Motivations Behind the Attack - Morgan Renner
The motivations behind the Columbine school shooting are very well known, if somewhat vague. It’s common knowledge that both of the boys involved in the attack were bullied daily by their peers, and also somewhat mentally unstable. However, it isn’t entirely clear why Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were bullied, nor where their mental states recorded in entirety, though both are hypothesized.
The Plans of Eric Harris & Dylan Klebold - Cole Fuller
(Eric Harris)
The motivations behind the Columbine school shooting are very well known, if somewhat vague. It’s common knowledge that both of the boys involved in the attack were bullied daily by their peers, and also somewhat mentally unstable. However, it isn’t entirely clear why Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were bullied, nor where their mental states recorded in entirety, though both are hypothesized.
Extensive journals, notes, videos, and blog entries were recorded on how the attack was going to happen and how Harris and Klebold were preparing for the attack, but there are far less specific recorded reasons on why the attack took place in the first place. In one journal entry, Harris wrote about the constant harassment he received from his peers because of how he looked and dressed. Other physical acts of violence and disrespect against Harris and Klebold were given by classmates after the shootings. At one point, while the attack was taking place in the library, the shooters were caught on camera calling out peers in white baseball caps. White baseball caps were a symbol of seniority and athletic involvement at Columbine, therefore, they represented the “jock” clique. It can be deduced that most of the bullying Harris and Klebold received was committed by the jocks of the school.
The general states of mind that Harris and Klebold were in as they prepared and committed this heinous act of violence have been guessed based on the records and personal writings they left behind. It’s been hypothesized that Harris was a psychopath, having displayed on several occasions aggression, narcissism, paranoia, callousness, and antisocial habits. These traits have put Harris in the clinical definition of a psychopath, while Klebold has been said to have been a case of extreme manic-depressive. Though Klebold also displayed extreme aggression, antisocial behavior, paranoia, and callousness, he did not indulge in the narcissism that Harris was so characterized by. Klebold was actually, as read in his journals, very self-loathing and suicidal. Though these characteristics are fairly obvious in the boys’ journals, videos, and actions directly before the shootings, they had both successfully hidden most of these issues from peers and guardians. Harris was even taking anti-depressants for his mental instability at the time of the shooting, and long before. However, it is hypothesized that these anti-depressants added to Harris’ psychopathic tendencies.
The Plans of Eric Harris & Dylan Klebold - Cole Fuller
(Eric Harris)
5:00 Get-up
6:00 meet at KS
7:00 go to Reb’s [Harris' nickname, short for 'Rebel']house
7:15 he leaves to fill propane
I leave to fill gas
8:30 Meet back at his house
9:00 made d. bag set up car
9:30 practice gearups
Chill
10:30 set up 4 things
11: go to school
11:10 set up duffel bags
11:12 wait near cars, gear up
11:16 HAHAHA
(Dylan Klebold)
Walk in, set bombs at 11:09, for 11:17
Leave
Drive to Clemete Park. Gear up.
Get back by 11:15
Park cars. Set car bombs for 11:18
Get out, go to outside hill, wait.
When first bombs go off, attack.
Have fun!
These were the plans of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. The plan they had for the students of columbine was to kill as many as possible. A USA today article says “So whom did they hope to kill? Everyone — including friends” (Toppo). “The pair planned the attacks for more than a year, building 100 bombs and persuading friends to buy them guns.”(Toppo) This was just the start of the two violent rampage the two before the attack brought large 20 pound propane tank bombs into the cafeteria. After placing the bombs in the cafeteria the two left to wait for them to explode. They were going to wait outside till the survivors of the cafeteria explosions came out and kill them with guns they had acquired. Harris and Klebold had also rigged their car with bombs to kill any police or help that was trying to enter the school.