in 1996, eric harris created private website on america online. harris created site host gaming levels , friend, dylan klebold, created use in video game doom, friends. on site, harris began blog, included jokes , short journal entries thoughts on parents, school, , friends. end of year, site contained instructions on how cause mischief, instructions on how make explosives, , blogs in described trouble , klebold causing. beginning in 1997, blog postings began show first signs of harris s ever-growing anger against society.
harris s site attracted few visitors, , caused no concern until march 1998. klebold gave web address brooks brown, former friend of harris. brown s mother had filed numerous complaints jefferson county sheriff s office concerning harris, thought dangerous. website contained numerous death threats directed against brown: klebold knew if brooks accessed address, discover content , inform parents, , authorities notified. after brown s parents viewed site, contacted jefferson county sheriff s office. investigator michael guerra told website. when accessed it, guerra discovered numerous violent threats directed against students , teachers of columbine high school. other material included blurbs harris had written general hatred of society, , desire kill annoyed him.
harris had noted on site had made pipe bombs, in addition hit list of individuals (he did not post plan on how intended attack targets). harris had posted on website possessed explosives, guerra wrote draft affidavit, requesting search warrant of harris household. affidavit mentioned suspicion of harris being involved in unsolved pipe bomb case in february 1998. affidavit never filed. concealed jefferson county sheriff s office , not revealed until september 2001, resulting investigation tv show 60 minutes.
after revelation affidavit, series of grand jury investigations begun cover-up activities of jefferson county officials. investigation revealed high-ranking county officials had met few days after massacre discuss release of affidavit public. decided because affidavit s contents lacked necessary probable cause have supported issuance of search warrant harris household judge, best not disclose affidavit s existence @ upcoming press conference, although actual conversations , points of discussion never revealed other grand jury members. following press conference, original guerra documents disappeared. in september 1999, jefferson county investigator failed find documents during secret search of county s computer system. second attempt in late 2000 found copies of document within jefferson county archives. documents reconstructed , released public in september 2001, original documents still missing. final grand jury investigation released in september 2004.
on january 30, 1998, harris , klebold stole tools , other equipment van parked near city of littleton. both youths arrested , subsequently attended joint court hearing, pleaded guilty felony theft. judge sentenced duo attend juvenile diversion program. there, both boys attended mandated classes , talked diversion officers. 1 of classes taught anger management. harris began attending therapy classes psychologist. klebold had history of drinking , had failed dilute urine test, neither nor harris attended substance abuse classes.
harris , klebold released diversion several weeks because of positive actions in program; both on probation. shortly after harris , klebold s court hearing, harris s online blog disappeared. website reverted original purpose of posting user-created levels of doom. harris began write in journal, in recorded thoughts , plans. in april 1998, part of diversion program, harris wrote letter of apology owner of van. however, around same time, furiously derided him in journal, stating believed himself have right steal if wanted to. harris continued scheduled meetings psychologist until few months before , klebold committed columbine high school massacre.
harris dedicated section of website posting content regarding , klebold s progress in collection of guns , building of bombs (they subsequently used both in attacking students @ school). after website made public, aol permanently deleted servers.
medication
in 1 scheduled meeting appointed psychiatrist, harris had complained of depression, anger, , suicidal thoughts. result, prescribed anti-depressant zoloft. complained of feeling restless , having trouble concentrating; in april, doctor switched him luvox, similar anti-depressant drug.
journals , videos
harris , klebold both began keeping journals after 1998 arrests. in these journals, pair documented arsenal video tapes kept secret.
their journals documented plan major bombing rival of oklahoma city bombing. entries contained blurbs ways escape mexico, hijacking aircraft @ denver international airport , crashing building in new york city (foreshadowing september 11 attacks 2 years), , details planned attack. pair hoped that, after detonating home-made explosives in cafeteria @ busiest time of day, killing hundreds of students, shoot survivors fleeing school. then, police vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, , reporters came school, bombs set in boys cars detonate, killing these emergency , other personnel. did not happen, since these explosives did not detonate.
the pair kept videos documented explosives, ammunition, , weapons had obtained illegally. revealed ways hid arsenals in homes, how deceived parents activities. pair shot videos of doing target practice in nearby foothills, areas of high school planned attack. on april 20, approximately thirty minutes before attack, made final video saying goodbye , apologizing friends , families.
