Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold

Lore & Background

Harris and Klebold met while attending middle school and gradually became close. By their junior year of high school, they were described as best friends who were dependent on one another. Early reports characterized them as unpopular and frequent targets of bullying, though many peers later stated they were not near the bottom of the school's social hierarchy, as both had numerous friends and active social lives. Columbine High School was alleged to have an intense 'jock culture', and the two often wore black trench coats, leading to initial beliefs they were part of a clique called the 'Trenchcoat Mafia', which was later found unsubstantiated. Over the following eleven months, they secretly built explosives and amassed an arsenal of weapons, planning to attack in April 1999, just weeks before their graduation. Both left behind journals and video recordings that foreshadowed the massacre and provided insight into their rationale, intended to be widely viewed and inspire followers, though much has never been released. The FBI concluded in May 2000 that Harris exhibited psychopathic traits, while Klebold was described as an angry depressive with a vengeful attitude, but these conclusions remain debated as neither was formally diagnosed during their lifetimes.

Reader's Guide

The Columbine massacre, perpetrated by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, marked a turning point in American public consciousness regarding school shootings. The event triggered intense media coverage and moral panic, with 'Columbine' becoming a byword for such attacks. In the years after, news outlets and commentators attributed the attack to various motivating factors including bullying, mental illness, racism, psychiatric medication, and exposure to violence in media, but the exact motive remains inconclusive. Harris and Klebold have become figures in popular culture, portrayed and alluded to in various media. Some perpetrators of subsequent attacks have cited the duo as an influence, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the 'Columbine effect'. Their legacy is thus one of both tragedy and a lasting, complex impact on public discourse around school violence, mental health, and media influence.

Did You Know?

• Harris underwent two surgical operations to correct pectus excavatum, a congenital condition in which the breastbone sinks into the chest.
• Klebold was treated for pyloric stenosis as an infant, a condition causing severe vomiting during the first few months of life.
• The FBI concluded in May 2000 that Harris exhibited psychopathic traits, including narcissism, unconstrained aggression, and a lack of empathy, while Klebold was described as an angry depressive.
• Both left behind journals and video recordings intended to be widely viewed and to inspire followers, though much of this material has never been released by authorities.