Eric and Dylan's behavior in Columbine on 19th of April

What do you think they behaved like?

DooMRebel wrote:

What do you think they behaved like?

I can imagine them both being a mix of excitement and apprehension. They were basically counting down the hours they had left in this world. I'm sure they were both nervous and scared at what they were going do.

As far as behavior they probably acted extremely normal. It was the day before NBK and they did not want to set off any red flags.

Although only the ending part is filmed at CHS parking lot, the Breakfast Run was filmed on the 19th, and you can see Dylan is the only one who doesn't order any food at BK, so it looks like he doesn't have an appetite knowing what is to come. Aside from that he doesn't look like someone who is living his last free day on Earth, he seems to be wasting it by sitting around in a drive thru. He cracks a few jokes and starts to whistle a tune and click his fingers at one point.

I am sure they acted normal. Probably underlying excitement however.

Eric apparently joked with Mark Manes about going shooting that day and Eric said "maybe tomorrow" which I think proves they saw Mark after school then went and did that heavily controversial act that I shouldn't mention.

Zach called Dylan the night before and he didn't stay on the phone long.

Not to sound sappy but I like to think Sparky got some hugs that night too from Eric, but I bet they acted as normal as possible. I read somewhere Eric wrote an email to someone the night before.

I wonder how much they actually slept.

I'm sure they slept very little. Out of fear, excitement, or a strange combination.

Littlelo wrote:

I'm sure they slept very little. Out of fear, excitement, or a strange combination.

They also needed to get up somewhat early too. So not much time for sleep.

Screamingophelia wrote:

Not to sound sappy but I like to think Sparky got some hugs that night too

I read somewhere that his dog had passed before the tragedy, but I am not sure if it is true or not.

Has anybody who saw them the day before said whether they were acting out of character?

spidEr wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Not to sound sappy but I like to think Sparky got some hugs that night too

I read somewhere that his dog had passed before the tragedy, but I am not sure if it is true or not.

I read he died the year after.

I think Eric would have wrote about that perhaps?

Screamingophelia wrote:

spidEr wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Not to sound sappy but I like to think Sparky got some hugs that night too

I read somewhere that his dog had passed before the tragedy, but I am not sure if it is true or not.

I read he died the year after.

I think Eric would have wrote about that perhaps?

The idea of little Sparky bouncing around waiting for Eric to come home and he never did makes me wanna cry. If you really sit down and think about it, Sparky was the ONLY living being that accepted Eric wholeheartedly and loved him unconditionally. He was there every day just waiting on Eric to get home from school/work with nothing but love in his little puppy heart.

I wonder how many times Eric opened the front door and scooped that little fur ball up and snuggled him saying "Yeah I had a rough day"  The fact that Eric was SO attached and loving towards Sparky shows a lot about the bond he had with the dog.

Screamingophelia wrote:

Eric apparently joked with Mark Manes about going shooting that day and Eric said "maybe tomorrow" which I think proves they saw Mark after school then went and did that heavily controversial act that I shouldn't mention.

The dastardly deed of potato consumption!

But seriously P-O-T-A-T-O-E-S in some form!

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Eric apparently joked with Mark Manes about going shooting that day and Eric said "maybe tomorrow" which I think proves they saw Mark after school then went and did that heavily controversial act that I shouldn't mention.

The dastardly deed of potato consumption!

But seriously P-O-T-A-T-O-E-S in some form!

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

spidEr wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Not to sound sappy but I like to think Sparky got some hugs that night too

I read somewhere that his dog had passed before the tragedy, but I am not sure if it is true or not.

I read he died the year after.

I think Eric would have wrote about that perhaps?

The idea of little Sparky bouncing around waiting for Eric to come home and he never did makes me wanna cry. If you really sit down and think about it, Sparky was the ONLY living being that accepted Eric wholeheartedly and loved him unconditionally. He was there every day just waiting on Eric to get home from school/work with nothing but love in his little puppy heart.

I wonder how many times Eric opened the front door and scooped that little fur ball up and snuggled him saying "Yeah I had a rough day"  The fact that Eric was SO attached and loving towards Sparky shows a lot about the bond he had with the dog.

Probably one of the reasons Eric wrote that we should give the land back to the animals.

I get sad thinking of Sparky that day. All these strange people coming in and out of the house and Eric not there.

I honestly feel that they were putting on a show in front of their friends/family...but inside they were a bundle of nerves and excitement. Could you imagine being them and knowing you're about to cause hell on earth and ruin, what they hoped, 100's of lives?? I can guarantee they played it off cool, but I could also guarantee they were nervous and scared as hell to go through with their little fantasy...you've gotta admit, as horrendous as the attack was....they had huge balls to go through with it. It wasn't nearly as common as it is nowadays...pretty sad. I bet when they "went to bed" that night they did anything but sleep...no sleeping took place. I can envision lots of pacing, lots of preparations as far as the "what ifs" could happen the day of the attack...like what if one of their parents/friends finds something out before attack begins...or if a friend stalls them at school. I think they went through an interesting transformation that night...just think of how Sue recalls Dylan "bounding" down the stairs and ran out the door with a rude "bye!" No way in hell did he want his mom to stop him and talk to him. That night he turned off the emotions and turned cold. I feel when Brooks approached Eric in the parking lot he was rather cold to him as well...very short and to the point and kind of brushed him to the side and chuckled.
I don't know, these are my random thoughts about how I think they felt the day/night before. If we could only know all the facts!!

Nervous excitement for sure. I doubt they got much sleep. I just wonder if either had some last minute second thoughts.

Toby1991N wrote:

Has anybody who saw them the day before said whether they were acting out of character?

Susan said that she spoke with Eric briefly on 4/19 and that he walked over and talked to her for about five minutes. She asked him what he was doing and he said that he was ditching class. She felt that something was bothering him. (10210)

However, others saw Eric and didn't feel that anything was wrong.

On 4/19, a few boys came across Eric sitting near the front entrance, writing on a piece of paper while they were filming a video for class during second period and when they asked him what he was doing, he said he was "planning for tomorrow." They made joke about how if the school were to blow up, then they would know who was to blame. None of them thought that anything was wrong with Eric. (2173, 4230, 7330)

Robyn saw Dylan early on 4/19 and she noticed that he was kind of quiet but she didn't think it was too odd because he was sometimes quiet in the mornings since he was tired and not a morning person. When she didn't see his car at school on the morning of 4/20, she thought about calling him when she got home because he might be sick. (10628/9)

Zach would call Dylan and talk every night but on 4/19, when he first called, Dylan was on the other line with someone else and asked him to call back. When he called back around 10:30, Dylan said he was not in the mood to talk, that he was tired and going to sleep. Zach thought this was odd because they would usually stay on the phone until 12:30 or 1:00 on most nights. (10754, 10764)

Zach's sister Jocelyn also said that it was unusual that Dylan didn't want to talk to Zach that night because they would talk or play games together every night until 1:00 or 1:30. She was also surprised when Dylan didn't show up Tuesday morning because they would always meet up around 9:30 and chat for a few minutes. After what happened the night before, she assumed that he must be sick. (1451)

Nicole Markham thought it was suspicious that on 4/19, Eric and Dylan were in the parking lot after school around 2:30-2:40. She said it was strange because they usually never stayed after school for anything. (10774)

There were also a few comments about odd behaviors or emotions in the days and weeks before 4/20.

A Blackjack delivery driver last saw Eric and Dylan at work on 4/14 and she said that Eric was very depressed that day while Dylan's mood was inconsistent. (10194)

Another coworker at Blackjack said that in the last month at the store, she noticed a "marked change" in Eric's behavior, saying that he seemed more withdrawn and less talkative. (16607)

Chris Morris said that Eric had seemed to be getting more depressed after Christmas and that weeks before the shooting, Eric was getting more aggressive and picking fights. (10835, 10838)

Another student said that he stopped talking to Eric in January 1999 because Eric and other TCM members started picking on people and harassing them. (1070)

Someone from Dylan's calculus class said that he'd noticed a change in Dylan over the past several weeks. Dylan was usually a good student but had been falling asleep in class every day and the teacher kept threatening to kick him out. There were also times in those weeks where Dylan seemed to be unusually hyper and full of energy. (988)

Nate Dykeman saw them both on 4/19 after 4th period and thought that they were acting normal but that they had been acting strange for the past few months. (10709/10)

Pretty sure they both probably had light sleep at best with those awful 'horror' dreams where everything seems much more real than a normal dream. I'm guessing that Eric probably gave him a pep talk ahead of time in order to ensure that Dylan saw the plan through. Add a healthy dose of some suspicion on either side and the excitement of a dream turning into a reality and you probably are 25% there on what they were feeling.

Imagine them leaving their houses that morning. Pulling out of the driveway, knowing it was the last time they would ever be there again. The night before they must have thought "wow this is the last time I'll sleep in this bed".

Littlelo wrote:

Imagine them leaving their houses that morning. Pulling out of the driveway, knowing it was the last time they would ever be there again. The night before they must have thought "wow this is the last time I'll sleep in this bed".

It is such a stark contrast from the other 13 people who died that day. They figured they'd be home again and have a regular day...

I bet they felt differently. Dylan by all accounts may have been relieved because he wanted to die. I do wonder how Eric felt.

Screamingophelia wrote:

Littlelo wrote:

Imagine them leaving their houses that morning. Pulling out of the driveway, knowing it was the last time they would ever be there again. The night before they must have thought "wow this is the last time I'll sleep in this bed".

It is such a stark contrast from the other 13 people who died that day. They figured they'd be home again and have a regular day...

I bet they felt differently. Dylan by all accounts may have been relieved because he wanted to die. I do wonder how Eric felt.

You're so right. Complete opposite of every student and teacher at Columbine that day. No one knew what was coming.

Imagine being at their place knowing that you will die tomorrow and never be on this planet ever again.

Screamingophelia wrote:

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

spidEr wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Not to sound sappy but I like to think Sparky got some hugs that night too

I read somewhere that his dog had passed before the tragedy, but I am not sure if it is true or not.

I read he died the year after.

I think Eric would have wrote about that perhaps?

The idea of little Sparky bouncing around waiting for Eric to come home and he never did makes me wanna cry. If you really sit down and think about it, Sparky was the ONLY living being that accepted Eric wholeheartedly and loved him unconditionally. He was there every day just waiting on Eric to get home from school/work with nothing but love in his little puppy heart.

I wonder how many times Eric opened the front door and scooped that little fur ball up and snuggled him saying "Yeah I had a rough day"  The fact that Eric was SO attached and loving towards Sparky shows a lot about the bond he had with the dog.

Probably one of the reasons Eric wrote that we should give the land back to the animals.

I get sad thinking of Sparky that day. All these strange people coming in and out of the house and Eric not there.

I'm actually surprised that Sparky reportedly lived as long as he did following Columbine. Its not uncommon for some animals to mourn themselves to death after the passing of their owners.

DooMRebel wrote:

Imagine being at their place knowing that you will die tomorrow and never be on this planet ever again.

Eric briefly touched on this in TBT. He mentioned it was weird knowing you were going to die soon.

Another reference to Eric's behavior about a week before the shooting.

(725)
Loni said that Katie [Thompson?] told her that about one week ago, Eric Harris started writing stuff on the outside of his backpack. I asked what kind of stuff, and Loni said like "I hate you."

(1220)
Ms. Thompson said that she did not see either Eric or Dylan on the Monday, or Tuesday, the day of the incident. She said that she saw both of them on the previous week and believes that it was on Wednesday. At that time, she noticed that both of them were carrying black backpacks covered with some kind of white writing scribbled over the surface and both packs had patches that said "serial killer."

sscc wrote:

Another reference to Eric's behavior about a week before the shooting.

(725)
Loni said that Katie [Thompson?] told her that about one week ago, Eric Harris started writing stuff on the outside of his backpack. I asked what kind of stuff, and Loni said like "I hate you."

(1220)
Ms. Thompson said that she did not see either Eric or Dylan on the Monday, or Tuesday, the day of the incident. She said that she saw both of them on the previous week and believes that it was on Wednesday. At that time, she noticed that both of them were carrying black backpacks covered with some kind of white writing scribbled over the surface and both packs had patches that said "serial killer."

Didn't she also said she was afraid of Eric, how could she know so much about them.

I assume the Serial Killer patch had to do with what was on Dylan's Serial Killer shirt. A Resevoir Dogs reference.

Though in Eric's journal he did write he was going to ask her to Outback.

This just made me cry        

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

The idea of little Sparky bouncing around waiting for Eric to come home and he never did makes me wanna cry. If you really sit down and think about it, Sparky was the ONLY living being that accepted Eric wholeheartedly and loved him unconditionally. He was there every day just waiting on Eric to get home from school/work with nothing but love in his little puppy heart.

I wonder how many times Eric opened the front door and scooped that little fur ball up and snuggled him saying "Yeah I had a rough day"  The fact that Eric was SO attached and loving towards Sparky shows a lot about the bond he had with the dog.

Screamingophelia wrote:

Didn't she also said she was afraid of Eric, how could she know so much about them.

Katie actually went on a date with Eric at Chili's on a Saturday in February 1999. You can check out her statement on 1221 and her mother's statement on 1223. Eric pursued her fairly aggressively but she was a freshman and Eric was a senior. Katie's mother thought it was strange that he kept calling her and made her break it off and she didn't put up a fight. Later on, her mother said that she found out from a friend that Katie was actually afraid of Eric.

Aside from that, a math teacher said (1575) that when she asked her students to write down their feelings after the massacre, Katie (and Marla Foust) wrote very fondly of Eric and Dylan. She felt that it was "a freshman crush on two seniors" but the girls said that Eric and Dylan were friends. It seems likely that they spent enough time together to get to know the boys at least a little bit and have positive feelings about them, even knowing what they had done.

I think Katie thought that Eric was cute but his personality and his overzealous pursuit (his habit of calling girls and seeking them out repeatedly) intimidated her because she was probably just 14 or 15 years old. Frankly, my guess is that this was Eric's last real attempt to "get laid" and that's why he was so intent on getting her to go on a date with him. He probably thought that a freshman girl, especially one who seemed to have a crush on him, might be his only hope but it seems clear, once again, that Eric was not a ladies' man at all. He didn't know how to show interest in girls without looking overeager and scaring them off even when they liked him.

sscc wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Didn't she also said she was afraid of Eric, how could she know so much about them.

Katie actually went on a date with Eric at Chili's on a Saturday in February 1999. You can check out her statement on 1221 and her mother's statement on 1223. Eric pursued her fairly aggressively but she was a freshman and Eric was a senior. Katie's mother thought it was strange that he kept calling her and made her break it off and she didn't put up a fight. Later on, her mother said that she found out from a friend that Katie was actually afraid of Eric.

Aside from that, a math teacher said (1575) that when she asked her students to write down their feelings after the massacre, Katie (and Marla Foust) wrote very fondly of Eric and Dylan. She felt that it was "a freshman crush on two seniors" but the girls said that Eric and Dylan were friends. It seems likely that they spent enough time together to get to know the boys at least a little bit and have positive feelings about them, even knowing what they had done.

I think Katie thought that Eric was cute but his personality and his overzealous pursuit (his habit of calling girls and seeking them out repeatedly) intimidated her because she was probably just 14 or 15 years old. Frankly, my guess is that this was Eric's last real attempt to "get laid" and that's why he was so intent on getting her to go on a date with him. He probably thought that a freshman girl, especially one who seemed to have a crush on him, might be his only hope but it seems clear, once again, that Eric was not a ladies' man at all. He didn't know how to show interest in girls without looking overeager and scaring them off even when they liked him.

I think, from a female perspective, one reason Eric may not have gotten a date to prom or a date in general because he seemed to ask SO many girls out and even had someone ask a girl out for him. No one wants to feel like they are the 10th choice, even if you like the person. I'd also think if someone asked me "will you go to the prom with such and such" I would say no because I would fear it was a joke.

I do like your point SSCC.

Pretty ballsy for Marla and Katie to write about having a crush on them so soon after the massacre. I wonder if Marla is the one who wrote the note on Dylan's cross? Though I heard Marla was a Sophomore at the time of the massacre.

Rebdomine wrote:

This just made me cry        

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

The idea of little Sparky bouncing around waiting for Eric to come home and he never did makes me wanna cry. If you really sit down and think about it, Sparky was the ONLY living being that accepted Eric wholeheartedly and loved him unconditionally. He was there every day just waiting on Eric to get home from school/work with nothing but love in his little puppy heart.

I wonder how many times Eric opened the front door and scooped that little fur ball up and snuggled him saying "Yeah I had a rough day"  The fact that Eric was SO attached and loving towards Sparky shows a lot about the bond he had with the dog.

Animals for the most part are pure, loving souls.  It breaks my heart as well thinking how confused and lost Sparky was in the days and weeks following NBK.  Also the fact that Sparky was most likely Eric's most trusted confidant.