Columbine 911 tapes released to the public

Recordings reflect panic inside high school

July 6, 2000
Web posted at: 4:25 a.m. EDT (0825 GMT)

In this story: Witnesses reported shots, smoke and an explosion Tapes edited to remove names Official report released in May RELATED STORIES, SITES

GOLDEN, Colorado (CNN) -- Officials on Wednesday released audio tapes of frantic 911 calls made during last year's massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

The worst school shooting in U.S. history left 15 dead and 21 wounded. Emergency calls flooded in to police and other agencies as the killings continued.

The tapes released Wednesday reveal the confusion and panic of teachers and students trapped inside the building on April 20. At one point, a student can be heard describing the condition of teacher Dave Sanders, who lay fatally wounded.

VIDEO CNN's Brian Cabell reviews the tapes Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K Jefferson County 911 dispatch alerts the Littleton Fire Department of the shooting QuickTime Play Windows Media 28K 80K A caller from Columbine High School describes one of the gunmen to a 911 dispatcher QuickTime Play Windows Media 28K 80K A caller from Columbine High School describes the wounds to teacher Dave Sanders QuickTime Play Windows Media 28K 80K A 911 dispatcher advises a caller to remain calm QuickTime Play Windows Media 28K 80K 911 tapes courtesy Jefferson County Sheriff's Department     ALSO Columbine report includes timeline, photos, video (May 15, 2000)       FULL MAY 15 SHERIFF'S REPORT Introduction from the Jefferson County Sheriff Table of Contents     SPECIAL Are U.S. Schools Safe?     MESSAGE BOARD Keeping schools safe

Student: "We're in the southeast corner of the school ... yes he (Sanders) is conscious ..."

But by the time a SWAT team reached Sanders and the student with him, Sanders had died. Sanders' family is among those suing the sheriff's department, alleging negligence.

Tapes edited to remove names

Released on two CD-ROMs, the recordings cover 45 hours of conversation between the dispatchers, responding police officers and other agencies. The tapes have been edited to delete all names and addresses.

Excerpts from the tapes were released in May as part of a comprehensive report from the sheriff's office on the massacre.

The two CD-ROMs are being sold for a $28.

Families of all the victims were notified before the tapes were released to the public and the media, Davis said.

On May 15 of this year, the sheriff's department released its official report on the shootings.

That report included a timeline constructed from eyewitness reports, surveillance videotapes, 911 calls and forensic evidence. It indicates that Harris and Klebold "fired their first shots about 11:19 a.m. and injured the last victim at 11:35 a.m. By shortly after noon, the killers ... had died at their own hands."

The sheriff's report was released following an investigation that involved 4,500 witness interviews and 10,000 pieces of evidence.

Investigators said significant findings included:

  • Surveillance videotapes show two 20-pound propane bombs were placed in the school cafeteria the morning of the attack rather than the night before.

  • The killers carried all explosives into the school inside duffel bags, backpacks or in ammunition pouches strapped to their bodies.

  • Had the cafeteria bombs worked as intended, all 448 people in the room might have been killed.

  • Initial 911 calls mentioned a shooter on the roof. The person was later identified as an air conditioning repairman who hid on the roof during the attack.

  • Physical evidence does not indicate a third shooter. No known evidence suggests anyone had prior knowledge of the killers' plan.

Released on CD-ROM, the report offers a multimedia perspective on the investigation, including taped interviews and audio from some of the 911 calls for help made from the school. Photo clips are included.

Release of the report followed a deadline set by a Jefferson County district judge. The judge set the deadline after accusations by some victims' families that the sheriff's office was intentionally stalling the report's release as a way to delay their lawsuits, which had to be filed within one year of the attack.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Columbine 911 tapes released to the public
July 6, 2000
Judge orders more Columbine tapes be released
May 26, 2000
Buddy of Columbine killers pleads guilty to gun charges
May 8, 2000
Judge grants parents of Columbine gunmen input on release of evidence
May 5, 2000
Parents of Columbine shooters want items seized from homes kept private
May 2, 2000
Authorities release Columbine video footage
April 26, 2000

Jefferson County, Colorado, Public Schools
Sheriff John P. Stone office
Columbine High School Tributes
National School Safety Center

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