FINAL COLUMBINE REPORT: NO MENTION OF "MARTYRDOM" EXECUTIONS, CHRISTIANS BEING "TARGETED"
Web Posted: May 23, 2000
report issued by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department on the
April 20, 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton,
Colorado does not substantiate earlier claims made by religious groups
that gunmen specifically targeted Christian youngsters during their
killing spree, or murdered one student after she expressed her belief
in a deity.
The voluminous summary was released last week on CD-ROM format, incorporating nearly 700 pages of text plus audio and video clips, and photographs. Department officials conducted approximately 5,000 witness interviews and analyzed over 10,000 pieces of evidence from the crime scene. There are no blockbuster revelations, and many of the details had already leaked to the media. Complaints from victims' relatives, though, charge that the department had stonewalled them on details of the shootings which claimed the lives of 12 students and a teacher from Columbine. The gunmen, Columbine seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, committed suicide after the rampage.
A copy of the Sheriff's Office report was obtained by AANEWS. The summary of the 13-month long probe was also provided to news media, any members of the public interested in the case, and the victims' families after an order was issued by a judge hearing nine lawsuits filed by 15 families of slain or wounded students.
Despite the lack of surprises, though, and earlier publicity, there could be controversy concerning the report's analysis of events which transpired in the Columbine High School library, and the encounter between Eric Harris and another student, Cassie Bernall. Within days of the shootings, claims surfaced that Harris confronted Bernall over her public belief in Jesus Christ, and that the girl defiantly defended her religious convictions before being shot. Bernall, a 17-year old born again Christian who wore a "What Would Jesus Do?" bracelet, soon became the object of web site adoration and statements by religious leaders that she had "died for her faith." A minister at one of the memorial services for the Columbine victims insisted that Bernall's life "was centered around Our Lord Jesus" and that it was because of "her strong faith in God and His promise of eternal life that she made her stand." Bernall's mother has written about about her daughter's death, and there is talk of a movie deal.
An Associated Press report even claimed that after being confronted by the gunman and asked if she believed in God, Bernall "closed her eyes and clasped her hands in prayer" as she was murdered. Chuck Colson, former Watergate crook-turned- evangelist who now heads Prison Fellowship Ministries, announced that Bernall "was in the school library reading her Bible." (In fact, she was studying for a Shakespeare exam when Harris and Klebold stormed into the room.)
The legend quickly transformed Bernall into a heroine and martyr for
many religious groups. The story of the alleged incident was retold
on television talk programs, sermons, and even during argument in the
U.S. Congress as lawmakers deliberated a slew of legislative items,
including proposals to bring back unison prayer recitation to public
school classrooms and display the Ten Commandments.
The Sheriff's Office investigation appears to undermine these and some other claims that were reported in earlier news coverage of the incident.
¶ The investigation concluded that the gunmen did not target specifics groups such as athletes or religious believers, nor did they intentionally end up in the library. Harris and Klebold spent 7.5 minutes in the library, though, after a series of propane bombs they had brought to Columbine High School earlier failed to explode and police began arriving on the scene.
¶ "In that time, they shot and killed 10 people and wounded 12 more," notes the Report. "They (Harris and Klebold) carried more than enough ammunition to kill all 56 people in the library..."
¶ Harris and Klebold were the only perpetrators. Early reports on Columbine referred to a "group" known as the Trench Coat Mafia, but this turned out to be a "loose, social affiliation of former and current Columbine High School students with no formal organization structure, leadership or purpose such as that typically found in traditional juvenile street gangs."
The report adds that Harris and Klebold "had a few close associates in the TCM, but overall were not described as having any particular influence or leadership roles within the Trench Coat Mafia. Their friends and associates describe them as often wearing the same black dusters which they wore during the shootings of April 20..."
The investigators questioned "close to 100 individuals" known to have some connection with either or both of the gunmen, and found no links between this group and preparations leading up to the April 20 massacre.
The investigation also dealt with claims that there was a third gunman, but concluded that those reports may have been confused because Eric Harris removed his trench coat after firing the initial shots, "revealing a white T-shirt underneath."
"This act of discarding his coat caused some confusion and speculation about the number of gunmen involved," said investigators.
¶ Was the date -- April 20 -- significant in the execution of the plan concocted by Harris and Klebold? The reports notes "indications" that the attack was originally to have occurred on Monday, April 19.
"While there was no specific reference made in their (Harris and Klebold) writings to this date being an important anniversary, it must be noted that April 19, 1999 was the fourth anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the sixth anniversary of the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco, Texas" noted investigators.
"However, the Columbine tragedy occurred on April 20, perhaps due to unfinished preparations on the part of the killers."
Another possible connection was 4/20, "which carries the same numerals as 420, the California criminal code for possession of marijuana." April 20 also marked the 110th anniversary of the birth of Adolph Hitler. Authorities, though, find nothing other than coincidence here, and in statements and writings, neither Klebold or Harris appear to have explicitly attached special significance to the April 20 date.
The most controversial section of the report, though, may be the unit covering the 7.5 minutes which the gunmen spent in the Columbine High School library, and the encounter with Cassie Bernall. All living witnesses to the events which transpired there on April 20, 1999 were interviewed. Survivors reported that they initially heard "popping sounds" which some attributed to nearby construction work. Others believed that even after Harris and Klebold initially stormed into the library, it was part of a senior prank.
Witness accounts were skewed by a number of factors, including "inability to distinguish between the gunshots and explosions," time distortion, "impaired observations or recall at the point the subjects came within close proximity of their location," and even the belief that "playing dead" and not observing the events would discourage additional violence.
The report places individuals at their initial locations within the library when the shootings were first noticed, and the gunmen entered the room at 11:29 a.m.
WHAT DID THE GUNMEN SAY?
Interviewed witnesses reported that one of the shooters yelled, "Everyone with a white cap or baseball cap, stand up," while others reported hearing "All jocks stand up. We'll get the guys in the white hats!"
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE INITIAL ENTRANCE?
Eric Harris reportedly fired shotgun rounds down the length of the front library counter, and the two gunmen then proceeded to the west windows. A student was shot, and Harris and Klebold then set down their backpacks which had been filled with ammunition and Molotov cocktails. Harris began shooting out the west library windows, and was soon joined by Klebold. Next, several students -- including one in the process of trying to administer first aid to a victim -- were shot to death.
WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN HARRIS AND CASSIE BERNALL?
Eric Harris proceeded to a nearby library table designated "table 19" in the report, "where he bent down and saw two frightened girls. He slapped the table top twice, said 'Peek-a-boo," and fired, killing Cassie Bernall. After shooting Cassie, Harris made a comment about hitting himself in the face. Investigators believe Harris broke his nose as a result of the 'kick' from the shotgun when he bent to fire under the table..."
WHERE WERE WITNESSES TO THIS?
A map of the Columbine High School library places three witnesses in proximity to an adjoining table, plus another at the far (east) side of the library.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
Witnesses recall Harris laughing and saying "Everyone's going to die" and "We're going to blow up the school anyway." After shooting Cassie Bernall, Harris turned to another student and asked her if she wanted to die. Her life is spared, but this seems to be one of only two conversations in the library between a victim or potential victim, and either of the gunmen. There is no indication of an exchange between Harris and Cassie Bernall, including the alleged interrogation where Bernall is asked about her religious views.
Harris and Klebold position themselves on opposite sides of another table, and Klebold is heard making a racial comment. Harris fires, killing a student, and Klebold then fires claiming yet another victim. Harris throws a small CO(2) cartridge which rolls under a table, and Harris heads to a stack of library book shelves in the center of the room. The two gunmen then proceed to the east side of the library.
THE ORIGIN OF THE "MARTYRDOM" FABLE? THE CASE OF VALEEN SCHNURR...
It is here, in this section of the library, where tragic events unfolded which could explain at least some of the roots of the "martyrdom" claims surrounding Cassie Bernall.
At this point in the timeline narrative, says the Sheriff's report, Klebold shot out a display cabinet, and fired toward another table injuring a student. He then fired under "table 2", injuring Valeen Schnurr and Lisa Kreutz; Klebold then walks beside the table "to fire as fast as his gun would shoot," killing another victim.
"While Klebold was at table 2, Harris stopped near table 3 under which two girls were hiding. He looked under the table and, upon seeing them, simply said 'Pathetic' and walked away."
The report then discusses Valeen Schnurr, who had been injured by Klebold while she was under table 2.
"Valeen, who was critically hurt, began to cry, 'Oh God, help me.' Klebold, who had shot her, came back and taunted her about her belief in God. He then walked away..."
More students are shot, and Harris and Klebold then leave the east area of the library and enter the center section. Several others are killed or injured, although one student -- an acquaintance of Dylan Klebold -- has a brief exchange with the gunman, who says that he is "just killing people." The student asks if Klebold intends to kill him, but Klebold orders him to get out of the library, which he does.
There are more shootings and confrontations in the library, and Harris hurls a Molotov cocktail to the Southwest side of the room. The gunmen go behind the library counter and taunt another person, discussing whether or not to kill him. "They walk away instead and Klebold fired back into the 'kitchen' area of the library, striking a television." Klebold picks up a chair and throws it on top of a computer terminal, and the two gunmen then leave the library at 11:36.
"Only 7-1/2 minutes had passed, the time it took the gunmen to shoot and kill ten people and wound 12 more."
THE LIBRARY AFTERMATH...
"When the gunmen left, the library was filled with smoke and fire alarms were blaring," notes the Sheriff's report. "No one wanted to look at each other. No one knew if the gunmen would come back and finish what they had started." In this atmosphere of shock, small groups began to form. "No one wanted to face the reality of what they had just witnessed." People began leaving the library through the emergency exit nearby "to the safety of the waiting patrol cars..."
While some initial reports began reporting an alleged conversation between Klebold or Harris and Cassie Bernall -- the foundation of the "martyrdom" narrative -- five months later the Rocky Mountain News raised questions about this story and the precise sequence of events. In a web posting of an AANEWS story (September 29, 1999) we wrote:
"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 Bernall, 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 coming in."
Further on, we observed that there were "discrepancies in the student accounts that led police to question the Bernall testimonial."
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Wyant's name is absent from the Sheriff's report on the library incident, although so are the names of other students and informants not wounded in the shooting spree.
It seem possible, then, that the a combination of factors may account for the earlier attributions regarding Cassie Bernall and her alleged conversation with her killer, Eric Harris. The diagram assembled by the Sheriff's Department investigators shows four witnesses in Bernall's area, with a fifth at the far (east) end of the library. The murder of Valeen Schnurr took place at the east side of the room, with one witness proximate. Both victims referred to "God," but in the context of exclamatory alarm. The only taunting or conversation took place in the confrontation between Klebold and Valeen Schnurr.
There was, however, a conversation earlier, on the west side of the library. This did not involve Cassie Bernall, but rather was an exchange between Eric Harris -- responsible for murdering Bernall -- and another female student, Bree Pasquale...
"Harris asked her if she wanted to die. As the girl pleaded for her life, she observed blood flowing from his (Harris) nose. She later said that Harris seemed disoriented for a moment but was unable to refocus when Klebold called his attention to table 16 under which two boys were hiding..."
There was no good, credible evidence to believe early reports of the alleged conversation between Cassie Bernall and either of the gunmen. Why, then, did the story seem to spread to such a large, receptive audience, and enjoy an apparent immunity from popular scrutiny?
One reason may be that the "martyrdom" account involved a compelling and dramatic story -- one almost akin to Joan of Arc or some other heroic religious figure -- "standing up for her faith" in the face of terrible violence. Reports of this incident were often coupled (particular in statements made by religious groups or spokespersons) with other claims, such as the assertion that the Columbine killers "targeted Christians" or athletes -- a story given wide circulation on Pat Robertson's "700 Club" broadcasts and web site. Some religious leaders questioned whether or not "martyr" was an appropriate label, since the word usually describes one who willingly dies for a religious idea, free of immediate coercion.
The "martyrdom" story was also compelling since it fit easily with other hyperbolic narratives. Chuck Colson, for instance, embellished his claim that Cassie Bernall had been "reading her Bible" in the library, adding: "Cassie's martyrdom was even more remarkable when you consider that just a few years ago she had dabbled in the occult, including witchcraft. She had embraced the same darkness and nihilism that drove her killers to such despicable acts..."
The interplay between the Bernall story and the wider events at Columbine fueled an outburst of religious zeal throughout the country. News reports and commentary in the wake of the shooting claimed that young people were "flocking to churches and to prayer services ..." (ABC, "This Week," May 2). The story was given further popular authentication when the Bernall narrative found its way on to the floor of Congress, as lawmakers pointed to the Columbine shooting as proof of the nation's moral decay and the need for religion-based remedies.
For some religious people, believing in the Bernall-story narrative also provided a sense of meaning and even closure in trying to explain an otherwise senseless and tragic event. Bernall's death had a purpose (although it remained unclear what the "purpose" was in the killings of the other youngsters...) in setting an exemplary standard for religious steadfastness and righteousness. Religious elocution in response to catastrophes and other random loss of human life -- especially when youngsters are involved -- often refers to a hidden "plan" by God that is both surprising and inscrutable. God chooses to call the departed "home," for some not-apparent reason.
Finally, the story of Cassie Bernall fit with other political and social narratives having to do with the claim that religion (and specifically Christianity) is "under attack" from a wider, secular culture. This theme emerged in the various memorials and services held for the victims, as both political and religious leaders managed to meld the tragic events at Columbine with a deeper sectarian message. An interfaith service conducted in Denver the week after the shootings and broadcast nationally drew criticism for its "Evangelical tone" and other proselytizing rhetoric. One minister compared Bernall's martyrdom to the story of two women imprisoned in a concentration camp during the Nazi holocaust who allegedly accepted Christ. Sermons often included militant, even martial rhetoric. A guest appearing on Robertson's "700 Club," for instance, appealed to youngsters everywhere to "take up the bloodstained torch" of the murdered students.
Despite the exhaustive report, the thousands of interviews and the extensive labors of trained, professional investigators, we may never know for certain what exactly did transpire between Eric Harris and Cassie Bernall. There is no mention in the investigative summary of a conversation about the latter's religious beliefs, nor is there evidence that Harris and Klebold "targeted" Christians, or any other group per se. Despite planning the murder spree, both killers failed to bring their complete scheme to fruition; and one senses that Harris and Klebold were clearly in a sort of psychotic and disoriented state, taunting and murdering some students, allowing others to go free.
The legend of Cassie Bernall, though, is likely to live on. Its compelling qualities will often trump questions raised about the exact nature and sequence of events in the Columbine High School library on April 20, 1999. For many of us, the tragedy of that day was senseless and difficult to comprehend. Others will fit Columbine, and the killing of a young girl named Cassie Bernall, into a more elaborate tapestry of religious drama and belief.
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