The official version of events for the Columbine High shootings of
April 20, 1999 is that two gunmen, disaffected
teenagers
Michael Harris and
Dylan Klebold, acting alone and with no assistance, entered the school in the morning, warning a friend to stay away, and after placing various explosive devices around the building, began shooting up the school, killing 12
students and one
teacher, and holding others
hostage for about 45 minutes, before turning the guns on themselves in an act of mutual
suicide. This incident pressed a lot of sensitive buttons in American society, among them:
Interestingly, there are some pesky holes in the official story, and some bizarre incidents that cast some doubt on it. There is some evidence to suggest there were additional shooters and/or conspirators, perhaps even some in high places. Some of the evidence:
• Initial reports claimed that the shootings lasted for several hours (Denver Post, April 21, 1999), and the swat teams and police departments first on the scene reported that they were “way outgunned.” (Associated Press, April 20, 1999). Swat teams are not 'way outgunned' by two people with a total of four rifles.
• The official final report of the incident claimed that there were 95 explosive devices placed throughout the school (Los Angeles Times, May 16, 2000). It seems highly unlikely that two teenagers acting alone could walk into school with 95 explosive devices and several semi-automatic rifles and be left alone long enough to booby trap the entire school. The Jefferson County district attorney is quoted as saying "It is obvious to me that they couldn't have carried them all in at the same time, plus the four weapons" (Denver Post, May 5, 1999).
In fact, here’s a full quote from the April 23, 1999 Denver Post:
"The 20-pound bomb found inside the Columbine High School kitchen suggests the two teenage suspects were aided by others in their plot to blow up the school, police said Thursday. Packed inside a duffle bag with a wired gasoline can - and surrounded with nails and BBs for maximum killing power - the propane barbecue tank-bomb points to a wider conspiracy, police said."
• Initial reports even stated that a "third young man was led away from the school in handcuffs more than four hours after the attack, and student Chris Wisher said: 'He's one of the ones who shot at us'" (Associated Press, April 20, 1999).
• Dylan Klebod’s fatal gunshot wound to the head was on the left side, which is unlikely in the case of a suicide for a right-handed person. Unfortunately, the autopsy records have been sealed.
• An FBI training video from 1997 was filmed in Columbine High School. It shows two gun-toting, trench coat wearing students wandering the halls, and ends with a special effects explosion of the school. The video was produced by the son of the FBI’s lead investigator on the Columbine case, with the help of a friend of his named Brooks Brown. (Associated Press, May 8, 1999)
• Brooks Brown was the student that was supposedly warned by Harris and Klebold to stay away from campus that day as he walked to school. Brown was then on the scene to grant interviews.
• On February 14, 2000, two Columbine students were shot to death in a Subway sandwich shop just a few blocks from the school. The shots came from an automobile which sped away. There was no apparent motive and are no suspects. (CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/14/littleton.shooting.02/)
• A student that witnessed the 1999 massacre was found hanged on May 5, 2000. The death was ruled a suicide, though "Friends were mystified, saying there were no signs of turmoil in the teenager's life." One noted that he had "talked to him the night before, and it didn't seem like anything was wrong." (Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2000)
All of this certainly doesn't prove a 'conspiracy.' Still, there seems to be at least something else to this story than the official version.
The most extreme interpretation would be a conspiracy, involving some elements of law enforcement, including persons affiliated with the FBI, to let the shootings take place, or even to aid them. What would be the point of such a destructive act? Well, a right-wing view might be that this was an attempt to make the public more accepting of gun control. A more left-wing perspective would see an attempt to demonize youth non-conformity. If either or both of these were the goals of the gunmen, whoever they were, then they were wildly successful. Personally, I do not necessarily endorse this interpretation.
info from an essay “
Anatomy of a School Shooting,” May 2002, by Dave McGowan. It appears in the book
You are Being Lied To.