Columbine- A Test of Time (RealVideo)

Ernie Bjorkman and Wendy Brockman look back at the Columbine tragedy as families, friends and an entire community undergo the healing process.

Columbine High School Dedication     Letters Injury List The slain students/faculty News Articles Columbine Friend Of Mine (Real Audio) Buy the Friend of Mine CD Columbine High School Homepage Columbine High School Map Latest Developments Crisis Intervention How you can help Get in touch with students Put your thoughts on the message board Pictures

SLAIN STUDENTS/FACULTY Cassie Bernall  Steven Curnow Corey DePooter Kelly Fleming Matthew Kechter Daniel Mauser  Daniel Rohrbough  Rachel Scott  Isaiah Shoels John Tomlin  Lauren Townsend  Kyle Velasquez  William "Dave" Sanders

STORIES:   Columbine Students Return (6-2-99) Columbine Update (5-28-99) Carpenter Returns to Colorado for Permanent Memorial Victim's Family Faces Another Hurdle (5-26-99) First Lawsuit Related to Shootings (5-26-99) Parents Meet With District Attorney (5-26-99) Columbine Yearbooks Carry Big Price (5-21-99) President Clinton Meets with Columbine (5-21-99) Columbine Tragedy Update (5-21-99) Columbine Investigation (5-4-99) Columbine Investigation (4-30-99) Investigation Update Read or View comments on this issue Friend of Mine CD Students' Eyewitness Accounts Investigators Question Suspect's Acquaintance School to Resume Next Thursday Agent says bombs found in kitchen poorly designed The Latest News What Happened

Columbine Students Return (June 2)               In groups of 15, the students filed slowly into the hallways of their high school. After six               weeks of closure, the students of Columbine High School were allowed back into the               school to collect their personal belongings.               Backpacks, glasses and purses were among the items left behind by the students as they               fled the building on April 20th during the deadly rampage. Officials emptied lockers and               the students' belongings were sorted, labeled and left in the gymnasium to be collected.               Counselors were there for anyone who needed some support.  The library, science               room and cafeteria are still closed, as the investigation in those areas continues.               Police have taken down the crime scene tape that was around the school. But some               students are still meeting with investigators to tell them what happened the day of the               shootings.                For the students, many were               nervous about going into the               school for the first time. They               didn't know what to expect or               how they'd react to seeing all of               the damage. They say               memories of their last moments               in the school are all too vivid.               Outside, the flags still fly at half staff, remembrances mark the tragedy and curious               people still come to the school.                Students who were in the library during the shooting met with investigators. Together               they walked through what happened that day. Parents saw a glimpse of what their kids               have endured. Steve Cohen said being there was important, "To understand what he               heard that he hasn't talked about yet and he may never he was pretty shook up about it               the first couple of days then he shut down."               Will Beck, a Columbine junior tells us he is looked forward to going back. "I think most               of us want to be back so bad but some people are going to be a little scared and I can               totally understand that, cuz it was a traumatic event and they might be a little scared to               go back. But I think eventually we'll all be together and back at our school having fun."               "I think they have such a spirit about them for reclaiming their school that that is a               significant step that will be first going in there, getting their stuff and being in there               together." said Carol Beck, Will's mom.

Columbine Tragedy Update (May 28)               Soon, Columbine students will be able to go back into their               school and start reclaiming their belongings. Police have taken               down the crime scene tape that was around the school. Some               students are still meeting with investigators to tell them what               happened the day of the shootings. Today, some went in with their parents to see and               remember that day.               For the students, many were nervous about going into the school for the first time. They               didn't know what to expect or how they'd react to seeing all of the damage. They say               memories of their last moments in the school are all too vivid. Outside, the flags still fly               at half staff, remembrances mark the tragedy and curious people still come to the               school. Inside, the investigation is wrapping up.                Students who were in the library during the shooting met with investigators. Together               they walked through what happened that day. Parents saw a glimpse of what their kids               have endured. Steve Cohen said being there was important, "To understand what he               heard that he hasn't talked about yet and he may never he was pretty shook up about it               the first couple of days then he shut down."               Next Tuesday, they will be able to go back into the school to get backpacks, car keys               and anything they might have left behind on April 20th.  Columbine's doors will be open               to students and their parents from 8:30am to 10:30am Tuesday, on a staggered               schedule. Counselors will be there for anyone who needs some support.                Will Beck, a Columbine junior tells us he is looking forward to going back. "I think               most of us want to be back so bad but some people are going to be a little scared and I               can totally understand that, cuz it was a traumatic event and they might be a little scared               to go back. But I think eventually we'll all be together and back at our school having               fun."               "I think they have such a spirit about them for reclaiming their school that that is a               significant step that will be first going in there, getting their stuff and being in there               together." said Carol Beck, Will's mom.               Melissa Sanchez, a Columbine senior said, "Just to walk through the main hall again is               going to be weird cause that's the hall I ran out of so I think it'll be kind of creepy but               it'll also be a good idea to go in."

Carpenter Returns to Colorado for Permanent Memorial (5-27-99)               He has travelled thousands of miles to show                his respect to the Columbine victims. He               has gone back and forth from Illinois               to Colorado. Now his journey will               finally be complete.               Carpenter Greg Zanis from Chicago               was back in Colorado this morning to               plant 13 crosses in their new permanent home.                Zanis built the crosses in memory of the               12 students and one teacher who died at Columbine.                He took the crosses back to Illinois once, then               returned them, only to have to remove them               again. Zanis says he is relieved the crosses will               now be a permanent memorial to those who               died, "These kids...the last thing they saw was a               someone putting a gun to their heads...I lost my               best friend that way...so, I know what that's               about."               Greg Zanis says he plans to visit the Columbine                students who are still in the hospital               before he goes back to Chicago.

May 26th, 5:00 pm Parents Meet With District Attorney                Most of the parents of those who were killed or hurt in the Columbine shooting met                privately this afternoon with Jeffco District Attorney Dave Thomas.   The meeting was                called last week after several parents questioned the way donated money was being                handled.

First Lawsuit Related to Shootings                The family of Isaiah Shoels will file the first lawsuit related to the Columbine shootings                tomorrow.  The Shoels family will sue the parents of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold                for $250 million dollars. Their attorney is Jeffrey Feiger, who once represented Dr.                Jack Kevorkian, and most recently won a lawsuit against the Jenny Jones show.                 Fieger says "Harris and Klebold could not have developed and executed their                violence without the negligence of the parents and possibly others."

Victim's Family Faces Another Hurdle                The father of a Columbine shooting victim has recently learned he has cancer.                 Just yesterday, Rick Castaldo helped his son move from Swedish Hospital to Craig                Rehabilitation Hospital. Today, he talked to 9News about his own diagnosis of                Hodgkins Disease and how his son took the news.                 Richard Castaldo is undergoing rehabilitation at Craig Hospital. A bullet shattered one                of his vertebra and damaged his spinal cord.                 "He was one of the first people I told privately, and he asked me what my treatment                would be and how I would get along and I joked with him and told him I'd probably                lose some hair, a lot of hair and I'd get well and I'd get sick on and off and I'm glad he                is here for me."                Rick Castaldo found out about his cancer ten days after the Columbine shootings. He                is now going through chemotherapy. His doctors say they caught the cancer very early                and they are certain he can beat it.

Columbine Tragedy Update May 21st   Memories Preserved  Cards, flowers and stuffed animales filled   Clement Park in the days after the shooting. Rain  and snow threatened to ruin the precious     momentos. People have come together to save  the memories so important to the Columbine community.    Treasured memories; bears, notes, even a  Columbine Class Ring from 1985. They               want to preserve every message, every bear. Everything  came from someone who               cares, someone trying to reach out and ease the pain.                It is hoped that the things left at Clement Park will eventually               be part of a permanent memorial to the people killed and               injured at Columbine High School.

President Clinton Meets with Columbine Community               One month after the Columbine shootings, PresidentClinton  and the First Lady visited                with family members of those killed in the                shooting, and later with the students and                teachers from Columbine. They wanted to                assure students that they can feel safe in                their school.                 The President was the first to arrive at                DIA, aboard Air Force One just after 1:00                pm. Among those greeting him was Former               Energy Secretary and Denver Mayor Federico                Pena. Clinton had to wait about a half               hour for his wife to arrive. Because of different                travel schedules, she was aboard               another plane.   Once the First Lady arrived, the              Clinton's boarded the Marine One               helicopter and took off for Littleton.                 After landing at some ball fields, the President and               First Lady got into their limousine for the motorcade to               Light of the World Catholic Church. The Clinton's               began their visit by meeting with the families of those               who died in the shootings. They moved along separate               tables where the families gathered, meeting 75 people               in all. The father of Richard Castaldo was there.               Richard was wounded, but survived.                The Clintons then traveled to Dakota Ridge High                School where they met with Columbine students                and teachers. The students greeted them with cheers                and chanted "We are Columbine". The President                asked the students to chant that again before he                spoke. The President shared stories of his own                grieving and loss with the students.                                          Sean Graves and               Patrick Ireland were taken from Craig Hospital to               Dakota Ridge so they could see the President.                The President and First Lady both left Denver on               different planes. The President will return to               Washington, the First Lady is staying in the west.               She will be visiting Mesa Verde National Park in               Southwestern Colorado on Saturday.

Columbine Yearbooks Carry Big Price Tag               Offers of up to $5,000 have been made for a single copy of the Columbine High               School 1999 yearbook in the aftermath of the April 20th shootings that claimed 15               lives.               The yearbooks originally sold for $45. Jim Herbertson, Denver representative for Herff               Jones Yearbooks Inc.'s, said he was offered $5,000 by a national TV network two               weeks before the books were given to students. He declined that offer, and gave his               two copies to the school.               There are also rumors among Columbine students that some have been offered               $10,000 or more by newspapers, TV shows and tabloids. Eric Friesen, Columbine's               English teacher and the yearbook coordinator, said his voice mail is filled with requests               for copies of the book.               The yearbook has pictures of the 1,960 CHS students including seniors Eric Harris and               Dylan Klebold.

Columbine Investigation Update May 4th 1999 Sheriff John Stone made some comments on NBC's Today Show this morning that                caught some of his own investigators off guard.                Stone told Dan Abrams about the possiblity of more suspects in the Columbine case,                and all but called a prominent witness in the case a suspect. Stone said, "I don't                believe that they acted alone. I never have believed they acted alone...I think the                evidence will pan out that there is more. More people involved. I'm convinced there                are more people involved."                Stone then went on to say that student Brooks Brown was being looked at as a                suspect. Our sources in the current investigation say Brooks Brown is not a suspect.                Brown has made no secret of having a friendly relationship with Eric Harris and Dylan                Klebold, but has denied knowing what the two gunmen were planning. The Brown                reported Eric Harris to authorities a year ago, saying he and Dylan Klebold were                building and detonating pipe bombs.                The parents of Brown say the Sheriff Stone is looking for a "scapegoat" in calling their                sone a possible suspect. "The FBI says he's not a suspect. Sheriff Stone in his                unprofessional remarks has said he possibly might be...I think he should be ashamed                of himself. Brooks came forward with this information to begin with. He took it to the                police. We risked Brooks' life taking it to the police."                This afternoon, 9News reporter Carla Alston talked to Steve Davis, a spokesman for                the sheriff's office. He downplayed the Sheriff's comments by saying, "I spoke with                our investigators and right now they're very reluctant to lable anybody as a suspect...I                have no idea, but to call him a suspect would be a little premature or maybe even                inaccurate at this point."                Jefferson County investigators still have many people to interview before they can                reach conclusions about a wider conspiracy. The memorials to the shooting victims are being removed in Clement Park.  The                Colorado Historical Society says the permanent memorial could be something as                simple as a flower garden. There will be several meetings to discuss the possibilities.                The plan is to return the park back to normal and preserve and catalog the momentos                for use in a permanent memorial.                The flowers that are still fresh will be made into potpourri that will be divided and                given to the Columbine students. The ones that are wilted and old will be turned into                mulch to fertilize the park.                Mark Manes, the man who sold a semiautomatic handgun to Eric                Harris and Dylan Klebold went shooting with them in the woods                a month before the tragedy, Manes' lawyer Robert Ransome said                today.                 Manes, 22, admitted to selling the semiautomatic TEC DC-9 to                one of the teenagers, but did not know it would be used in the               April 20th attack.                 Manes is a former Columbine student who was booked Monday on suspicion of                providing a handgun to a minor. Harris and Klebold used a TEC DC-9 purchased                from Manes in late February and three guns - two shotguns and a rifle - that had been                legally purchased by Klebold's girlfriend, Robyn Anderson.                 Under Colorado law, an 18-year-old without a felony record can furnish minors with                rifles and shotguns.                Investigators are performing ballistics tests to determine which weapons fired the fatal                shots. Manes could face more serious charges if the TEC DC-9 was used to kill                someone.                   The school district announced Monday three of the gunmen's closest friends were                advised to finish the school year elsewhere.  The district said it will provide assistance                for those students to receive home-schooling.

Columbine Investigation (4-30-99) Officials are confirming that a sheriff's deputy stationed at Columbine High School had                been watching Eric Harris for about a year before the massacre last week.  Neil                Gardner received a report back in March 1998 saying Harris was detonating pipe                bombs and talking about mass murder.  That report was based on information filed                with the sheriff's office by Columbine parent Randy Brown and included printouts of                warnings Harris posted on the Internet, saying that he was ready to kill.  Jeffco                investigator Lt. John Kiekbusch said, "we had a family that desired to remain                anonymous. They did not want to create more problems for their child and given those                parameters, our investigators still took this to a reasonable conclusion." Gardner                talked to NBC's Dateline and says there were other students who concerned him                more than Eric Harris.                Since the Columbine shootings there have been a rash of "copy cat" bomb threats                throughout the metro area.  One such threat happend at Pomona High School earlier                this week.  Today Arvada police arrested 34 year old Rae Holt for phoning in that                threat, but said she had no connection with the Columbine shootings.                Jefferson County Commissioner Pat Holloway says the cost of responding to last                week's fatal shootings at Columbine has already reached the million dollar mark, and                it's climbing steadily.  Holloway says that figure doesn't include 100-thousand dollars                in overtime from the sheriff's office.

Message Board Do you want to share your comments on this issue? If so PLEASE click the Link below to either view the comments or leave your own comments:   Click HERE to READ others comments Click HERE to LEAVE your own comments

Columbine Investigation Update                Jefferson County Sheriff's investigators have looked at a surveillance tape obtained                from a Colorado Springs gun shop.  Police say it appears that none of the people on                the tape are Dylan Klebold or Eric Harris.  Gun shop owner Mel Bernstein told police                that five teenagers wearing black trench coats came into the store five weeks ago                looking to purchase M-60 and MP-5 guns.  Bernstein says he immediately recognized                Eric Harris following last week's attack.  Bernstein said the group left in a 1980's                model grey sedan matching the description of Harris' car.                 Also today police reported they've found more than 50 explosive devices throughout                the school.  Bomb technicians and lab specialists are still going through each room,                desk, and backpack to determine if there are more bombs.  Jeffco sheriff spokesman                Steve Davis says he thinks it'll be early next week before they determine the building is                safe from explosives.                Police say they have determined Dyland Klebold's girlfriend, 18 year old Robyn                Anderson, bought two of the weapons used in the attack, but reiterated she is not a                suspect in the killings.  Steve Davis says she's been cooperative throughout                questioning and is not in custody.  Reporters asked about potential charges Anderson                could face.  Davis said it was legal for her to buy the two shotguns, but it's illegal for a                minor to be in the "posession" of guns.  He went on to say the DA's office must                determine how much she knew, if anything, about Klebold and Harris' plans.  He said                the questions they have to resolve are:  did she knowingly supply Klebold and Harris                with the guns, did she have any idea the guns might be used in a crime, and did she                help the gunmen in any fashion last Tuesday?  The answers to those questions would                determine the severity of charges, if any.                There were three more funerals for victims of the shooting today.  At St. Francis                Cabrini Catholic Church, 1800 people attended the funeral today for 16-year old                Matthew Kechter.  He was a football player who friends say was always kind and                treated others with respect.  Many of those friends, some student-athletes themselves,                spoke at the service.  Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput was among those at the                church.                 16-year old Kyle Velasquez was called a gentle giant by his friends and neighbors.                 About 800 people, including Governor Gill Owens attended his memorial at St. James                Presbyterian Church this morning.  A military honor guard was provided because Kyle                always had an interest, an infatuation with the military.  Kyle was a special needs                student, someone that neighbors say everyone knew and loved.                 This afternoon, the funeral for Corey DePooter was held at Trinity Christian Center.                 DePooter was 16 years old, and an avid fisherman. Teachers and the principal of                Leawood Elementary, where Corey attended, spoke at the service.  Columbine High                School principal Frank DeAngelis was there as well.  Corey's best friend described                him simply as the kind of guy that people liked to be around.

"Friend of Mine" CD  The song written and performed at the Memorial Observance Sunday by brothers         Jonathan and Stephen Cohen, students at Columbine High School, is available on CD for          $11.95.           Make the check payable to “Friend of Mine – Columbine”.          Mail to:           Friend of Mine          P.O. Box 3099          Littleton, CO 80161-3099

Students'  Eyewitness Accounts          Today, students struggled to understand the tragedy.  Crystal Woodman, a junior          who was in the library when the gunmen burst in, said this morning she can't get          their voices out of her head.          "They were just, like, they thought it was funny." " "They were just, like `Who's          next? Who's ready to die?' They were just, like, `We've waited to do this our          whole lives.' And every time they'd shoot someone, they'd holler, like it was, like,          exciting."          Most of the bodies were found in the library. The attackers marched in with guns          and pipe bombs, demanding that "all jocks stand up. We're going to kill every one          of you," student Aaron Cohn said.  A gunman looked under a desk in the library          and said, "Peek-a-boo," then fired, Cohn said. Anyone who cried or moaned was          shot again. One girl begged for her life, but a gunshot ended her cries.          Cohn said one killer put a pistol to his head but did not shoot him. Instead, he said,          the shooter turned his attention to a black student, saying, "I hate niggers." Cohn          heard three shots but couldn't see what happened.          Meantime, frantic parents awaited word of          their children, watching as busloads of          tearful students were reunited with their          families.  Students and Denver media          identified the gunmen as Eric Harris and          Dylan Klebold. The two exchanged shots          with police and were later found dead in the          library with self-inflicted gunshot wounds          and bombs around their bodies.           "They were extremely bright, but not good students," said choir teacher Lee          Andres. "... They disliked authority. They did not like to be told what to do."          While the motive was unclear, several students said Harris and Klebold were          members of a group calling itself the "Trenchcoat Mafia," outcasts who bragged          about guns and bombs and hated blacks and Hispanics, as well as athletes.          Police who searched Harris' home said they found bomb-making material.          Students said the group was fascinated with World War II and the Nazis and noted          that Tuesday was Adolf Hitler's birthday.          The pair, wearing fatigues and ankle-length black coats, opened fire in the parking          lot around 11:30 a.m. before entering the school cafeteria. Bullets ricocheted off          lockers as students raced toward the exits.          Student Nick Foss saw one of the gunmen pull a sawed-off shotgun from under his          coat.  "Finally I started figuring out these guys shot to kill for no reason," Foss          said. The gunman "didn't say anything. When he looked at me, the guy's eyes          were just dead."          The killers fired as they walked into the cafeteria and continued shooting as they          moved upstairs into the library. Cohn said he heard one girl begging for her life          and then a bang. "They were laughing after they shot. It was like they were          having the time of their life," he said.

Investigators Question Suspect's Acquaintance                Today Jefferson county sheriff's investigators questioned an 18 year old girl in                connection with the Columbine shootings.  Police say they're trying to determine if a                gun purchased by the woman might have been used in last week's killings.  No                charges have been filed against the woman, and police say she is not a suspect.                The sheriff's department also reported Monday that toxicology tests on suspects Eric                Harris and Dylan Klebold have come back negative.  The sheriff's office has                established a tipline for people to call if they have information about the tragedy.   That                number is 303-271-8862.  People are encouraged to call the tipline if they have any                information.               Funerals were held Monday for three students and Dave Sanders, the one teacher                killed Tuesday.  It took the sanctuary and two overflow rooms at the Trinity Christian                Center to hold the 2,500 students, teachers, and residents in attendance.  In seperate                services, mourners remembered Cassie Bernall, the 17-year-old girl who professed                her love of God just before she was shot, Lauren Townsend, an 18-year-old honor                student and captain of the girls' varsity volleyball team, and Daniel Rohrbough, the                15-year-old boy shot while holding an exit door open for fleeing students.                At Sanders funeral, students past and present walked to the front of the chapel and                stood over his dark blue casket, which was covered in a large flower arrangement, to                remember him as a teacher, coach, friend and hero.  Witnesses have said Sanders                shouted warnings to students and directed them to safety during the shootings.

School to Resume Next Thursday                Columbine High students and teachers will resume classes next Thursday.  Jeffco                superintendent Jane Hammond announced Friday the students will finish the school                year at Chatfield High School.  Hammand says Chatfield students will attend school                the first half of the day and Columbine students will attend the second half.  She                reiterated the district's goal of keeping the faculty and students together.  Columbine                athletics, music and theatrical events will go on as scheduled in an effort to make the                transition as smooth as possible.  Teachers and faculty will start at Chatfield on                Tuesday to begin coordinating efforts with the Chatfield staff.                Hammond also spoke of changes to enhance safety at all Jefferson county schools.                The disctrict will reduce the number of school entrances and provide additional                personnel at each entrance.  When questioned about the use of metal detectors,                Hammond said the district had not made a decision about their use.  She also says the                district is still evaluating the extent of damage in the school and doesn't know when                Columbine will reopen.                Columbine principal Frank DeAngelis spoke publicly for the first time.  He told                reporters how proud he is of the Columbine family and how they've come together to                help one another.  He spoke about Dave Sanders who gave his life to help others                Tuesday morning.  He said Sanders ran out of a teachers lounge and pulled several                kids to safety before running upstairs to warn others.  He said Sanders would                probably still be alive if he stayed in the lounge.                DeAngelis also said he had never heard of the "Trench Coat Mafia" until he heard it in                news reports.

Agent says bombs found in kitchen poorly designed                A federal agent says a poor design, or possibly an error by two young gunmen,                probably kept a bomb found in the kitchen at Columbine High School from exploding.                Larry Bettendorf of the A-T-F says the propane tank was rigged with a can of                gasoline and an egg timer. He says the bomb was poorly designed and that may be                why it never exploded. Or he said gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold may not                have had time to set the timer.  Bettendorf says the big question for now is how the                gunmen got such a big bomb into the school.                Investigators say they are now focusing on whether Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold                had help either in planning the attack or smuggling the weapons and explosives into the                building.

The Latest News                                                   The governor toured Columbine High                                                   School today and emerged saying                                                   investigators were all but certain that                                                   the two gunmen had help from others.                                                   Police said security cameras may                                                   provide crucial evidence of a                                                   conspiracy.                                                   "There are backpacks with bombs in                                                   there everywhere," Gov. Bill Owens                said. "The officers in there are convinced there had to be more people involved.                There's just too much stuff in there."                Time-lapse security cameras mounted throughout the school do not run continuously.                and each tape goes back about a week, said sheriff's Lt. John Kiekbusch. He said                authorities had not yet reviewed the tapes and did not know if the cameras were                running during the shooting.                "Ideally they would show the movement and also the actual placement perhaps of                some of the explosive devices, prior to the incident," Kiekbusch said. "If that's the                case we have got just very important evidence."                Officials returned to campus today to continue scouring for hidden explosives a day                after the discovery of a powerful bomb made from a 20-pound propane tank                heightened suspicions that Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, intended to destroy                the school, and could have had help in assembling their arsenal.  "They may have had                confederates," said sheriff's Sgt. Jim Parr.                Also today, President Clinton announced $1.5 million in federal aid to help victims pay                for funerals, medical expenses, lost wages and counseling. In Littleton, students stayed                away, frightened and mourning.                A total of 15 people, including gunmen Harris and Klebold, died in Tuesday's attack.                Fourteen students remained hospitalized, including eight in critical or serious condition.                Explosives expert Sid Woodcock said propane explosives of the type found are "fairly                sophisticated." Just one bomb "probably would have destroyed a good part of the                school," he said. "These subjects were not only on a killing rampage," said Jefferson                County Sheriff John Stone. "They were going to burn the school up."                Aside from the large bomb, searches have turned up more than 30 homemade                explosives, including pipe bombs, crude hand grenades. More may still remain hidden,                authorities said. Two sawed-off shotguns, one 9mm semi-automatic rifle and one                semi-automatic handgun also have been found.                Meanwhile, documents said court-ordered evaluations of the suspects, compiled                earlier this year, called Harris "a bright young man who is likely to succeed in life" and                found Klebold had "a great deal of potential."                 Columbine will be closed indefinitely. Other                schools in the district reopened Thursday to                tight security. At rival Chatfield High School,                jittery staff and students walked past armed                guards to enter as classes reconvened. At                one point, two bomb squad trucks sped to                the school after an unattended backpack                was found. Students needed parental                permission to leave.                "You can't even go to the bathroom without permission, and then they time you,"                lamented Holly Bernside, 15. Jefferson County school administrators began trying to                return normalcy to Columbine students' lives by scouting for alternative class sites and                planning events like graduation.                "The students are saying, `We want to be back together. We want to be in school.                We want to be with our teachers,"' said Superintendent Jane Hammond. Hammond                said students will return to the same school building next fall.                The Jefferson County Court reports on Klebold and Harris, written less than three                months ago, were compiled by an officer assessing their future after they were caught                breaking into a van last year.                Klebold and Harris, members of the disaffected, brooding "Trenchcoat Mafia" at                Columbine High, finished a juvenile court program successfully in February, clearing                their records. The county district court released copies of the documents, but blacked                out the officer's name.                Investigators were questioning classmates and others who knew the gunmen. Two                fellow members of the Trenchcoat Mafia apologized to mourners on Wednesday.                "There was no sign they would do this," sobbed Nicole Makham. "We would just like                to say that we're sorry for what they did." On the Columbine grounds Thursday, there                was some hint of the crisis lifting. Teachers trickled in to retrieve their cars; an                investigator rescued 30 baby chicks and a lizard from a science lab.                 A mile away, Attorney General Janet Reno                 commiserated with relatives and community leaders as                 family members prepared for a weekend of memorials.                 "This is not something that is dealt with in a day or a                 week or a month," Reno said. "This, as we have learned                  from Oklahoma City and other tragedies, is something                  that must be dealt with over time, and we are in this for                  the long haul."                In other shooting-related developments:                -- Student Bree Pasquale said her life was spared when gunman Harris's nose was                bloodied by a ricocheting shotgun shell. Harris had put a gun to her head and told her                she was next when the injury distracted him, she told NBC's "Today" show this                morning.                --Investigators confirmed they had found a note at one suspect's home but refused to                discuss its contents.                --The sheriff's office said it planned to release tapes of some 911 calls today.                --Classmates said Klebold and Harris made several class-project videos last fall                foreshadowing their spasm of violence. In one, "they had their friends pretend to be                the jocks, and they pretended to be the gunmen shooting them," high school junior                Chris Reilly told the Denver Rocky Mountain News.                School officials said they hadn't yet determined whether such a video was made.                --Police defended their initial response to the school massacre. They insisted they                were rescuing students within minutes of the first 911 call but had to move cautiously                because of the danger of bombs and bullets.                --The FBI sent a subpoena to America Online, seeking information on Web sites and                member profiles thought to belong to Harris or Klebold.

What Happened    Around 11:30am (MST) a 9-1-1 call   came into Jefferson County sheriff's office reporting numerous gunshots at  Columbine High School. Sheriff's  deputies arrived a few minutes later and  heard gunshots and explosions coming  from inside the school. They also saw a  number of small fires burning inside.  Students tell 9NEWS two people came  into the school wearing long, black                trench coats and face masks. They were carrying shotguns, grenades and pipe bombs.                The sheriff says the dead suspects still had a number of small explosives on their                bodies and police found more explosives at own of their homes.                Several of the students in the cafeteria heard a blast when someone came running in                yelling "get down." Shortly thereafter the gunmen came into the                cafeteria and started shooting. Many of the students were able                to get out and run to other parts of the school. The latest                information is that approximately 20 people have been                transported to area hospitals. The injured are at Swedish                Medical Center, Denver Health Medical Center, Littleton                Porter Hospital, St. Anthony Central and Lutheran Hospital.

Letters If you would like to add a letter, poem, or anything here. Please leave it on the MESSAGEBOARD. Or send it  to me HERE. Sorry isn't enough to say. Sorrow isn't enough to show. Sadness isn't adequate a feeling to express how much this has had an effect on everyone. Look to the Lord for the answers you seek. Accept that you may never know all of them. Look for only a new day to begin another path of love and acceptance for each other and yourselves. Love in Christ, Kathy Name: Kathy Parrish Email: [email protected] Hello My thoughts this day are for You and all of You . Terrible things come into Our lives at times and We may not understand or reason why . Yours is as is Mine sarrow and hurt for the Victims and Families and those Who struggled through this Nightmare to try to make sense of it all . Its obvious that the Stufents at Columbine are Great People anare reaching out in support of each other and the effort to rebuild Their svhool and carry on in the Memory od Those who were hurt and lost in this Nightmare . I applaud You each and everyone in this dedication to Your fallen Classmates and Teacher . I Pray for Your difficult and dedicated efforts to re start Columbine and make it a better and safer and stronger union than ever in Memory of Those lost in Tragedy . I Hope this message is recieved by all the Columbine Students, Faculty, Families, and Those recovering at this date as I do not know how to reach Them personally . May the Good Lord be with You each and every one and lift You out of this and make You strong to carry on and rebuild Columbine and Your lives with Dedication and spirit in makeing great improvements in the future to come for eac and everyone of You . God Bless Your Future Mike Whicker [email protected] Name: Mike Whicker Email:  [email protected] First of all, I'd like to say, that my heart goes out to you all at Columbine High! And I respect you all for being so strong. Next, I'd like to give my own opinion about what happened. I'd like to say that I really think it's wrong to say that things like the internet, TV, video games, and music (Marylin Manson), are the things to blame these boys actions on. What it all comes down to, is that those two were old enough to know from right and wrong! They were old enough to know that things like that are for fun and enjoyment. Not things to copy! They were 17 and 18 years old. They were adults! People who were old enough to make their own decisions! Yes, I feel the parents should  have known something, but kids do hide things well when they want to! I just think that they should only blame  those boys' actions on them! I have to say, that I do admire those who forgave them, but then again, it's their fault  that your loved ones are gone! It's not like this was an accident. This was planned out and done intentionally! That  makes the whole thing worse! Name: Heather Hanna Email: [email protected] My thoughts and prayers are with all of you at Columbine High School. Name: amy reedy  Email: [email protected] let's hope and pray for these fallen angels! Name: chris sawicki  Email: [email protected] I am happy to see that there are people out there making memorials to the Columbine students. Name: Michelle Hutton  Email: [email protected]

CREDITS: All stories some pictures: (9NEWS) Images: (Columbine Memorial Site) Images: (Bounce.net) Backgroud: (Click Here)

---------------------------------------------------
Click Here to go to my main page.
---------------------------------------------------

[Previous] [Random] [List] [Next] [Join The Columbine High School Webring]