he official probe into the April 20, 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado is expected to end shortly, according a spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. Already, though, the investigation may be casting doubts on some of the earlier reports about the incident which left 14 students and a teacher dead. The two gunmen involved in the slayings who were also Columbine students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, committed suicide after their rampage.

   One finding concerns the case of Cassie Bernall, the 17-year old student who reportedly was confronted by Klebold and was asked if she believed in God. At least one witness claimed that the encounter took place, and that Bernall replied "Yes" and was then shot. Since the incident, Bernall has been described as a modern day martyr for her Christian faith. Last week, her parents published a book about their daughter's life and death titled: "She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall." The story of Bernall's alleged heroism has been widely reported in the media and even cited on the floor of the U.S. Congress.

   Early coverage of the Columbine shooting by AANEWS, though, raised questions as to whether this incident ever took place. The initial news reports were sketchy, and there was no confirmation that any of the witnesses to the alleged encounter were actually present in the school library where the shooting occurred, or could have clearly seen or heard the events they so dramatically described. We also noted the factors which were fueling the desire to believe the story of Bernall's "martyrdom" in an AANEWS web posting on May 18, 1999 There were serious questions about whether the media should have printed the story of Bernall's death based on little or no evidence.

   ¶    On Friday, the Denver Rocky Mountain News noted: "Columbine shooting victim may not have been asked whether she believed in God." Writers Dan Luzadder and Katie Kerwin McCrimmon reported that weeks after she died, investigators informed Bernall's parents that the "now-famous" encounter between their daughter and Klebold may not have occurred The girl's mother, Misty Klebold, still proceeded with publication of the book which was printed and distributed by Plough. Nearly 300,000 copies have been distributed to bookstores, and Associated Press notes that reorders are now coming in.

   The Rocky Mountain News story notes that despite early claims by some students that the conversation between Klebold and Bernall occurred, "It was discrepancies in student accounts that led police to question the Bernall testimonial." A freshman declared that Bernall had affirmed her belief in god, "Plain and simple." Another student, though, identified as 16-year-old Emily Wyant, "tells a different story" and was reportedly crouched underneath a table two feet from Bernall when Dylan Klebold opened fire. "They were the only two students studying together at the table in the back of the library" when the shooting occurred, notes the News.

   "She (Bernall) was saying, 'Dear God. Dear God. Why is this happening? I just want to go home," Emily said."

   Sources report that more than fifty students were present in the library at the time of the gun play. Interviews with witnesses, though, produced mixed results. Police were able to obtain "detailed minute aspects of the case, including who said what to whom in the school library, and elsewhere, during the rampage." But at least one potential source of the Bernall encounter with Klebold came from a student who "did not actually see the individuals involved." When asked by investigators later to point out where Klebold and Harris were at that time of the shootings, he pointed to a table where a different student victim identified as Valeen Schnurr, and not Cassie Bernall, had been hiding.

   A variant of the Bernall martyrdom account, though, is being advanced by Schnurr's mother, according to the News. She reportedly says that her daughter was lying on the library floor with more than 15 bullet wound "praying out loud, when gunman approached her and asked if she believed in God, and she responded, 'Yes, I believe in God." Schnurr was spared and managed to survive.

"The initial news reports were sketchy, and there was no confirmation that any of the witnesses to the alleged encounter were actually present in the school library where the shooting occurred, or coould have clearly seen or hear the events they so dramatically described..."

   In reporting the new doubts about the Bernall slaying, Reuters news service quoted police spokesperson Steve Davis who noted: "There just seems to be a real question whether the dialogue (between Bernall and Klebold) took place." He added that "The Bernalls were made aware there seemed to be some doubt."

   On Saturday, the Bernall family issued a press statement defending the accuracy of the book about Cassie Bernall, but adding "If any of our actions have hurt or offended someone, we sincerely apologize..."

   ¶    Equally provocative but less certain is the story which appeared last Wednesday night on the Salon Magazine (Salon.com) web site which was billed as an exclusive "First Glimpse into Eric Harris' Diary." According to the Denver Post, the diary was booked into police evidence on April 20, the day of the Columbine shooting, and allegedly seen only by the lead investigator. "It's in the evidence vault and has been since April 20," said the Sheriff's Department spokesman, Steve Davis. Details of the Harris diary had been revealed even in the first weeks after the shooting, though, such as the claim that Harris had planned the massacre for at least a year, and that the gunmen hoped to kill at least 500 students before ravaging the neighborhood and then hijacking a plane and crashing it into New York City. The Salon piece says that the author did not see the actual diary entries, but was read excerpts by an unidentified source.

"The biggest myth about Columbine ... has to do with who the two gunmen were targeting. Jocks, African-Americans and Christians have been widely described as their chief targets. Not a scrap of evidence supports that conclusion..."

   According to the Salon article, Harris and Klebold "were never part of the Trench Coat Mafia," the affinity group identified by the media that was allegedly known throughout Columbine for unorthodox behavior and appearance. Indeed, after the shooting a number of schools across the country banned the long coats and instituted dress and appearance codes against dyed hair or unusual behavior. "They didn't target jocks, minorities or Christians," adds the Salon story. "As investigators get closer to producing an official report about the Columbine High School massacres, it is already clear that much of what was reported last spring about the motives and methods of killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold was untrue..."

   The two gunmen are described as "equal-opportunity haters, railing against minorities and whites, praising Hitler's 'final solution' -- and then ranting against racism." The Salon piece also suggests a close knowledge of the official Littleton probe, including the fact that police have analyzed more than 10,000 pieces of evidence, tracked 4,000 leads and conducted "several thousand interviews with over 2,000 people."

   "The biggest myth" about Columbine, says Salon, had to do with who the two gunmen were targeting. "Jocks, African-Americans and Christians have been widely described as their chief targets. Not a scrap of evidence supports that conclusion..." Investigator Kate Battan reportedly found that the earlier claims that student athletes were targeted by Klebold and Harris was based on the story that the gunmen demanded "All jocks stand up!" upon entering the library.

   "But it never happened, multiple sources confirmed..."

   And what about the Cassie Bernall account? Salon reports that "cooperative sources quickly clammed up when questioned" about the Bernall martyrdom. "This is just too sensitive," reported a key source. Investigators reportedly also believe that if there is a "martyr" story from Columbine, it would more likely involve Valeen Schnurr. One source reported that the exact circumstances -- who said what and where -- "may never be crystal clear," and that even if clear, "investigators clearly don't intend to tell."

   "They cite the tense political climate around the story in this heavily evangelical community, as well as the potential embarrassment to Cassie's family, uniformly describing the Bernalls as since victims who may have been misinformed 'through no malicious intent.' "

   ¶    None of this has attenuated the charged religious and emotional climate around the April 20, 1999 slayings. One clear sign of this is the continued "battle of symbols" over crosses and memorials to the Littleton victims, and the wider debate over violence, youth rebellion and values. Last week, for instance, 21 Century Toys of Alameda, California announced that it was remaking its popular "Modern Villain" action figure which happened to sport an objectionable trench coat. A woman triggered a tidal wave of negative publicity when she contacted the media and the giant Sears retailing company to complain, saying that her two younger sons had spotted the gun toting doll in the company's 1999 Christmas gift catalogue and described it as a "Trench Coat Mafia doll." At considerable expense, the toy firm is reworking its action doll and removing the offending coat.

   Another symbol is the "Healing bear," a cuddly stuffed animal that originated in Oklahoma City after the 1995 bombing of the federal center. It was later sent to a high school in Pennsylvania after several students were killed in the crash of TWA flight 800. The bear then found its way to Columbine High School after the April 20 shooting, and recently had been sent down to the church in Ft. Worth, Texas, where a gunman had opened fire on a youth prayer service. "Each time the bear is sent to a new place," notes the Denver Post, "a note of hope is pinned to it."

   Back at Columbine, there is still bitter division over the status of crosses and memorial trees. On Sunday, family and friends of two of the slain Littleton students chopped down two of 15 trees which had recently been planted by the local West Bowles Community Church. The families contended that only 13 of the victims should be honored, not the two killers -- Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold -- who committed suicide after their gun rampage. The father of one of the victims told the Denver Post, "The Bible tells us that if someone sins against us, then rebuke them. If they repent, forgive them. Klebold and Harris didn't repent to anyone..."

   Before heading off to the tree cutting, picketers assembled outside the church with signs reading "Unrepentant murderers honored here" and "No rest for the wicked." Demonstrators then proceeded to a newly planted area of trees on the west side of the church building, where parent Brian Rohrbough nailed a sign with each victims name to 13 of the trees. Signs on the two remaining trees read: "Unrepentant murderer." As another demonstrator sawed down the trees, cheers of "Praise Jesus!" and Praise be to God!" erupted from the small crowd.

   ¶    The real impact of Columbine, though, is felt on a larger scale. Across the country, students have returned to schools in the midst of a heightened climate of fear, complete with body searches, metal detectors, surveillance cameras and harsh disciplinary policies which even punish youngsters for off-campus behavior, sans the benefit of a trial. The head of the American Civil Liberties Union describes this as part of a "Fortress America" mentality, and reports a sharp increases in the number of school-related complaints from concerned parents and students who charge that their individual freedoms are being violated. Political hopefuls have already tapped into the more authoritarian side of the "Columbine spirit," calling for public prayer and a greater role for religious groups in manipulating the American psyche. Both Vice President Al Gore and GOP front runner George W. Bush have proposed a "partnership" between government and faith-based groups in solving "the problems of America." And there is the renewed spirit of aggressive proselytizing inside of America's schools and elsewhere, as youngsters become the adolescent foot soldiers in a growing culture war pitting religion against secularism.

   Many discover inspiration in the story of Cassie Bernall and her martyrdom. That it might not have actually happened does not seem to matter. Right or wrong, it is their holy truth.

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