Author’s Parents Blast Publishing of Columbine Journal

The parents of Columbine gunman Eric Harris were horrified by the publication of their son’s journal and said they are concerned it could inspire copycat attacks.

Wayne and Kathy Harris issued the statement through their attorney, Benjamin Colkitt, after journal excerpts were published in several newspapers last week.

Colkitt said Friday that neither he nor the Harrises would comment beyond the two-paragraph written statement.

“Wayne and Kathy Harris were horrified by the unexpected publication of their son’s journal entries and drawings,” the statement said.

“The Harrises are concerned that the public release of their son’s writings and videotapes may inspire further copycat incidents. Neither the Harrises nor their counsel were the source of the documents published in the Denver media.”

The parents were given a copy in June of some of their son’s papers that had been taken from their home. They said their copies differed in many respects from the copies published by the newspapers, but they did not elaborate.

The 1998 journal excerpts revealed Harris and student Dylan Klebold had hoped for a blood bath of epic proportions. The two killed 13 people and committed suicide on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in suburban Jefferson County.

The documents were ordered sealed by a Jefferson County district judge and were not released along with other papers and a report last year.

The excerpts were published in the weekly Westword newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post.

Jacki Tallman, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said Friday that the documents were not leaked to reporters by someone in her office. She also said Klebold’s parents did not receive copies of Harris’ journal.

The published documents were redacted, while those in the investigators’ files and those given to the Harrises were complete, Tallman said.

Tallman also expressed concern about the impact the latest documents might have on copycat crimes.

“Who knows what people think about when they read this material. I hope this won’t happen again to anyone,” she said.