Escaping John Savage caught by the security camera

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I never knew this before, but the infamous cafeteria security camera didn't only capture Dave Sanders running upstairs, and Eric and Dylan, but it also caught John Savage as he escaped.

It happens 11:34:54 in the footage, and at 53:41 mark of this YouTube video. John runs really fast (as he told later, he was scared that E/D would change their mind), I think he only hit maybe one step in the stairs, so you have to focus to even see him. I suggest you slow the video down from the settings.

I'm sure it's him, because the time stamp (11:34:54) makes perfect sense, since we know that the library massacre lasted from 11:29 to 11:36, and John's escape (or rather E/D letting him go) happened near the end. The only victims after John leaving were Daniel Mauser and Corey DePooter. The person in the screenshots is a boy with dark hair, which also fits John.

I must say that John Savage is one of the most interesting and most respectable side characters from April 20, 1999. And I'm happy he has talked about his experience (for example in Zero Hour).

According to Denver Post's 10-year-anniversary interview, John lives in Utah with his wife and their daughter. He's a Mormon and works as a computer programmer.

Thanks for this. That was fast as hell! Can't even imagine what was going through his mind at that exact moment.

Even more embarrassing for authorities.. obviously John Savage was available/gave intel on the shooters & no one made it to the library anytime soon after his escape.

I get all the confusion with kids that escaped & misreported police scanner data.. but come on, this guy was in a contained area over an extended period of time & witnessed details not to mention face to face dialogue with the killers.

The rage I have for the loss of lives & families dealing with it, goes thru the roof when considering things like JSavages thankful escape yet another dropping of the ball by authorities.

Absolutely great post and find by John Denver. Fantastic.

Now all that remains is to see if we can find Eric planting the bomb right before the first tape ends. I'm not completely sure it isn't there--but that's a subject for another day.

meenwhile wrote:

Thanks for the info!

I disagree that John Savage was respectable. His early interviews, including TIME magazine, consisted of calling Eric and Dylan freaks and faggots. He seemed like a bully, and I do wonder why Dylan let him go.

I think you are confusing John Savage with Evan Todd.

Evan Todd was the one calling them "freaks and faggots". He was a fat jock who Dylan taunted before deciding not to shoot him.

E/D didn't say anything mean to John Savage in the library. That's because John Savage was never mean to them, either. He knew them and was always nice to them. Even after the tragedy John was respectul towards E/D.

[quote="John Denver"]

meenwhile wrote:

E/D didn't say anything mean to John Savage in the library. That's because John Savage was never mean to them, either.

None of the victims knew Eric or Dylan, besides Rachel Scott, and the victims were mocked at by E/D, and probably felt pain while Eric and Dylan, especially Dylan was laughing his ass off, so...

I know. I was only comparing John Savage to Evan Todd.

I dunno, I might be biased because I got to know John Savage personally, back in my days of activity at the old forums. He comes off as a pretty laid back and reasonable type of person.

Of course that's how he was back in 2008 or so. I have no idea what sort of person he was back in HS days. As far as I know, he knew Dylan in passing from being in class togeather. Acquintances more than friends that's for sure.

Wow... Amazing find!!!

I'm confused. If John was let go from the library, why was he caught on the cafeteria camera? Or did he run down stairs and through the cafeteria to escape?

Jbow89 wrote:

I'm confused. If John was let go from the library, why was he caught on the cafeteria camera? Or did he run down stairs and through the cafeteria to escape?

Yes, he ran out through the cafeteria. You can see him running down the stairs in the cafeteria footage on Youtube.

A few questions on John Savage and his run to freedom
1 When he got outside and gathered his thoughts did he relay what he had just witnessed to the appropriate people-police or SWAT?
2 If not then has he been asked why?
3 If he did give details then why didn't the police or SWAT act on this information more urgently
I can't help thinking that John Savage had all the information that they needed to take action immediately, they would have known there were two gunmen and no more, they would have known their location and were in the process of killing students, with all this first hand information on board they could have formulated a plan to rescue and save the life of the true hero of that day Mr Dave Sanders, unfortunately it would have been too late to save the lives of the students in the library

Anton wrote:

A few questions on John Savage and his run to freedom
1 When he got outside and gathered his thoughts did he relay what he had just witnessed to the appropriate people-police or SWAT?
2 If not then has he been asked why?
3 If he did give details then why didn't the police or SWAT act on this information more urgently
I can't help thinking that John Savage had all the information that they needed to take action immediately, they would have known there were two gunmen and no more, they would have known their location and were in the process of killing students, with all this first hand information on board they could have formulated a plan to rescue and save the life of the true hero of that day Mr Dave Sanders, unfortunately it would have been too late to save the lives of the students in the library

Savage told police that after he escaped he feared Eric and Dylan would change their minds on letting him go so he strategically tried to stay away from the library area windows thinking they could shoot him outside.

He ran into a cop on Pierce street who directed him to area near Polk and Pierce street with a bunch of other students where he waited until he was allowed to go home a while later

And just to add in here, many many students and faculty informed police there were only 2 student shooters. Some even provided Eric and Dylan by name. However so many wrong tips were given police did not know what to do.

They went by their own protocol no matter what evidence they were given

sororityalpha wrote:

11:34:53 - John Savage jumping from the stairway landing in the Cafeteria

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He was almost a blur he was going so fast. You know he was likely thinking they were going to shot him in the back as he ran.

I still can't believe they let him go. I guess they were so intent on blowing up the cafeteria/library, they figured he would have been killed if they simply skipped over him and he remained in the library.

But what a risk they took. Knowing he could leave the school and communicate to LE exactly where the shooters were. E&D were probably wondering for a while what was taking SWAT so long to enter the school.

Didn't they say to to Evan Todd? Let him go, we're going to blow up the school anyway?

It seems like anyone they spoke to they let go or didn't hurt. I think Valeen was shot before she had her confrontation with Dylan.

So technically the only people they let go & didn't think would die were Brooks and John right? Because even if they didn't shoot Evan Todd, Bree Pasquale, etc. they still believed they would be blowing up the library.

Littlelo wrote:

So technically the only people they let go & didn't think would die were Brooks and John right? Because even if they didn't shoot Evan Todd, Bree Pasquale, etc. they still believed they would be blowing up the library.

That's what I think to be honest.

There is also a guy running down the stairs at 11:26:31
Who could that be?

I didn't know until yesterday that you can see Dave Sanders walking around normally at the 14 minute mark of the footage. Aside from the bomb-planting theories (and are we really, really sure that that's what we're seeing?) I've never paid much attention to anything before the 41 minute mark of the cafeteria footage when the kids notice the shooting beginning to start.

This is because some helpful commentator on Youtube timestamped all the important stuff. Earlier, someone had done the same thing and marked the John Savage thing in his own timestamps. This person also said that Sandy Hook was a hoax and I think that's such garbage so I'm glad the guy got voted down. Either way, it means people have actually sat there and watched all 215 minutes of footage, including the two hours between E&D"s infamous appearance and some SWAT people walking through the soaking floor. That'd be like watching a f***ing screensaver. But we should all be grateful no?

Watch those white hats fly...

Hardcore parkour.

Since cops didn’t know the school layout, they didn’t know how to get to science room. I don’t understand why they didn’t get a student that ran from school to draw them a map! I wonder did the cops even ask where the science rooms were or did they try and figure out layout of school? And if not why didn’t they?