A semiautomatic TEC DC-9
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April 29, 1999
Web posted at: 8:08 p.m. EDT (0008 GMT)

In this story: Man tied to gun co-worker of shooters Final funeral held Parents' attorneys discuss interviews More than 1,100 leads Return to school delayed Anti-depressant prescribed for Harris RELATED STORIES, SITES

LITTLETON, Colorado (CNN) -- Colorado authorities are backing away from earlier statements that they are poised to bring charges against a man suspected of illegally selling a semiautomatic handgun used in the Columbine High School massacre.

At a Thursday afternoon press conference, Jefferson County Chief Deputy District Attorney Mark Pautler said investigators "had some fairly solid information yesterday, but it did not come to fruition."

He said any possible charges were "up in the air," and he would not elaborate as to what had changed since Thursday morning, when District Attorney David Thomas said in an NBC interview that an arrest was expected within the next 48 hours.

"Because the investigation changed, what Mr. Thomas said was not accurate," Paulter said, attributing the confusion to his inability to reach Thomas with the new information prior to his interview.

Man tied to gun co-worker of shooters

Earlier, Deputy Wayne Holverson of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said the man suspected of selling the weapon, who has not been identified, worked at Black Jack Pizza with gunmen Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17.

Steve Davis, a spokesman for the sheriff's department, told CNN that prosecutors and the man's attorney were "trying to work out some type of negotiation, right now, for him to turn himself in." He said the man would be charged with violating a law against selling handguns to minors.

But Paulter would not say whether there were negotiations with attorneys representing the man and gave no timetable for a possible arrest.

"It's not a good idea to let people know you are going to apprehend them," he said.

Authorities called the sale of the semiautomatic TEC DC-9 handgun a "private transaction," but did not reveal which teen was believed to have bought the weapon

Final funeral held

Meanwhile Thursday, the last of the funerals for those who died in the shooting rampage was held.

To the spirited sounds of a gospel choir, about 5,000 people turned out to celebrate the life of Isaiah Shoels, 18, who was remembered as an outgoing young man with an easy smile.

"I didn't have the privilege of knowing Isaiah. And I didn't know the boy that we buried yesterday or the child that we buried on Tuesday and Monday or Sunday or Saturday. But I do know that these were good children," said Gov. Bill Owens.

"If there's anything good that can come from this, it's that it's bringing Colorado and this nation together," he said.

Parents' attorneys discuss interviews

Paulter also said that investigators expect to conduct formal interviews "soon" with the parents of Harris and Klebold. They are working with attorneys representing the parents to set up the interviews, he said.

Harris

While investigators have been in contact with the parents previously, they have not conducted extensive interviews, Paulter said. However, he said the parents have been cooperative.

Harris and Klebold, hiding their weapons under black trench coats, killed 13 people and wounded more than 20 others at the school before killing themselves. They were armed with four guns and also left more than 50 bombs at the school and in their homes.

Authorities say the other three guns -- two shotguns and a rifle -- used in the massacre were bought by Klebold's girlfriend shortly after she turned 18 last fall.

They describe her as a witness rather than a suspect because it is not illegal to provide a shotgun or a rifle to a minor.

More than 1,100 leads

Davis said investigators have developed more than 1,100 leads during the course of their probe. About 930 of those leads have been designated for follow-up but only 600 have so far been assigned to investigators.

The probe is looking into any reports of explosions heard, or explosive devices discovered, in the area during the past two years, Davis said.

He said investigators are dealing with between 8,000 and 10,000 pieces of evidence related to the case, and it remains unclear when they will finish processing the crime scene at the school.

Return to school delayed

Thursday was to have been the day that Columbine students resumed classes, but because of this week's funerals, their return to school was rescheduled for Monday.

The Columbine students will attend Chatfield High, a rival school a few miles away.

The afternoon sessions, from 12:50 p.m. to 6 p.m., will continue until the end of the year, Barbara Monseu, area administrator for the Jefferson County School District told CNN.

She said counseling and other support services will continue to be available for the Columbine students at their new school.

Anti-depressant prescribed for Harris

Among the leads for investigators is a medical condition cited by the Marines Corps when it rejected Harris as a recruit just five days before the attack.

Harris, who had expressed interest in joining the Marines, was disqualified because he had been prescribed the anti-depressant drug Luvox, sources told CNN on Wednesday.

It was not clear if Harris had actually been taking Luvox, most commonly prescribed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. The initial toxicology report indicated there was no drug or alcohol in any of those who died in the siege, including Harris and Klebold.

Davis said Thursday that in light of the information from the Marine Corps, he expected that medical examiners would test Harris specifically for the presence of Luvox if that hadn't already been done.

Correspondents Charles Zewe, Tony Clark and Martin Savidge contributed to this report.

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