gustopoet wrote:

lasttrain wrote:

 He focuses almost entirely on the media reaction, and has little to say about how parents (his own and other students') will be plunged into a lifetime of grief.  

I completely disagree.

"Yea... Everyone I love, I'm really sorry about all this. I know my mom and dad will be just like.. just fucking shocked beyond belief. I'm sorry, all right. I can't help it." -- Eric Harris, 30 mins before the attack.

Eric does appear that way on the surface but if you look a bit deeper, you'll see he wasn't really a sociopath.

To bad the only bit of remorse that Eric shows is for his parents and his friends and not the parents and friends of those he murdered. Not to mention the fact he didn't seem to have a problem in killing his friends when he said "if you survive" when talking about his friends having his stuff.

At the end of the day Eric thought only of himself and what he wanted to do. If he cared about his parents and friends as much as he says he does he could have found a different way of dealing with his problems.

THIS!

Lifetime wrote:

I've always wondered how much Eric actually knew about Hobbes and Nietzche.

Actually I think his knowledge was very poor, since he didn't even know the exact surname of the great philosopher (which is Nietzsche).
And about Hobbes, I think that he just read a couple of phrases on internet and he just liked them.

I missed this one, but better late than never:

Sunday, December 20, 1998

Eric Harris writes in his journal:

Quote :

heh, get this. KMFDM's new album is entitled "Adios" and it's release date is in April. how fuckin appropriate, a subliminal final "Adios" tribute to Reb and Vodka. thanks KMFDM... I ripped the hell outa the system 12/20/98

By Sunday, the United States and Britain have halted their bombing campaign against Iraq, and President Clinton has been impeached.

jobbesat wrote:

Lifetime wrote:

I've always wondered how much Eric actually knew about Hobbes and Nietzche.

Actually I think his knowledge was very poor, since he didn't even know the exact surname of the great philosopher (which is Nietzsche).
And about Hobbes, I think that he just read a couple of phrases on internet and he just liked them.

He may have had a basic knowledge of Hobbes and Nietzsche because of the philosophy class he took. Eric wrote that diary entry after a philosophy final exam so, he may have felt he knew well what those two philosophers were talking about.

You're all acting as if the world has drastically changed in the time since Columbine.

......Not really. Not really at all actually. Everything is still pretty much the same minus the MINOR changes in technology. It's not as if another dimension has been unveiled, or Aliens were discovered and now interact with us.

Shit's the same.

thedragonrampant wrote:

I sometimes wonder where the years went.  

What a stupid thing to say. They passed, of course.

Pretty soon we'll all be like Eric and Dylan......dead.

-eulogy- wrote:

thedragonrampant wrote:

I sometimes wonder where the years went.  

What a stupid thing to say. They passed, of course.

Pretty soon we'll all be like Eric and Dylan......dead.

What a rude thing to say. You know, I've gone through your posts and you've been pretty rude to a lot of people on this forum and I don't appreciate it. Keep these rude comments to yourself, please. Thank you.

LPorter101 wrote:

It's been nearly 15 years - three-quarters of a generation - since Eric and Dylan killed 15 people.

It's hard to imagine, isn't it?

As of today (December 3), April 20 is 137 days away.

On this day 15 years ago, 15 people had already celebrated their last Halloween and their last Thanksgiving. They had gone trick-and-treating for the last time. They had shopped Black Friday for the last time. They had seen their last summer and their last fall.

They were 22 days removed from their last Christmas, 29 days from their last New Year's Day, 72 days from their last Valentine's Day, 121 days from their last Easter.

Dave Sanders, Isaiah Shoels, Rachel Scott, Cassie Bernall, Kyle Velasquez, John Tomlin, Daniel Mauser, and Steven Curnow had celebrated their last birthdays.

...

Steven Curnow was the youngest of Eric and Dylan's victims. He was born on Tuesday, August 28, 1984.

As of Tuesday, December 10, 2013, he will have been dead for as long as he was alive.

...

On the old board, I had an annual thread counting down to the various anniversaries. It helped me put things in perspective. (For some reason, I have a strong inclination toward organizing information chronologically - don't ask me why.) I'd like to revive that thread right now.

Thursday, December 3, 1998

Eric Harris makes the following journal entry:

Quote :

yesterday we fired our first actual firearms ever. 3 rounds from the carbine. taught that ground a thing or 2. I even had the 2 clips in my pocket while talking to vodkas dad about senior ditch day. God it felt great firing off that bad boy, and hopefully I'll be able to get more than just 4 clips for it. I dubbed my shotgun "Arlene" after Arlene Sanders from the DOOM books. She always did love the shotgun. Vodka's DB is looking very fucking awesome, all cut down to the proper lengths. this is a bitch trying to keep up on homework while working on my guns, bombs, and lying. by the way, I bought that flask in the mall and I had a friend fill it up w/ scotch whiskey, only had about 3 swigs in the 3 weeks I had it. plus monday I gave my T and IC to Vodka, just in case. I never really did like alcohol, just wasn't my thing, but It felt good to just have around. that argument on the 22nd was a real bitch, but I think I should have won a fucking oscar. I even quoted a few movies, remember "what the hell am I gonna do now man?! what am I gonna do!?" thats good ole Hudson from aliens. Sounded good too. and hey goddamnit I would have been a fucking great marine, It would have given me a reason to do good. and I would never drink and drive, either. It will be weird when we actually go on the rampage. hopefully we will have plenty of clips and bombs. Im gonna still try and get my calico 9mm. just think, 100 rounds without reloading.... hell yeah!

We actually may have a chance to get some machine pistols thanks to the Brady bill. If we can save up about 200$ real quick and find someone who is 21+ we can go to the next gun show and find a private dealer and buy ourselves some bad-ass AB-10 machine pistols. Clips for those things can get really fucking big too.
12/3/98

absolutely mind-blowing. And to think that there are still so many questions unanswered....

clearly, we have not found answers yet, because these tragedies are still occurring left and right.

but maybe, columbine was different...? Somehow, it feels so. Perhaps I am biased.

Fifteenth anniversary coming up, and I was fifteen at the time.

Yeah, it's messing with my head a little.

I only remembered this because today, Jan. 20, is my birthday, and I always noted that Dylan wrote this entry (on my birthday) 15 years ago on my 20th birthday... some of Dylan's best quotes including the infamous (and confusing) line "My humanity has a foot fetish, & bondage extreme liking." Glad to see he was "infinitely" sorry for the pornos and the masturbation has stopped....


Dylan
1-20-99
This Shit

"This shit again. back at writing doing just like a fucking zombie. Lately I cant change my mind from the fucking deeds of zombies. Earth, humanity, HERE. thats mostly what I think about. I hate it. I want to be free.... free... I thought it would have been time by now. the pain multiplies infinitely. never stops. (yet(¿?) im here, STILL alone, still in pain. so is she. The thing i have concluded is that fate will decide when we should be together. Decided when our existence started, it should end the same way, with us unknowing, in limbo. I love you [edited]. Always have, will. The scenarios, images, pieces of happiness still come. They always will. I love her. she loves me. i know she is tired of suffering as i am. it is time. it is time. I love her. the journey, the endless journey, started it has to end. we need to be happy to exist timely. I see her in perfection, the halcyons. love it, endless purity. i exist as a less than nothing w/o her.
my humanity. I dont know if I should call her, or wait for fate to act. Yet, calling her is a state of humanity. Im forever sorry, infinitely, about the pornos. My humanity has a foot fetish, & bondage exteme liking. i try to thwart it, sometimes to no effect, Yet the masturbation has stopped. I'm sorry [edited] Always. I feel the happiness here, thinking of her, for brief moments. Thats how i know the everything is true."

Also, 15 years ago today, Eric writes ''Diversion is done'' in his day planner (referring to the juvenile offender diversion program).

Well, people. It's happened. On this day today, 15 years ago. Let us remember these significant actions:

Eric had to get slim jims, play Elder God Shrine (a level in video game Quake), read A Prayer for Owen Meanie for class, study for a test and bring a disk for pictures of intro (?).

As recorded in his day planner.

Thirty-three days to go.

I missed a potential entry for the 15th, so I'm including it along with my entry for the 18th.

The following is from acolumbinesite.com:

March 15, 1999
Evidence item #265
Pieced together from the Columbine Report and Time's article dated 12-20-1999 (hard copy and online version).

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold are sitting in the Harris home basement-level family room. Eric is sitting on the couch and Dylan's sitting in a chair nearby. They're drinking from a Jack Daniels bottle, which Eric points out. The boys begin to discuss a number of topics; they speak of their hope that the videos they're making will one day be shown all over the world, when their "masterpiece" is done and everyone wants to know why they did it.

Dylan: "I'd like to make a thank you to Mark John Doe and Phil John Doe. I hope you don't get fucked." (Eric laughs. Dylan continues.) "We used them. They had no clue... Don't blame them. And don't fucking arrest them. Don't arrest any of our friends, or family members or our co-workers. They had no fucking clue. Don't arrest anyone, because they didn't have a fucking clue. If it hadn't been them, it would've been someone else over 21."

They mention the time a clerk from Green Mountain Guns called Eric's home. Eric's dad, Wayne Harris, answered the phone.

When the clerk told him "Hey, your clips are in." Wayne - who owned guns himself - told the clerk he hadn't ordered any clips. Eric said his father never asked whether the caller even had the right phone number. Eric says if etiher the clerk or his father had asked just one question, "we would have been fucked.".

Dylan: "We wouldn't be able to do what we're going to do."

They then talk about Brandon Larson and how "you will find his body". The boys talk about the large propane bombs they plan to use on the unsuspecting students in the school cafeteria. They discuss bombs and two bags of "propane and napalm", and mention Mr. Stevens and the shotgun.

"We're proving ourselves," they tell the camera and go on to discuss their philosphies. Eric says he isn't spending much time with his family, so that there won't be any "bonding" and "this won't be harder to do".

Eric: "I'm sorry I have so much rage, but you put it on me."

Eric then complains about his father and how his family had to move five times. He says he always had to be the new kid in school, and was always at the bottom of the "food chain", and had no chance to earn any respect from his peers as he always had to "start out at the bottom of the ladder". He hated the way people made fun of him: "my face, my hair, my shirts." He's wearing a t-shirt that has the words "Wilder Wein" printed on it -- he references the shirt several times during the video but never explains what it means. [Wilder Wein is a song written by Rammstein.]

Eric: "More rage. More rage." (motions with his hands for emphasis) "Keep building it on."

Dylan: "If you could see all the anger I've stored over the past four fucking years..."

Dylan then recalls how popular and athletic his older brother Byron was and how he constantly "ripped" on him, as did his brother's friends. According to Dylan, with the exception of his parents, his extended family treated him like the runt of the litter.

Dylan: "You made me what I am. You added to the rage."

Dylan says that as far back as the Foothills Day Care center he hated the "stuck-up" kids who he felt hated him. "Being shy didn't help. I'm going to kill you all. You've been giving us shit for years."

Dylan: "Fuck you Walsh."

The boys go on to discuss Walsh patrolling Deer Creek (Deputy Tim Walsh primarly works the south end of Jefferson County). The teens then talk about how there's "a month and a half left". They mention Green Mountain Guns again and how they phoned the house, leaving a message on the answering machine: "Your clips are in".

Dylan and Eric brag about hiding their tools of death -- and about the close calls along the way. Eric shows the camera a black tackle box with his bomb-making equipment stowed inside. They boast about concocting their plan under the noses of unsuspecting parents and friends.

Dylan recalls a time when his parents walked into his bedroom while he was trying on his trenchcoat to see if it would hide his sawed-off shotgun. "They didn't even know it was there."

Eric tells about a day he was going to go shooting in the mountains. He had his shotgun in a gym bag: it was in his "terrorist bag, sticking out". When he walked by his mother, she saw the butt of the gun but she assumed it was nothing more sinister than his BB gun. Fooling people was a point of pride for both boys, one they gloat about during the video-taping.

Eric: "I could convince them that I'm going to climb Mount Everest, or I have a twin brother growing out of my back. I can make you believe anything."

The subject shifts and they begin talking about several people they know. They make a comment about Dustin Harris (or Harrison), and how "everything you say is pointless."

Eric: "Shut the fuck up, Nick, you laugh too much! And those two girls sitting next to you, they probably want you to shut the fuck up, too! Jesus! Rachel and Jen.. and.. whatever."

Dylan: "I don't like you, Rachel and Jen, you're stuck up little bitches, you're fucking little.. Christian, Godly little whores!"
[Hear this and the line above]

Eric: "Yeah.. 'I love Jesus! I love Jesus!' -- shut the fuck up!"

Dylan: "What would Jesus do? What the fuck would I do..?" (he acts like he's shooting the camera with his hand, with sound to accompany it)

Eric: "I would shoot you in the motherfucking head! Go Romans! Thank God they crucified that asshole."
[Hear the above 3 lines]

Eric and Dylan: "Go Romans!" "Go Romans!!" "Yeah!!" "Wooo!"

Eric discusses "Arlene", his 12-gauge Savage shotgun. "Thanks to the gun show, and to Robyn. Robyn is very cool."

The boys then decide to take a video tour of "Reb's room" and "all the illegal shit" in it. Dylan backs out of the room with the camera and pretends to be Eric's mother.

Eric: (waves at the camera) "Hi, mom."

Taping Eric Harris's bedroom, they record a desk with a hutch, where Eric points out a pair of gloves which he says he took from a doctor's office and uses for making bombs. He points out several packages of fireworks on top of a speaker, which is also on top of the hutch. He also calls attention to a soda can with several shots through it, along with quite a few shotgun shells sitting atop the hutch. He then points out a small "black treasure chest" that he calls a "good hiding place".

Eric then points out a small bullet that he says is his "first bullet", then in a drawer he shows off a stash of solar igniters, batteries, pipes, clocks, and engines. He pulls out a black two-bell alarm clock that he discusses using to build a bomb with and then takes out what he describes as "completed pipe bombs" from a Home Base bag taken from one of the desk drawers. He pulls out another Home Base bag filled with more pipe bombs he calls the "Beta batch", at which point Dylan mentions the "bunker". Dylan tries to film out the west window but it's too dark outside; all that records is the glare on the window.

Dylan: "You can't see it, it's buried there. That's why it's called a bunker."

Eric says there are "four mortar grenades, ten crickets, and three Alfa's." He then points out a blue spiral notebook that he calls his "journal".

Eric points out a blue spiral notebook that he calls his "journal". Eric opens another drawer, revealing a piece of the handle of one of their sawed-off shotguns. Also filmed in one of the drawers are two clocks which the boys describe as "future bombs". They show off a box of "crickets" -- small CO2 cartridges, duct taped with fuses.

Dylan turns the video camera toward the dresser that's against the west wall. Eric opens up a door and points out a "Hell dog drawing" taped to the inside of the door. He says it was given to him years ago. Next to it is a piece of paper on which is written an "Anarchist substitute ingredient list".

Eric goes on to describe a "25 pound bag of #8 buckshot" which is inside the dresser, but isn't shown on the tape. Eric then pulls out a BB rifle from what he describes as the hall closet (though it appears, on the tape, to be a closet in his room). He says this is where he keeps his shotgun. He also takes a box out of the closet and tells the camera that this is is his knife. From the box he pulls out a black-handled combat knife in a black sheath. He says that he paid $15 for it. Eric says there's a Swastika on the side and the camera zooms in to show the Swastika etched into the sheath.

On the east wall, adjacent to the bedroom door, the teens point out a coil of green wire that they call a "50 foot cannon fuse". They move to the bookcase on the east wall, talking about a "Demon Knight" CD case, which Eric opens to reveal a receipt from Green Mountain Guns for "nine magazines" of 9mm carbine rifle bullets that they purchased for $15 each. Eric then removes a CD rack to expose three large pipe bombs hidden behind it, which he calls the "biggest".

Eric then pulls out a black card box filled with "29 crickets" (more CO2 cartridge bombs). Eric then points to an area of the room (though the camera doesn't follow where he points) and describes a "coffee can in the corner which is full of gunpowder". The camera then focuses in on a black plastic box with the word "explosives" scratched into the side, sitting near the north wall of Eric's bedroom on the floor. Dylan mentions how Eric's parents took it away from him. Eric adds that they only took the pipe bomb out of it, and gave the box back. Inside the box the camera shows clock parts, fuses, tools, and CO2 cartridges.

They also tape a white plastic file case that holds "nails for pipe bombs, caps to be filled with gunpowder", two boxes of 9mm rounds (50 bullets in each), 12 shotgun shells in a box, another box of shotgun shells, clips for a gun, and webbing. "What you will find on my body in April," Eric tells the camera.

Later footage:

Dylan Klebold sits in a tan La-Z-Boy recliner in Eric's basement bedroom, chewing on a toothpick while Eric Harris messes around with the now-stationary video recorder. When he's done Eric moves to sit in another recliner with the bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey, and his sawed-off shotgun named "Arlene" on his lap. He takes a small drink and tries not to wince at the taste.

Eric: (in reference to the Oregon and Kentucky shootings) "Do not think we're trying to copy anyone. We had the idea before the first one ever happened. Our plan is better, not like those fucks in Kentucky with camouflage and .22s. Those kids were only trying to be accepted by others."

They go on to talk about how they hate all races: "niggers, spics, Jews*, fucking whites". They also mention enemies that abused them and friends who didn't do enough to defend them.
* [Dylan's family was Jewish.]

In one segment, Eric and Dylan spend more than an hour discussing their hatred for humanity and their fellow students, whom they vowed to kill. They name some of the classmates they hope to murder [It's unknown whether any of those students were killed or wounded during the assault].

A couple times during the rants Dylan has to warn Eric to talk more quietly so as not to wake Eric's parents who're sleeping upstairs.

Eric: "We need a fucking kick start. If we have a fucking religious war - or oil - or anything. We need to get a chain reaction going here. It's gonna be like fucking Doom man - after the bombs explode. Tick, tick, tick, tick... Haa! That fucking shotgun (he kisses his gun) straight out of Doom. Go ahead and change gun laws - how do you think we got ours?"

The boys talk about starting a revolution of the dispossessed.

Eric: "We're going to kick-start a revolution."

The teens discuss coming back as ghosts to haunt the survivors, to "create flashbacks from what we do and drive them insane," Eric tells the camera.

Eric: "You guys will all die, and it will be fucking soon! I hope you get an idea of what we're implying here. You all need to die! We need to die, too! We need to fucking kick-start the revolution here!"

Dylan: "The most deaths in U.S. history."

Eric: (kisses his shotgun) "Hopefully."

Dylan: "We're hoping. We're hoping. I hope we kill 250 of you. It will be the most nerve-racking 15 minutes of my life, after the bombs are set and we're waiting to charge through the school. Seconds will be like hours. I can't wait. I'll be shaking like a leaf."

Eric: "I hope people have flashbacks."

Eric: (making shooting noises while aiming his shotgun) "Isn't it fun to get the respect we're going to deserve? We don't give a shit because we're going to die doing it."

It's getting late; Eric looks at his watch and says it's 1:28 AM on March 15. Dylan says people will note the date and time when watching it.

Dylan: (predicting his parents' feelings of regret) "If only we could have reached them sooner, or found this tape."

Eric "If only we would have searched their room. If only we would have asked the right questions." (talks about his mother being thoughtful, bringing him candy and Slim Jims) "I really am sorry about all this."

Dylan: "They gave me my fucking life. It's up to me what I do with it."

Eric: (shrugs) "My parents might have made some mistakes that they weren't really aware of."

Dylan: (talks about how his parents taught him to be independent and self-reliant) "I appreciate that."

They talk about how they want movies to be made about their story. Eric says he wants the film to have "a lot of foreshadowing and dramatic irony". He mentions a poem he wrote where he imagined himself as a bullet.

Dylan: "Directors will be fighting over this story. I know we're gonna have followers because we're so fucking God-like. We're not exactly human -- we have human bodies but we've evolved into one step above you, fucking human shit. We actually have fucking self-awareness."

The boys speculate whether Steven Spielberg or Quentin Tarantino should direct the film.


March 18
Evidence item #265

The tape starts again and Eric and Dylan are once again in the Harris family living room. They state that it is March 18th, "in the middle of the night". They talk about "Echo and Delta" pipe bombs and whether or not they should put nails on them. They state that "religions are gay" and for "people who are weak and can't deal with life".

They say they need to discuss secondary objectives to place the bombs, places that are "out of the way". Dylan mentions a trail near Wadsworth, "by your old house" (7844 South Teller Court, according to Eric's home computer). They then talk about how they should "rig something up with a trip bomb between two trees, so when someone goes down the path it will go off." The boys then discuss the possibility of "placing time bombs down there". They mention it would be "harder and take more resources". They say, "This will add a few frags to the list" and that the "fucking fire department is going to be busy for a month".

They talk about a couple of people, one of whom Eric says he wants to "shoot in the groin area". They talk about someone named Jesse Gordon and "the Goof Troop". They then go on a racist tirade, talking about how that "nigger stopped us that day" and how black people talk in "Ebonics". They bash on "spics". Then the subject turns to bowling and how each individual in the bowling class has a designated culture group to use as a target on the bowling pins to kill, and that this helps them bowl better.

They talk about how "world peace is an impossible thing" and mention how you can look on the Internet to learn how to make "bombs, poison, napalm, and how to buy guns if you're underage". They also talk about how "Mrs. X-Y-Z bought our guns".

Eric and Dylan say that there are "only two weeks left, and one more weekend" and that "it is coming up fucking quick". They say the "napalm better not freeze at that certain person's house". They talk about "Chris' pizza's house" like they're trying to disguise a name and discuss "Yoshi" in a negative way. They say that they need a "lot more napalm" and may just use "gas and oil". They express concern that it will be tough, and opening the zipper may make it go off. They say they need some "back-ups". They talk about how the sprinkler system may "put out a fire" and Eric says he should possibly keep the battery out of the device, set the bag, put it in and leave so it doesn't "blow up in the commons".

They discuss credit card fraud; Eric raises his hand like he's admitting to having done it. Then they talk about "tests", saying: "We wouldn't be where we are without them." They talk about gas and oil and how it will be "one hell of a mental picture". They wonder about the possibility of people catching fire. The topic then shifts to graduation and how it will be a "graduation memorial service with lots of people crying". They theorize there will probably be a candlelight memorial.

Eric says he's got "100 bullets and 10 loaded clips", and that he needs lasers for his carbine.

Eric: (looking directly into the camera) "You're lucky it doesn't hold more ammo."

Dylan says he has a "50 round clip, two 36's, and a 24."

"There's a lot of shit to do." they say. They need to set up more propane bombs and get more containers. Dylan says he still needs to get his pants, fill his clips, and get his pouches to load shells in. They say they need "devices" for the propane tanks and they need more "bomb holders". Eric says they need to go to Radio Shack because he heard they had a "thing to increase the voltage" through a clock and speaker, igniting a solar igniter. Eric says that he'd tell people that he was doing special effects for a movie; "that will be a good excuse".

Insist the boys, "We are but we aren't psycho."

Dylan asks Eric if he thinks the cops will listen to the whole video. They then theorize that the video will be cut up into little pieces, and the police would only show the world what they wanted it to look like. Eric and Dylan said then that they wanted to distribute the videos to four news stations. Eric says he's going to his journal and send copies via email to distribute blueprints and maps. He then talks about "Tier" and calls it "My life's work", saying he wants to get it published. (Investigating officer Zimmerman recognized the term as "some of the direction type booklets for the video game Doom" which the officer took from Eric Harris's bedroom during the search warrant following the shootings.)

Via acolumbinesite.com :

March 25, 1999 The whole Klebold family (Dylan, his brother Byron Klebold, and parents) drove to Tucson to visit the University of Arizona where they paid a deposit for what was supposed to have been Dylan's dorm room. He was supposed to attend U of A after graduating in April. His family later said that he genuinely seemed to be looking forward to college life.

Z_Splatter wrote:

Via acolumbinesite.com :

March 25, 1999 The whole Klebold family (Dylan, his brother Byron Klebold, and parents) drove to Tucson to visit the University of Arizona where they paid a deposit for what was supposed to have been Dylan's dorm room. He was supposed to attend U of A after graduating in April. His family later said that he genuinely seemed to be looking forward to college life.

I always thought that Dylan's dad was the one who went with him to visit U of A.

TheFragile wrote:

Z_Splatter wrote:

Via acolumbinesite.com :

March 25, 1999 The whole Klebold family (Dylan, his brother Byron Klebold, and parents) drove to Tucson to visit the University of Arizona where they paid a deposit for what was supposed to have been Dylan's dorm room. He was supposed to attend U of A after graduating in April. His family later said that he genuinely seemed to be looking forward to college life.

I always thought that Dylan's dad was the one who went with him to visit U of A.

All I remember reading was that Dylan and his dad had a conversation while visiting U of A about how good looking some of the college girls were. As far as I know the whole family did come down to visit the campus though.

Wednesday, April 7, 1999

Eric, Dylan, and 13 other people mark the penultimate Wednesday of their lives.

April 8, 1999

Custodian Jay Gallentine arrived at Columbine just before 5 AM and found the locks of all the doors leading into the high school glued shut. Gallentine heard voices and footsteps on the roof, then silence. He called the police and set to replacing the locks. Inspection of the roof found someone had spelled the word 'seniors' in duct tape across the large glass skylight. Later that day, Jefferson County sheriff's deputy Neil Gardner (resource officer assigned to Columbine) reviewed video taken that morning by the school's outside security cameras. The tape showed two male suspects in dark clothing, including gloves and masks or hoods of some kind but they were never identified. However, Eric mentioned on his website that he and Dylan epoxied locks in their neighborhood as a prank and Brooks Brown says something similar in his book, No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Death at Columbine.

From acolumbinesite.com

Crazy to think that this happened 15 years ago today.

Z_Splatter wrote:

April 8, 1999

Custodian Jay Gallentine arrived at Columbine just before 5 AM and found the locks of all the doors leading into the high school glued shut. Gallentine heard voices and footsteps on the roof, then silence. He called the police and set to replacing the locks. Inspection of the roof found someone had spelled the word 'seniors' in duct tape across the large glass skylight. Later that day, Jefferson County sheriff's deputy Neil Gardner (resource officer assigned to Columbine) reviewed video taken that morning by the school's outside security cameras. The tape showed two male suspects in dark clothing, including gloves and masks or hoods of some kind but they were never identified. However, Eric mentioned on his website that he and Dylan epoxied locks in their neighborhood as a prank and Brooks Brown says something similar in his book, No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Death at Columbine.

From acolumbinesite.com

Crazy to think that this happened 15 years ago today.

Crazier still to think that some of the freshmen who now trek through those same halls weren't even fetuses 15 years ago.

Thursday, April 8, 1999

Eric, Dylan, and 13 other people mark the penultimate Thursday of their lives.

Friday, April 9, 1999

Eric, Dylan, and 13 other people mark the penultimate Friday of their lives.

Eric turns 18.

Eric would have turned 33 today had he still been alive

Saturday, April 10, 1999

Eric, Dylan, and 13 other people mark the penultimate Saturday of their lives.

Ten days to go.

Z_Splatter wrote:

Eric would have turned 33 today had he still been alive

Happy 33rd birthday Eric!!

15 years ago today E&D make one of the basement tapes.

"April 11, 1999 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold make "Reb's Tape" - one of the Basement Tapes marked evidence item #298. In it they discuss their plans and how the event will impact their parents and the people who care about them. While they express regret for the trouble it will cause their families they appear dedicated to and even proud of their "two man war against everyone else".

Eric Harris is in the driver's seat of a car, Dylan Klebold is in the passenger's seat, holding the camera. "We are on our way to get the rest of our gear," they say. They then tell the camera it is "Monday, April 11th". It's daytime.

Dylan says he has $200 dollars on him; Eric says he's going to "cash a check for $50".

Dylan: "We've been planning this for over eight months".

Eric: "At least."

They pass the intersection at Sante Fe and Mineral and the filming stops.


It's still light out when the camera comes back on. The car is now on Broadway, north of Hampden. Eric's still driving. They're stopped at a red light or stop sign on the east side of Broadway. Eric's smoking a large cigar now which he says is his "birthday cigar" (Eric's birthday was on the 9th). He and Dylan say they have just purchased two large fuel containers and three propane bottles. Dylan says he now has his pants. The camera is turned off once more.


The video starts again and now Eric's alone. He's propped the camera on his knee or a similarly close location, filming his face directly. Behind him the headboard of his bed at home can be made out along with a bulletin board above. He talks about his parents and the cops who may want to have his "parents pay".

Eric: "My parents are the best fucking parents I have ever known. My dad is great. I wish I was a fucking sociopath so I didn't have any remorse, but I do. This is going to tear them apart. They will never forget it." He then addresses his parents directly, if briefly: "There is nothing you guys could have done to prevent any of this. There is nothing that anyone could have done to prevent this. No one is to blame except me and Vodka. Our actions are a two man war against everyone else."

Eric goes on to say that it's been "hard" on him lately. His parents have been on his "back for putting things off"; things like "insurance, and the Marine Corp". He talks about how "this is my last week on earth".

Eric: "To all you 'Culios' [I'm guessing the officer heard 'coolios' but this is how Zimmerman spelled it in the report] out there still alive, sorry I hurt you or your friends."

He says this is total "KMFDM" and that "there are 7 and 1/3 days left." He gets an odd look on his face, then says, "Fucking bitches."

He then lists off 5 names and says that he's going to be "one tired mother-fucker come Monday, then BOOM! I'll get shot and die."

Eric then films his planning book, calling it the "Writings of God". He says his beliefs have changed somewhat during the year, over the course of time he's been writing. He turns to a page where there are figures drawn complete with ammo, bombs, and guns, all labeled. He says it's a "drawing of gear, back when we thought we could get calicos". He then points to a picture that depicts two backpacks labeled "napalm". He calls this the "suicide plan".

The next page Eric discusses is one that appears to be inventories of bombs. He points to the top of the page and says that's how many bullets they're going to have. He then points to some of the drawings in the back of the book, saying they are "Doom drawings". He also points out other pages that have different drawings, including different types of weapons, and says they are "plans for rocket launchers and stuff. Most will not see the new world." He points out more drawings close to the back, calling them "Doom drawings with a KMFDM twist to them".

The tape ends.


2nd Tape
Evidence item #298

This tape contains footage possibly filmed for school by Dylan and Eric. Both boys are seen in the footage, along with two other people identified as Tex and Browsky."

Also, I just noticed something April 11, 1999 was a Sunday. So either Eric and Dylan had the date wrong (it was Monday the 12th but they thought it was the 11th) or whoever reported on what they said incorrectly stated that it was Monday the 11th.

Small detail but interesting nonetheless.

Z_Splatter wrote:

Also, I just noticed something April 11, 1999 was a Sunday. So either Eric and Dylan had the date wrong (it was Monday the 12th but they thought it was the 11th) or whoever reported on what they said incorrectly stated that it was Monday the 11th.

Small detail but interesting nonetheless.

Sunday and Monday are hard to confuse. Most likely, they got the weekday right and the date wrong.

Does anyone know when they were on spring break?

Monday, April 12, 1999

Eric, Dylan, and 13 other people mark the penultimate Monday of their lives.

Tuesday, April 13, 1999

Eric, Dylan, and 13 other people mark the last full Tuesday of their lives.

It is 5:09 p.m. Eastern, 2:09 p.m. Mountain, as I write this. By this time a week from now, 14 students and one teacher would be dead.

April 14, 1999 Staff Sergeant Gonzales met Eric at Blackjack Pizza to confirm his appointment for the home visit.

April 15, 1999 Staff Sergeant Mark Gonzales met Eric Harris and his father at the Harris residence. During a casual conversation between Gonzales and Wayne Harris about Eric's future with the military Eric's mother came downstairs and joined the conversation. She asked if Eric would still be eligible if he were taking an anti-depressant. She then showed the Staff Sergeant one of Eric's prescription bottles and he copied down the name of the drug prescribed: Luvox. Gonzales said that he would check on the eligibility status and would call them back.

010088: On 04-15-99, Staff Sergeant Gonzales received a telephone call from Harris and he again reconfirmed his home visit for 1800 hours.
At approximately 1800 hours. Staff Sergeant Gonzales arrived at Harris's home at ^^^
Harris and his father Staff Sergeant Gonzales had a casual conversation with Mr Harris in reference to Harris's military career. During this conversation, Eric's mother came downstairs and joined the conversation concerning the Marine Corp
The Harris's had questions concerning jobs in the Marine Corp and the delayed entry program.
Eric's mother inquired as to Eric's eligibility if he was currently taking an anti depressant. Eric's mother retrieved a bottle of pills from the upstairs so that Staff Sergeant Gonzales could identify the drug and check on the eligibility status. Staff Sergeant Gonzales looked at the prescription bottle and copied the name of the drug, Luvox.
Staff Sergeant Gonzales told the Harris's that he would check on Eric's eligibility status and call them back. He did not tell the Harris's that he was not
eligible at this time because he wanted to check further with the Marine Corp.
Either the following day, Friday 04-16-99 or on Saturday 0417-99, Staff Sergeant Gonzales left a message on Harris's home telephone for him to call him. This telephone call was not returned and Staff Sergeant Gonzales had no further contact with Harris.
Staff Sergeant Gonzales said that Harris was never notified that he would not be eligible for entry into the Marine Corp

His entry does not have a date but it could be on this day that Dylan wrote his entry contemplating five days left. Or could be yesterday evening.

Saturday, April 17, 1999

Dylan goes to prom with Robyn Anderson.

Eric watches Event Horizon (1997) with Susan DeWitt, then joins Dylan at the after-prom party.

Saturday, April 17, 1999

Columbine prom night. Posters around the school announced the prom: "It's coming! 4/17/99" On several posters the number '17' had been crossed out and replaced with a '20'. Twelve kids, including Dylan Klebold and Nate Dykeman, went by limousine together to the prom.(3) Dylan's date for the night was Robyn Anderson, who boasted to another male friend shortly before the prom: "I convinced my friend Dylan, who hates dances, jocks and has never had a date let alone a girlfriend to go with me! I am either really cute or just really persuasive!"

Nate said Dylan's attitude that night was normal, like any guy going to his senior prom's attitude might be. Everything went "perfect" -- friends described Dylan as seeming very upbeat and was making plans to stay in touch with folks after leaving for college. Nate said that Dylan talked happily about a positive future in Arizona attending college; that he sounded like that was what he really planned to do with his life.

Rachel Scott - who would just days later become a victim in the shootings - attended the prom with Nick Baumgart.(1)

Eric Harris didn't have a date that night, though not for lack of trying. People who knew him said he asked a few different girls, all of whom turned him down. He ended up making plans with Susan DeWitt (a girl he'd talked to the night before at Blackjack Pizza).(3) She went to his house where they watched movies. Eric invited her to go to the after-prom party but she declined. She went home and Eric met his friends at the party, still alone.

Sunday, April 18, 1999

Eric, Dylan, and 13 other people mark the last Sunday of their lives.

Monday, April 19, 1999

Eric, Dylan, and other people mark the last Monday - the last full day - of their lives.

They watch the sun set for the last time. They see the stars and the moon for the last time.

They eat dinner for the last time.

They fall asleep for the last time.

Wayne and Kathy Harris, Tom and Susan Klebold, and the parents of 12 other Columbine students (and the family members of one Columbine teacher) mark their last normal day. Life will go on for them, but not in the same way.

The survivors mark their last normal day, as well.

April 19, 1999 is the day that the video "Breakfast Run" was filmed. The video where a lot of misinformed people thinks Eric Harris made a comment about "cini-mini's and ketchup", when it was really Eric Jackson.

Jenn wrote:

April 19, 1999 is the day that the video "Breakfast Run" was filmed. The video where a lot of misinformed people thinks Eric Harris made a comment about "cini-mini's and ketchup", when it was really Eric Jackson.

[useless_trivia]

Burger King announced the impending introduction of Cini-minis on Monday, April 27, 1998 - exactly 51 weeks before the massacre.

They were made available to diners on Saturday, May 16, 1998. If you went to a Burger King between 6 and 11 a.m. that morning, you got an order of Cini-minis for free.

[/useless_trivia]