Coming off the heels of my reading of the brief, but factual, The Columbine School Shootings by Jenny MacKay, I figured I may as well immerse myself in a more expansive and exploratory investigation of April 1999’s tragedy. Hence, I sat down and read through Jeff Kass’ 330-page chronology, investigation, and expose piece titled Columbine: A True Crime Story.
As you can probably figure from the five-star review, I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated Kass’ dedication to exploring the build-up, ongoings, and aftermath of the Columbine Massacre.
Although I am jumping the gun here—I’d often give this verdict towards the end of a review—I want to voice that I truly think this is the best Columbine-related book anyone could read, especially when I’ve heard quite a lot about other authors’ (namely Dave Cullen) more interpretative portrayal of Columbine. It’s a great starting point for those who want to learn more about the almost hour-long shooting, if nothing else.
So much is covered in Columbine: A True Crime Story that it would be both unreasonable, and unfair to the author’s hard work, if I simply regurgitated much of what is discussed to you. Instead, I can highlight the many different routes and areas Kass’ explores, which will hopefully compel you to consider whether you want to give this book a read.
One of the most noteworthy things about Kass’ book is that much of the information he uses was gathered by himself, not a team of people. Throughout several chapters, the author relays how much waiting, negotiating, life-draining paperwork, and personal funds it took to obtain many of the reports and details from the rather shadowy Jefferson Country Police Department, alongside other semi-unhelpful legal and federal bodies.
Kass’ efforts, and his lack of aversion to naming people and quoting them on exactly what they said, show determination and journalistic grit. Columbine: A True Crime Story is almost a smear campaign for much of the law enforcement, legal parties, and government figures that seemed to meddle with the information surrounding the events of April 1999. Still, Kass does highlight those who did their job correctly and seemed to hold a good moral standing—so it isn’t like the author simply hates all those in authority, just merely seeks to expose the shadiness and corruption, whilst praising the few that upheld their integrity.
His efforts aren’t just confined to the police reports and personnel, nor even the autopsies and court documents he also discusses. Kass’ raw writing ability shows in how he weaves a documentary-like narrative throughout the whole book, whilst his level-headed and amusing personality comes through in his certain opinions on matters and the many people he questions and interviews. The author, or perhaps I should call him a narrator too, feels like a guiding mentor throughout the whole read, and I think that is actually a good thing.
I would like to note that I read the second edition of this book, which differs slightly. Most notably, it contains an additional chapter on how a potential school shooting in Colorado, just an hour away from Columbine, was stopped through three girls recognising the warning signs and speaking up about it.
This near-shooting displays one of the many ways in which Columbine’s legacy lives on, both by inspiring shootings and making potential victims more aware of the warning signs. I think its inclusion in the second edition helps put into perspective the many positives and negatives that spawned from Columbine’s lesson, and it upholds why informative publications like Kass’ are so important, but also dangerous and sensitive in a sociopolitical sense.
Aside from hassling legal parties and law enforcement, Kass spent a long time interviewing integral families and relations—including those of the shooters—even if that took intermediaries and some questionable methods of making contact (such as basically harassing Wayne Harris, father of one of the shooters).
Kass also isn’t shy to detail how the Klebolds—parents of the other shooter—tried to adopt a caring public-facing persona that sought out truth and answers, whilst taking simultaneous action to hinder anything that may reveal negligence or responsibility for the shooting under the guise of ‘privacy’. This is something I wish more people knew before they read Sue Klebold’s A Mother’s Reckoning, a biographic-memoir that contains factual errors and moments of hypocrisy. For the Harris family, Kass also details how they were much less communicative and basically wholly concerned with personal repercussions and brushing off the whole lot, rather than facing up to their role and connection to the massacre.
In essence, Kass seems to hold a disliking towards the shooters’ families, not because of what either son did, but the ignorance and avoidance both controversial families took immediately following April 1999. I can’t say I blame the author, nor do I disagree with shedding light on the Klebold and Harris families’ cowardice towards certain aspects of the Columbine aftermath. It is clear Kass harbours a disliking for those who try to block the truth from coming out, regardless of who or what they are.
Kass’ interviews also extended to many victims’ families. Through them, readers get a larger insight into the ripples and effects of Columbine, and how it can never be truly forgotten in the consciousness of those it most affected—especially those who lost children and loved ones, or were permanently disfigured or severely injured.
The ripples of Columbine are further shown in Kass’ expose of how several people, including Brooks Brown (friend/associate of the shooters) and Reverend Don Marxhausen (friend of the Klebolds and host of the shooter’s funeral), were demonised and targeted by mass media and law enforcement. These two men, in particular, seemed to be bearing more brunt than the shooters’ hiding-away families, and it is good that Kass spotlights the rampant injustice surrounding Columbine.
Of course, Columbine: A True Crime Story does cover the shooter’s plans, motives, personalities, and personal lives, in great detail and from a variety of sources. Yet, I still think the book’s way of breaking the whole Columbine situation, including all its sub-stories and effects, is the most alluring part and what one should really for.
However, if you wanted a good read into what the shooters were like, Kass’ work certainly delivers by providing insight about either boys’ life: their upbringing, their interests and how they spent their time, their criminal diversion program, the bullying and struggles they faced, how they managed to plan and execute such an atrocity, and their motives for doing so.
There are even some transcripts of the elusive Basement Tapes, which were effectively the shooters’ video manifesto. Considering this evidence is now apparently destroyed, and much of the video content was never publicly released, Kass’ book is one of the few reliable sources for information regarding these morbidly fascinating recordings.
Almost ironically, the only error that I could personally pick out regarding this book, pertains to the Basement Tapes, specifically the Rampart Range video filmed about a month before the attack on Columbine High. After firing a shotgun slug into a tree, one voice remarks, ‘Imagine that in someone’s fucking brain,’ to which Kass states it is ‘unclear’ who said it. It was, in fact, Eric Harris who spoke.
I was surprised the author failed to recognise such a simple thing despite his familiarity with both perpetrators, especially since Harris is the shooter who Kass consistently aligns with having an extreme interest in violence, making the gruesome line easy to attribute to him. Still, it is an unremarkable blemish on an otherwise amazing piece of investigative work, and does not detract from the quality or accuracy of this intense and absorbing read.
Ultimately, Kass’ publication is a thrilling, informative, cut-throat, and ugly insight into everything related to Columbine. Despite how gripping it is, Kass takes great care not to dramatise any element of the book or discussed events, which is commendable and a clear sign of respect for this awful footnote in history. Anything that does seem dramatic is authentically dramatic, which is a testament to how earth-shaking the whole shooting was.
Despite being a critical little cynic about many books, I can only give mountains of praise to Kass’ exploration and research into everything. The extent of his years of effort is shown in his many quotations from police reports and personnel; autopsies; court documents; the FBI and Secret Service; friends and families of the shooters; friends and families of the victims; miscellaneous students, teachers, religious figures, politicians and lawyers, experts of various fields; alongside select authors and news outlets from all over America.
It is heaps of information woven into a well-told narrative that showcases every bit of filth, sadness, and anger that now fuels the memory of Columbine, yet barely scratches the surface on just how revolting and tragic this whole attack was.
If you have any interest in true-crime and modern events, Kass’ book is a lengthy must-read. I wholeheartedly recommend and commend it as the (current) definitive Columbine book.
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