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Officials in Littleton Released Report, thousands of Pieces of Evidence From Columbine High School Massacre
Aired February 26, 2004 - 14:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Nearly five years after the Columbine High School massacre, officials in Littleton, Colorado release a report and thousands of pieces of evidence today. They hope the report will point out the many warning signs that were there ahead of time and how similar attacks might be prevented elsewhere.
CNN's Adrian Baschuk is in Golden, Colorado. He has the report as well as some of the reaction. Hello, Adrian.
ADRIAN BASCHUK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Miles. These videos and all this evidence that's being released is due to create a nationwide impact. This community telling the story you're still treading on sacred ground because the tragedy of the Columbine massacre on April 20, 1999 still lingers.
Today authorities have released two videotapes, one 38 minutes in length by police that they shot outside the school grounds. And a telling video that we've just screened is a 94-minute videotape shot by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris themselves.
The footage was compiled from a variety of videotapes that were collected during the course of this five-year investigation. Some retrieved from the school server because these videos where Dylan Klebold, Eric Harris are shown in trench coats firing off fake firearms.
These were videos that were made for a school project that can you see them. Looks like home videos. They were also retrieved from the student's backpacks and family members handing those videos over.
Now victims' family members viewed a private screening of these videos last night. And we understand many family members told us they were simply too disturbed to stay around and watch these videos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARRYL SCOTT, FATHER OF VICTIM: My youngest son Mike...
BASCHUK (voice-over): Since April 20, 1999, Darryl Scott has wrestled with one question.
SCOTT: Why? It was just such a senseless taking of life.
BASCHUK: His daughter, Rachel Scott, was the first classmate shot and killed by Eric Harris. SCOTT: It's always a tough thing to look at, is a weapon that killed your child.
BASCHUK: The state attorney general, Ken Salazar, and police released this video of the Columbine killers last October.
Last night, victims' families got their look, and today the public will see 35,000 pages of reports from the five-year investigation, as well as the firearms, spent bullets, and pipe bombs Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold used to kill 12 students, a teacher, and themselves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's amazing how those two kids could get all that without -- in the school, without being noticed.
BASCHUK: But is this full disclosure? Some victims' parents accuse school officials and investigator of ignoring warning signs. Conversations between the school staff and lawyers remain sealed.
The school district's spokesman agrees there were red flags but said this...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was nothing that anyone individually could say would have led them to believe there was an imminent attack at Columbine High School or its students.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASCHUK: Now there were further disturbing details released about that investigation dating back to 1997. First, we learned in January 1998 the two were placed in a juvenile diversion program after being caught breaking into a van.
Also, detectives met with that family who alleged that Eric Harris made death threats against their son on a Web site. A detective then went ahead and tried to draft an affidavit searching -- asking for a search warrant to be filed to try and link Eric Harris to a pipe bomb found just two miles from his home six weeks earlier.
The lieutenant of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is on record for having revoked that search warrant because he says he says no eyewitness could link Eric Harris to that pipe bomb -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Adrian Baschuk in Golden, Colorado, thanks much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Pieces of Evidence From Columbine High School Massacre>
Aired February 26, 2004 - 14:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Nearly five years after the Columbine High School massacre, officials in Littleton, Colorado release a report and thousands of pieces of evidence today. They hope the report will point out the many warning signs that were there ahead of time and how similar attacks might be prevented elsewhere.
CNN's Adrian Baschuk is in Golden, Colorado. He has the report as well as some of the reaction. Hello, Adrian.
ADRIAN BASCHUK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Miles. These videos and all this evidence that's being released is due to create a nationwide impact. This community telling the story you're still treading on sacred ground because the tragedy of the Columbine massacre on April 20, 1999 still lingers.
Today authorities have released two videotapes, one 38 minutes in length by police that they shot outside the school grounds. And a telling video that we've just screened is a 94-minute videotape shot by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris themselves.
The footage was compiled from a variety of videotapes that were collected during the course of this five-year investigation. Some retrieved from the school server because these videos where Dylan Klebold, Eric Harris are shown in trench coats firing off fake firearms.
These were videos that were made for a school project that can you see them. Looks like home videos. They were also retrieved from the student's backpacks and family members handing those videos over.
Now victims' family members viewed a private screening of these videos last night. And we understand many family members told us they were simply too disturbed to stay around and watch these videos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARRYL SCOTT, FATHER OF VICTIM: My youngest son Mike...
BASCHUK (voice-over): Since April 20, 1999, Darryl Scott has wrestled with one question.
SCOTT: Why? It was just such a senseless taking of life.
BASCHUK: His daughter, Rachel Scott, was the first classmate shot and killed by Eric Harris. SCOTT: It's always a tough thing to look at, is a weapon that killed your child.
BASCHUK: The state attorney general, Ken Salazar, and police released this video of the Columbine killers last October.
Last night, victims' families got their look, and today the public will see 35,000 pages of reports from the five-year investigation, as well as the firearms, spent bullets, and pipe bombs Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold used to kill 12 students, a teacher, and themselves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's amazing how those two kids could get all that without -- in the school, without being noticed.
BASCHUK: But is this full disclosure? Some victims' parents accuse school officials and investigator of ignoring warning signs. Conversations between the school staff and lawyers remain sealed.
The school district's spokesman agrees there were red flags but said this...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was nothing that anyone individually could say would have led them to believe there was an imminent attack at Columbine High School or its students.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASCHUK: Now there were further disturbing details released about that investigation dating back to 1997. First, we learned in January 1998 the two were placed in a juvenile diversion program after being caught breaking into a van.
Also, detectives met with that family who alleged that Eric Harris made death threats against their son on a Web site. A detective then went ahead and tried to draft an affidavit searching -- asking for a search warrant to be filed to try and link Eric Harris to a pipe bomb found just two miles from his home six weeks earlier.
The lieutenant of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is on record for having revoked that search warrant because he says he says no eyewitness could link Eric Harris to that pipe bomb -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Adrian Baschuk in Golden, Colorado, thanks much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Pieces of Evidence From Columbine High School Massacre>
