Was Dylan afraid to commit suicide first?

I've read it up that Eric killed himself nearly over a minute before Dylan did. I wonder why this was. Did Dylan not trust Eric to kill himself at all? Was Dylan trying to chicken out? I'm curious if Eric and Dylan disagreed at all about their suicides during the massacre, because it seems like Dylan waited for Eric to off himself first, then he paced around for a minute, throwing his final cocktail out then finally killed himself.

Thoughts?

There were also rumors about him removing his jewelry too.

It is interesting that Dylan was second when he was the most suicidal from his writings at least.

Screamingophelia wrote:

There were also rumors about him removing his jewelry too.

It is interesting that Dylan was second when he was the most suicidal from his writings at least.

I feel like Dylan was the one to chicken out. Eric seemed to have done it with no hesitation. Dylan probably didn't want to at first then Eric said screw you. lol.

Screamingophelia wrote:

There were also rumors about him removing his jewelry too.

It is interesting that Dylan was second when he was the most suicidal from his writings at least.

He was "suicidal" yet never even attempted it until he killed multiple people.

You can roll your eyes all you want but he was suicidal. There’s countless people who say he was and his writings show it . There are people that are and they don’t attempt. I don’t know why,  Dylan is not here to tell us, I would find it interesting to know about people who feel suicidal but don’t attempt. However I know you think Dylan is more of a monster than Eric that is your opinion. I think they’re both equally culpable.

Honestly too I’m not saying this argue. But I think this is something that we disagree on. Which is fine. It’s what makes true crime interesting having differing opinion :-)

I think both of them were just stupid kids that didn't realize how good life really was for them. They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games, taken a year off and chilled out. I think they are dumb as all Hell for doing what they did and pissing their lives away.

Ivan wrote:

I think both of them were just stupid kids that didn't realize how good life really was for them. They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games, taken a year off and chilled out. I think they are dumb as all Hell for doing what they did and pissing their lives away.

You could argue about what they could have done all day but that was their destiny. By the time they carried this onslaught on, they were both so far gone and hellbent on destruction, there was no saving them.

ChaotixBoy wrote:

Ivan wrote:

I think both of them were just stupid kids that didn't realize how good life really was for them. They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games, taken a year off and chilled out. I think they are dumb as all Hell for doing what they did and pissing their lives away.

You could argue about what they could have done all day but that was their destiny. By the time they carried this onslaught on, they were both so far gone and hellbent on destruction, there was no saving them.

It wasn't too late until they shot Rachel Scott. Could have called it a day after the bombs didn't work and gone home.

It wasn't their "destiny" they MADE it their destiny.

Ivan wrote:

ChaotixBoy wrote:

Ivan wrote:

I think both of them were just stupid kids that didn't realize how good life really was for them. They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games, taken a year off and chilled out. I think they are dumb as all Hell for doing what they did and pissing their lives away.

You could argue about what they could have done all day but that was their destiny. By the time they carried this onslaught on, they were both so far gone and hellbent on destruction, there was no saving them.

It wasn't too late until they shot Rachel Scott. Could have called it a day after the bombs didn't work and gone home.

It wasn't their "destiny" they MADE it their destiny.

As soon as they planted their bombs, there was no going back. They wanted to kill hundreds of people that day, not just the 13. But once the bombs failed, Eric probably got really pissed off and just went on with it anyway. Even if they did walk away, someone would have found the bombs and they would have gotten charged for countless crimes, so there really was no going back. Obviously it's very unfortunate this ever had to happen at all, but it is what it is. Two teenage boys who seemed completely normal, ended up killing countless people due to their hate for life and being hellbent on destruction and killing people. That's how I see it anyway.

Regardless of how they were raised something inside them was off and broken.

I’d hate to think it was their destiny. I feel like for a good year the path could’ve change.

Screamingophelia wrote:

Regardless of how they were raised something inside them was off and broken.

I’d hate to think it was their destiny.  I feel like for a good year the path could’ve change.

Yup, but nothing we can do now. It's been almost 19 years since this massacre and all we can do now is discuss, speculate and debate because it's interesting.

Charged with what? Making a cheap propane explosive? Could have easily played it off as a prank and that they had no idea what they were doing.

They could have scooped up the bombs, thrown them away and forgot about it too. But they crossed the threshold between homicidal idealation and actual murder. They were not too dissimilar to many others who have those thoughts - but they were too young and ill informed to know that.

Bad news all around. Lives wasted, including Eric and Dylan's.

I’m not sure if that was directed at me. I said changed not charged...

If Eric got into the Marines and wasn’t on medicine, if they didn’t break into the van, if Dylan would have shot himself instead things could have changed

Screamingophelia wrote:

I’m not sure if that was directed at me. I said changed not charged...

If Eric got into the Marines and wasn’t on medicine, if they didn’t break into the van, if Dylan would have shot himself instead things could have changed

They were probably skeptical about doing the massacre leading up to it, but Marines rejecting Eric 5 days before the massacre happened probably sent him over the edge and they weren't skeptical anymore after that.

The van was nothing. Really, it was a drop in the ocean. And it was directed towards the OP.

Dylan wouldn't have had to kill himself. Just relax, take a year off and focus on getting better. He never even tried though.

ChaotixBoy wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

I’m not sure if that was directed at me. I said changed not charged...

If Eric got into the Marines and wasn’t on medicine, if they didn’t break into the van, if Dylan would have shot himself instead things could have changed

They were probably skeptical about doing the massacre leading up to it, but Marines rejecting Eric 5 days before the massacre happened probably sent him over the edge and they weren't skeptical anymore after that.

Eric never knew he was rejected.

I get the feeling that Dylan was hesitant. His desire to die had wavered, and perhaps he had realized that it wasn't the best solution to his problems, but it was too late to change course at that point. He could've also been considering getting killed by the police instead of pulling the trigger himself.

Quote :

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Saying that they came from good, semi well off families in a way to excuse their depression and homicidal thoughts seems ignorant and a little naive. Plenty of people in normal, well functioning homes have chronic depression and suicidal thoughts, while there are a couple killers with a regular upbringing that still end up killing (Dahmer is an example).

Quote :

They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Is this serious? Of course being picked on was a factor, at that age you're generally pretty sensitive towards any negative criticism to you as a person. And in Erics case, it came from home too (such as his father and the way he did his hair spiked, dressed) so it just added up. Maybe you personally wouldn't have cared, but don't except others to react the way you would've.

Quote :

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games

They did, Eric sure as hell did, it didn't help or distract since it still happened.

Quote :

Dylan wouldn't have had to kill himself. Just relax, take a year off and focus on getting better. He never even tried though.

He did try to medicate his depression, and "cleanse" himself in order to get and feel better. Like stopping the porn and picking on others, and even trying St. Johns Worts.

I don't think Dylan hesitated, I think he took his time. He'd probably day dreamed about killing himself for a while now and finally the day was here, why rush it? It wasn't by much either, if it was a minute, it makes total sense. His best friend is laying there with his blown out, of course it'll affect him a little and he'll probably look at the wound and just be in the final moments of his life.

I don't think they disagreed on the suicides either; they had made hand gestures for when to kill themselves previously, and both seemed pretty hell bent on dying by cops or kill themselves in case it looked like they were going to get apprehended.

NBK just failed miserably, and Eric just wanted to get it over with while Dylan was in no rush.

23september wrote:

Quote :

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Saying that they came from good, semi well off families in a way to excuse their depression and homicidal thoughts seems ignorant and a little naive. Plenty of people in normal, well functioning homes have chronic depression and suicidal thoughts, while there are a couple killers with a regular upbringing that still end up killing (Dahmer is an example).

Quote :

They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Is this serious? Of course being picked on was a factor, at that age you're generally pretty sensitive towards any negative criticism to you as a person. And in Erics case, it came from home too (such as his father and the way he did his hair spiked, dressed) so it just added up. Maybe you personally wouldn't have cared, but don't except others to react the way you would've.

Quote :

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games

They did, Eric sure as hell did, it didn't help or distract since it still happened.

Quote :

Dylan wouldn't have had to kill himself. Just relax, take a year off and focus on getting better. He never even tried though.

He did try to medicate his depression, and "cleanse" himself in order to get and feel better. Like stopping the porn and picking on others, and even trying St. Johns Worts.

I don't think Dylan hesitated, I think he took his time. He'd probably day dreamed about killing himself for a while now and finally the day was here, why rush it? It wasn't by much either, if it was a minute, it makes total sense. His best friend is laying there with his blown out, of course it'll affect him a little and he'll probably look at the wound and just be in the final moments of his life.

I don't think they disagreed on the suicides either; they had made hand gestures for when to kill themselves previously, and both seemed pretty hell bent on dying by cops or kill themselves in case it looked like they were going to get apprehended.

NBK just failed miserably, and Eric just wanted to get it over with while Dylan was in no rush.

You summed it up perfectly.

Ivan wrote:

ChaotixBoy wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

I’m not sure if that was directed at me. I said changed not charged...

If Eric got into the Marines and wasn’t on medicine, if they didn’t break into the van, if Dylan would have shot himself instead things could have changed

They were probably skeptical about doing the massacre leading up to it, but Marines rejecting Eric 5 days before the massacre happened probably sent him over the edge and they weren't skeptical anymore after that.

Eric never knew he was rejected.

He either knew or he expected not to get in since he talked about not getting in to Nate.

munchkinphone wrote:

Ivan wrote:

ChaotixBoy wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

I’m not sure if that was directed at me. I said changed not charged...

If Eric got into the Marines and wasn’t on medicine, if they didn’t break into the van, if Dylan would have shot himself instead things could have changed

They were probably skeptical about doing the massacre leading up to it, but Marines rejecting Eric 5 days before the massacre happened probably sent him over the edge and they weren't skeptical anymore after that.

Eric never knew he was rejected.

He either knew or he expected not to get in since he talked about not getting in to Nate.

Is it factual that if Eric was off medication for 1 year he could reapply?

I remember reading that but I can't remember if that was someones opinion or right.

Screamingophelia wrote:

Regardless of how they were raised something inside them was off and broken.

I’d hate to think it was their destiny.  I feel like for a good year the path could’ve change.

Right, I agree. No one knows the personal hell and shit that Eric and Dylan faced at Columbine, no one knows the abuse they took from a majority of the shitty kids there, to the law enforcement there and etc. We can assume they had a good life, because we don't know them and also because we're on the outside looking in. There was something inside them that broke them and screwed them up. So I disagree that they were "stupid kids", labels like that is why bullying will always be a problem in America in my opinion.

23september wrote:

Quote :

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Saying that they came from good, semi well off families in a way to excuse their depression and homicidal thoughts seems ignorant and a little naive. Plenty of people in normal, well functioning homes have chronic depression and suicidal thoughts, while there are a couple killers with a regular upbringing that still end up killing (Dahmer is an example).

Quote :

They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Is this serious? Of course being picked on was a factor, at that age you're generally pretty sensitive towards any negative criticism to you as a person. And in Erics case, it came from home too (such as his father and the way he did his hair spiked, dressed) so it just added up. Maybe you personally wouldn't have cared, but don't except others to react the way you would've.

Quote :

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games

They did, Eric sure as hell did, it didn't help or distract since it still happened.

Quote :

Dylan wouldn't have had to kill himself. Just relax, take a year off and focus on getting better. He never even tried though.

He did try to medicate his depression, and "cleanse" himself in order to get and feel better. Like stopping the porn and picking on others, and even trying St. Johns Worts.

I don't think Dylan hesitated, I think he took his time. He'd probably day dreamed about killing himself for a while now and finally the day was here, why rush it? It wasn't by much either, if it was a minute, it makes total sense. His best friend is laying there with his blown out, of course it'll affect him a little and he'll probably look at the wound and just be in the final moments of his life.

I don't think they disagreed on the suicides either; they had made hand gestures for when to kill themselves previously, and both seemed pretty hell bent on dying by cops or kill themselves in case it looked like they were going to get apprehended.

NBK just failed miserably, and Eric just wanted to get it over with while Dylan was in no rush.

Your ignorance far outweighs mine considering you're too oblivious to notice you just broke the forum rules.

Wasn't going to respond at all but your post is so hilarious and factually incorrect I couldn't help myself.

Ivan wrote:

23september wrote:

Quote :

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Saying that they came from good, semi well off families in a way to excuse their depression and homicidal thoughts seems ignorant and a little naive. Plenty of people in normal, well functioning homes have chronic depression and suicidal thoughts, while there are a couple killers with a regular upbringing that still end up killing (Dahmer is an example).

Quote :

They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Is this serious? Of course being picked on was a factor, at that age you're generally pretty sensitive towards any negative criticism to you as a person. And in Erics case, it came from home too (such as his father and the way he did his hair spiked, dressed) so it just added up. Maybe you personally wouldn't have cared, but don't except others to react the way you would've.

Quote :

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games

They did, Eric sure as hell did, it didn't help or distract since it still happened.

Quote :

Dylan wouldn't have had to kill himself. Just relax, take a year off and focus on getting better. He never even tried though.

He did try to medicate his depression, and "cleanse" himself in order to get and feel better. Like stopping the porn and picking on others, and even trying St. Johns Worts.

I don't think Dylan hesitated, I think he took his time. He'd probably day dreamed about killing himself for a while now and finally the day was here, why rush it? It wasn't by much either, if it was a minute, it makes total sense. His best friend is laying there with his blown out, of course it'll affect him a little and he'll probably look at the wound and just be in the final moments of his life.

I don't think they disagreed on the suicides either; they had made hand gestures for when to kill themselves previously, and both seemed pretty hell bent on dying by cops or kill themselves in case it looked like they were going to get apprehended.

NBK just failed miserably, and Eric just wanted to get it over with while Dylan was in no rush.

Your ignorance far outweighs mine considering you're too oblivious to notice you just broke the forum rules.

Wasn't going to respond at all but your post is so hilarious and factually incorrect I couldn't help myself.

Forgive my ignorance too, but what rule was broken here?

42099_4EVA wrote:

Screamingophelia wrote:

Regardless of how they were raised something inside them was off and broken.

I’d hate to think it was their destiny. I feel like for a good year the path could’ve change.

Right, I agree. No one knows the personal hell and shit that Eric and Dylan faced at Columbine, no one knows the abuse they took from a majority of the shitty kids there, to the law enforcement there and etc. We can assume they had a good life, because we don't know them and also because we're on the outside looking in. There was something inside them that broke them and screwed them up. So I disagree that they were "stupid kids", labels like that is why bullying will always be a problem in America in my opinion.

Ah come on, don't try to blame it on bullying, while I can definitely agree that it was on of the factors that might have lead them to commit the massacre I would not put that much weight on it. There is plenty of people who are getting bullied nowadays, there is plenty of people who were getting bullied 10 years ago or 50 years ago, overwhelming majority of them never goes on a shooting spree.

Furthermore we know that Dylan was bully himself and Eric as far as I know had some fantasies of bullying weak according to his journal, tough to say if he meant it, maybe those were just his typical wannabe tough edgy mumblings he was writing into his journal all the time.

Then there is the fact that they did not target the bullies, they just shot pretty much randomly while going on a power trip.

And lastly, they were about to leave the flipping school in matter of weeks, no matter how much they were or were not actually bullied they would be out of there and they could carry on with their lives.

Sure I do agree that bullying is a problem and should not exist, but huge amounts of people if not most, go through some sort of bullying at some point in their childhood/early adulthood and they emerge from it unscathed and just move on with their lives. Therefore I do believe that what 23september wrote - "They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!" - is pretty accurate. Get over it. The fact that both of them had "issues" whatever it means in case of either of them, played much larger role in my opinion. Stable, mentally healthy people don't go on rampage even when they are bullied 24/7.

Ivan wrote:

Your ignorance far outweighs mine considering you're too oblivious to notice you just broke the forum rules.

Wasn't going to respond at all but your post is so hilarious and factually incorrect I couldn't help myself.

perhaps enlightening me with what was factually incorrect would've been more suitable in a discussion

Eric was a type A personality - everything he did he tried to do to the best of his ability. Dylan was type B - pretty easy going and a bit of a slacker. The way they died was the way they lived.

Eric made a decision and stuck to his guns, so to speak, he had decided on the time of his death, sat down and blew his brains out in the most efficient way possible.

Dylan dawdled a little, lit a molotov cocktail - probably to motivate himself for when he should pull the trigger and blew his brains out in a more dramatic (if less efficient) manner.

I think Dylan knew it was the end and the hesitation (if only for a minute) was his motivation time, where he amped himself up to do it. Dylan needed pushing to do everything so it makes sense he would have gone after Eric.

Draw_It_White wrote:

Ivan wrote:

23september wrote:

Quote :

Dylan came from a relatively well-off family. Eric came from a working class family but they weren't doing too bad either.

Saying that they came from good, semi well off families in a way to excuse their depression and homicidal thoughts seems ignorant and a little naive. Plenty of people in normal, well functioning homes have chronic depression and suicidal thoughts, while there are a couple killers with a regular upbringing that still end up killing (Dahmer is an example).

Quote :

They got "picked on" in High School. So what?!

Is this serious? Of course being picked on was a factor, at that age you're generally pretty sensitive towards any negative criticism to you as a person. And in Erics case, it came from home too (such as his father and the way he did his hair spiked, dressed) so it just added up. Maybe you personally wouldn't have cared, but don't except others to react the way you would've.

Quote :

Both could have just immersed themselves in video games

They did, Eric sure as hell did, it didn't help or distract since it still happened.

Quote :

Dylan wouldn't have had to kill himself. Just relax, take a year off and focus on getting better. He never even tried though.

He did try to medicate his depression, and "cleanse" himself in order to get and feel better. Like stopping the porn and picking on others, and even trying St. Johns Worts.

I don't think Dylan hesitated, I think he took his time. He'd probably day dreamed about killing himself for a while now and finally the day was here, why rush it? It wasn't by much either, if it was a minute, it makes total sense. His best friend is laying there with his blown out, of course it'll affect him a little and he'll probably look at the wound and just be in the final moments of his life.

I don't think they disagreed on the suicides either; they had made hand gestures for when to kill themselves previously, and both seemed pretty hell bent on dying by cops or kill themselves in case it looked like they were going to get apprehended.

NBK just failed miserably, and Eric just wanted to get it over with while Dylan was in no rush.

Your ignorance far outweighs mine considering you're too oblivious to notice you just broke the forum rules.

Wasn't going to respond at all but your post is so hilarious and factually incorrect I couldn't help myself.

Forgive my ignorance too, but what rule was broken here?

Indirect name-calling is still name calling bud.