Harris was born in Kansas but later relocated to Littleton, Colorado where he met Klebold. The two boys had reasonably normal childhoods and were loved deeply by their families. As the boys grew up together, they went to the same high school, 'Columbine High'. They were both interested in drama and were regularly taking part in school productions. They also took an interest in operated video productions. Throughout their high school lives, Harris and Klebold were very unpopular and were targets for bullies. One of Harris' last journal entries read: "I hate you people for leaving me out of so many fun things. And no don't...say, 'Well, that's your fault,' because it isn't, you people had my phone number, and I asked and all, but no. No no no don't let the weird-looking Eric KID come along."
One of the boy's friends stated that the two were constantly picked on by other students. People would surround them in the corridor and would squirt ketchup packets at them, taunting them with names such as "faggots". On one occasion, it was noted that the two boys had a cup of fecal matter thrown at them. Brooks Brown, a friend of the two boys, said, "That happened while teachers watched. They couldn't fight back. They wore the ketchup all day and went home covered in it."
Chad Laughlin states, "There were people fearful of walking by a table where you knew you didn't belong, stuff like that. Certain groups certainly got preferential treatments across the board. I caught the tail end of one really horrible incident, and I know Dylan told his mother that it was the worst day of his life." This incident involved seniors pelting Klebold with ketchup-covered tampons.
Eric Harris had created a website where he and Dylan were able to talk about the hatred they had for their neighbors, classmates and the world in general. They also uploaded the results of pipe bombs they had created. In March 1998, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Investigator, Michael Guerra, discovered Harris' website after the parents of Brooks Brown stated that Harris was making threats aimed at their son after the two had fallen out.
The boys had also got into trouble with the law after breaking into a locked van and stealing computers. They were both charged with mischief, breaking and entering, trespassing and theft. However, the only sentence the boys received included community service and psychiatric treatment where Harris was forced to attend anger management classes. They both made a good impression on their probation officers and the boys were soon discharged from the program.
After this incident, Harris began keeping a journal. After the shooting, police found that the journal contained almost every detail about the boys plan to shoot up their school. However, the journal didn't necessarily say why they did it.
Klebold and Harris both set up a 20-pound propane bomb inside of the school cafeteria. However, the devices failed to detonate and so, the boys armed themselves with guns and began the shooting.
17-year-old Rachel Scott was having lunch with her friend, Richard Castaldo in the cafeteria. He stated that he saw one of the boys throw a pipe bomb and as it barely detonated, Castaldo didn't take the boys seriously. Suddenly, a witness heard Harris yell, "Go! Go!" The two boys pulled their guns from beneath their trench coats and began shooting at the students. Scott was hit four times and died instantly while Castaldo was shot eight times in the chest, arm and abdomen and was paralyzed below the chest.
Harris then removed his trench coat, aiming his 9mm carbine towards three students: 15-year-old Daniel Rohnrbough and Sean Graves, and 16-year-old Lance Kirklin. However, none were killed. Harris and Klebold then began shooting in the direction of five students where one was killed. Klebold then walked down the steps towards the cafeteria where he walked up to Kirkin who was already wounded and lying on the ground, calling for help. Klebold said, "Sure. I'll help you". He put his gun up to Kirkin's face and pulled the trigger. Remarkably, the boy survived.
The boys began throwing pipe bombs as they walked towards the West Entrance of the school. Meanwhile, Patti Nielson, an art teacher, could hear the commotion, thinking that Harris and Klebold were either filming a video or pulling a student prank. She walked towards the West Entrance with another student, Brian Anderson, to tell the boys to "knock it off". As Anderson opened the doors, Harris and Klebold shot out of the windows, injuring him. Nielson ran down the hall into the library where she told students to keep quiet and hide under the desks. She then called 9-1-1 and hid under the counter.
At 11:29 AM, Harris and Klebold entered the library where a total of 52 students, two teachers and two librarians waited in fear. Harris yelled, "Get up!" and then, "All jocks stand up! We'll get the guys in white hats!" When one of these 'jocks' stood up, Harris said, "Fine, I'll start shooting anyway!". He then fired his gun at a desk where Evan Todd was hiding, however, he was not seriously injured. Klebold then shot and killed 16-year-old Kyle Velasquez who was hiding under a desk. The two boys then reloaded their weapons. As they approached the window, they noticed police officers evacuating students outside of the school. Harris turned to Klebold and said, "Let's go kill some cops." Suddenly, the two boys began shooting in the direction of the police who opened fire, however, no one was injured. Harris and Klebold began shooting up the library again, injuring a number of students. Harris shot under a computer desk, injuring 17-year-old Kacey Ruegsegger who began to gasp for air. He turned to her and said, "Quit your bitching."
Harris then walked over to another table, slapping the surface twice and knelt down, saying "Peek-a-boo" to 17-year-old Cassie Bernall who was hiding under the table. He shot her in the face and she was killed instantly. Harris then turned towards the next table where Bree Pasquale was hiding under. He asked her if she wanted to die to which she starting begging for her life.
Meanwhile, Klebold had shot Patrick Ireland who was trying to help a fellow student. However, Ireland survived. Klebold then walked towards another set of tables where he found three other students. He grabbed 18-year-old Isaiah Shoels and shouting to Harris, "REB! There's a nigger over here". The two boys began to taunt Shoels before Harris knelt down and shot him once in the chest at close range, killing him instantly. Klebold then killed another student, Matthew Kechter. Before throwing a CO2 bomb, Harris shouted, "Who's ready to die next?". The two boys continued to walk around the library, shooting in random directions and killing or injuring any student who moved. Harris would taunt some of the students, calling them "pathetic" while Klebold repeatably shot at the corpse of 16-year-old, Josh Tomlin. When the two boys went to reload their weapons again, they noticed John Savage hiding nearby, an acquaintance of Klebold. When he asked them what they were doing, Klebold replied, "Oh, just killing people." Savage then asked the boys if they were going to kill him to which Klebold hesitated before finally telling the boy to leave.
Harris continued to walk around the library, killing or wounding the remaining untouched students. Corey DePooter was the last to die in the massacre at 11.35 AM.
The two shooters had grown tired of using guns and Klebold commented, "Maybe we should start knifing people, that might be more fun." They walked over to the southwestern end of the library where they discovered 15-year-old Evan Todd. They saw that he was wearing a white-cap and began to mock him. Klebold then asked Todd to give them one reason why he should leave to which he replied, "I don't want trouble." A furious Harris said, "You used to call me a fag. Who's a fag now?" However, the two boys did not kill the jock. At 11.36 AM, the boys finally left the library.
Harris and Klebold were caught of the schools CCTV footage as they re-entered the cafeteria. They finally lit one of the propane bombs that they had left and left the cafeteria once again. They walked into the bathroom, taunting the students hidden in the stales and saying, "We know you're in here" and "Let's kill anyone we find in here." However, they left the bathroom, bringing no harm to any of the students hiding. After returning to the cafeteria for one last time, at 12.02 PM, Harris and Klebold reentered the library which was now empty due to the exception of the unconscious Patrick Ireland and injured Lisa Kreutz. It had been twenty-minutes since their lethal shooting spree had ended.
At 12.08 PM, Patti Neilson, who had locked herself inside of a room, overheard Harris and Klebold shout out in unison: "One! Two! Three!" and then, the sound of gunfire. The two boys had committed suicide; Harris shooting himself through the roof of his mouth; and Klebold shooting himself in the left temple.
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