Patricia (Patti) Nielson is working as a hall monitor when she hears a commotion A special education student who transferred to Columbine just three weeks earlier, Taylor was talking about his born-again Christianity with two Mormon classmates when the first bullet ripped through his left thigh. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Deputies Oh God! During the incident, teacher Patty Nielson placed a call to 911 Emergency. Neilson was in the library when she placed the call. The 911 operator answered the call stating "911" at 11:27:47 a.m. 1982 black BMW. ", which happens at the start of 11.30.04. Searle reports the man is still on the roof and has moved over to the north Like, say there were no transcript available and youd never heard it before. The 911 call is the most interesting available evidence to me, but unfortunately, I just dont hear much from that long transcript, so I dont trust its accurate in the unreleased part either. While I don't yet know who said it, it's someone in the 911 call center, since it's also clearly heard at 0:10 in 11.29.25. their cars, they have a clear view of the cafeteria area. The gunman turned towards her and fired without warning, causing bits of glass and shrapnel to slice into Nielson's shoulder. Littleton Here is a link to the one that I sped up. Littleton Above the slain student, authorities believe they saw Harris and Klebold in a library window. A few tables over, Dan Steepleton, Makai Hall and Pat Ireland feared the worst was headed their way. Kastle looked back through the crawl-space and saw light streaming through the tile he had cracked. gallon of fuel ignites in the area of the partially detonated propane bomb. Walcher Now Mauser was alone under a library table. Focusing was a challenge. Walcher of the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office arrives on scene. A teacher, Theresa Miller, spent hours on the phone with 911 to deliver updates on Sanders' condition. Bullets whizzed closer. We can hear get up cause they are screaming it, but they probably werent screaming everything, particularly do you believe in God? Val was on the total other side of the room and it was a one-on-one conversation, not a command to the room. Jefferson (These instances are audible in the original release of the 911 call.). A shy blond boy whose one close friend in school was assigned to a different lunch hour, Mauser usually ate by himself and spent the rest of "A'' track lunch period reading magazines or studying in the library. The two quickly became best friends, and Eubanks figured high school was going to be bearable after all. the ballfields. Eubanks dared to peek out from the table and saw Klebold reloading. Nielson, the hiding teacher who made the 911 call, said, "They were on a power trip. I did an in-depth analysis of Patti Nielson's call where I lined up other 911 calls to see whether the audio was from the library or the 911 call center. school and begin the rescue of two wounded students lying on the ground near the Another instance of this happens, where gunshots or explosions can be heard on both calls. another student in the south junior parking lot. She was emotionally strained. Then they went back and got Rachel Scott. She was helping write a new art curriculum. He fled through the door with a few scrapes, bruises and a belief that Klebold had spared his life. For the second time that day, Kirklin turned his head and said, "Help.''. The FBI one looks like: SHOT. Now the school was in full panic. But the call, on recording, picked up all the static noise of the center, other calls being taken, hearing myself asking somebody to close their line to take their breaks. Copyright 1999 The Denver Post. Dispatcher: Weve got a police officer on scene. Kevin Walker, positioned at a southern point in the student parking lot, is able shotgun). in the counseling hallway sees students in the north hallway running east I returned fire with my MP-5.''. The gunmen spotted Mark Kintgen, slowed by cerebral palsy, and shot one 9mm bullet into his head and another into his neck. By ABC News -- July 6 The following excerpts from the Columbine shooting 911 tapes, just released, show the confusion, anguish and attempts by law enforcement to deal with the unfolding situation: Call from teacher Patti Nielson hiding in library with children. What's also worse, is sometimes the linked lines, because the calls come in back to back, their seems to cause an echo on the lines, and sometimes you can also hear those calls, and the customers, softly talking as well. The tape of her call also records the gunmen taunting students, screams and gunshots. To better understand how such evil could take root in Jefferson County, The Denver Post interviewed dozens of students, teachers, investigators and parents to reconstruct the way two youths, cloaked in black trench coats, killed 13 and wounded 20 before fatally shooting themselves in the head. The final Columbine death toll: 15, including a mortally wounded teacher, Dave Sanders, who bled to death because police hesitated to move into the schoolhouse. The gunfire is consistent throughout the next seven minutes. shotguns out of their bags. another student, on the telephone with her mother, glances up in time to see the I have always wondered how much of the written 911 transcripts are merely from people putting down what they think they hear as opposed to matching up what witnesses in the library recall the shooters saying at various points with the tapes? Jefferson Jefferson Nielson: The school is in a panic. It's easier to have your priorities in order when you are faced with the idea you could die today, and you ask yourself have you done what you really need to do, or are you just flapping your wings?" at Columbine High School. Ireland closed his eyes. "I realize she's shot in the head. Theyve got him elevatedthe best they can. above. I think that's the start of my new year.". Apologies for the long post, but I couldn't think of another way to do it. Pierce Street to the south. There were flashbacks. and Chatfield Avenues. cafeteria area where it explodes. Audio File: a 911 call from inside the school, with fire alarm in background (placed at approximately 11:31 AM). I timed all of the ones that are in Patti Nielson's call, and I compared them to the times between the rings on 7 other phone calls, and found that they matched up (nearly) perfectly. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. At about 4:14 in Patti Nielson's call, someone distinctly says "okay." At 4:44 of Patti Nielson's call is when the aforementioned amateur transcripts say Eric says, "Alright, Dylan," or "I'm alright, Dylan". Harris peeled off 15 more bullets at the deputy. Rohrbough, Sean Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Gushing blood, Sanders staggered through the upstairs hallway while still managing to guide students. assumes the role of incident commander. I Can Hear Them Screaming Some time later, police officers talking to each other by phone, a mix of voices. Anyways. A pipe Kastle had swapped pizza and gossip with Klebold for years in their fantasy baseball league. Teacher: Yes, he is. Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver a killer shouted. of the schools custodial staff and faculty, including teacher William She was raising three children, one still in diapers. I then needed to establish a way to compare these calls that isn't by timestamps alone. lower parking lot of the high school. At least 30 survivors fled through the library's rear emergency exit. As she got closer, Nielson realized that the gun was real and was going to threaten Harris with campus security. Walker reports possibly seeing one of the gunmen through the windows on the County Dispatch asks if any deputies on scene have a long gun (a rifle or The first Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. She finished out last year and she taught for the first two months of this school year before taking leave. She hopes her absence is being seen as running toward her family, not running away from the memories. Jefferson County has confirmed gunshots fired at Columbine High School. Walker Harris, radios dispatch with a Code 33.. There is no way its Eric saying "Peakaboo" or Isaiah saying "mom" on this call within seconds between each phrase. Anne Marie Hochhalter was eating lunch with two friends outside the cafeteria when a bullet pierced her chest and left her paralyzed. informs the command post that bomb squads from the Jefferson County and Arapahoe shoots down the stairs hitting Anne Marie Hochhalter, From the student can be seen on the cafeteria videotape crawling out of the cafeteria I got all of the kids in the library on the floor.''. Attention, south units. "I looked up right into his eyes,'' Eubanks said. Harris and Klebold leave At about 4:17 in Patti Nielson's call, we can hear some yelling in the background, which is definitely from one of the shooters. 16 - Patti Nielson. The ground shook. Klebold is running behind them, but comes to an abrupt halt SHOT. Two others, Pat Ireland and Lisa Kreutz, were too wounded to move. that the command post and the SWAT staging area will be set up at that location. They have no intentions of releasing the audio in its entirety. and Klebold walk toward the food serving line in the cafeteria area. student Evan Todd heard a killer say. reports shots fired from inside the school. An example is at 1:07 in Patti Nielson's call, there's a loud gunshot or explosion and Patti Nielson exclaims, "Oh, God." Harris peeled off 15 more bullets at the deputy. "John didn't know these two boys any better than any other kids in the school. Together with two friends, Kirklin walked outside the cafeteria for a quick cigarette break. Stephanie Munson was in the hallway outside the principal's office when a bullet smashed through her leg, just above the ankle. "Peekaboo!'' the building. Officer to teacher: We dont have anybody in custody. Dooley sprinted for the door in front of the two killers. "I got up to him and saw he was shot in the chest,'' Phelan said. But she hasn't yet dealt with the piles of clippings and pictures and correspondence and teddy bears that overtook her living room and now live in her basement. 20 Avril 1999. Gruffer voice) -HEEYYY! -the leaked bit: oh my god help me help me! and shut the fuck up!. We went to the police twice.". Patti Nielson 9/11 Call (Columbine HS Massacre) by Unknown. Klebold ''. Deputy "They walked over to her and shot her again.''. Columbine High School and parks his 1986 gray Honda Civic in a space assigned to The eyewitness accounts are full of terror and courage, heartbreak and luck. 40.1 mb - right-click to save to your desktop, * Transcripts provided by Associated Press, * Transcripts provided by Associated Press and DISPATCH monthly, Audio File: Patti Nielson's 911 call from the library, Audio/Video File: Patti Nielson's 911 call from the library - "full" version, Transcript of Patti Nielson's 911 call from the library, Transcript of a student calling from Columbine to report a female injured in the parking lot, Audio File: 911 calls and police dispatch communications (1), Audio File: 911 calls and police dispatch communications (2), Transcript of a 6-minute dispatch tape JeffCo released to the media. Nielsen survived the massacre, but the library became a scene of carnage. And that was before two gun-wielding students changed her life. The families of the deceased were given an opportunity to listen to the recording; some of them declined. Jefferson But strangely, on the morning of the Columbine massacre, Harris warned Brooks Brown to go home just before the shooting started. Hearing more explosions inside the school, the SWAT officers reached Scott. Searle reports smoke coming from the building. coming from the schools northeast side. Deputy I'm working to get to April 21. Teacher These calls i have never heard and bravo to you for taking the time to audibly illustrate it for us. cafeteria. Suddenly Kastle fell through the ceiling, landing on the floor in front of a cafeteria exit. Patti Nielson begins to recite the Lord's Prayer while the operator encourages her to be quiet. "When the year 2000 hit, it wasn't like a new year for me," she said. "The cops will come.''. The Columbine High School massacre had begun. Most of the . She sounded like a tape recorder stuck in fast-forward. At Science Room 3, Sanders collapsed. I never attempted to explain this before. "As we crossed the open door, the suspect threw what turned out to be a homemade grenade. But I still won't do it if it starts to make me crazy or takes time from my kids. cafeteria and direct students to get down. Columbine High School. Moving from a small town in Oklahoma to oh-so-sophisticated Colorado, Austin Eubanks found it difficult to fit in. Shots fired on the southwest side with a large weapon.. lights on his patrol car flashing and the siren sounding. response to reports that one of the suspects may have left the building, several "I'm crouched down. One girl, facedown, was warm. Nielson, who suffered from a severe case of PTSD, refused to listen to the playback. Repeat. County Sheriffs Offices are en route. Nielson: I do not . one killer told a girl beneath a table. Between It sounds very convincing, and it's the main reason I did this project in the first place. During the incident, teacher Patty Nielson placed a call to 911 Emergency. In Patti Nielson's call, it says "in the building by cust--" before it's cut off by a gunshot. Another teacher, Doug Johnson, scrawled a message onto a dry-erase board and pressed it to a classroom window: "1 bleeding to death. Directly after this, another operator asks, "Can I help you?" She was teaching three art classes a day. students run out of the cafeteria through a side door. What do you actually hear on the available bits of the 911 call? call made by Patti Nielson from the library is terminated by the dispatch center The "full" 911 call of teacher Patti Nielson from the library on the day of the Columbine massacre. '', Beneath another table, a terrorized Austin Eubanks gripped the arm of his best friend, Corey DePooter, who somehow managed to keep calm. I told the captain, 'I think she's dead.' Lisa Kreutz had survived. cafeteria below. Columbine 911 call -Why didnt she just LOCK THE DOOR! Several At around four minutes and twenty seconds into the call, a large explosion erupts from Nielson's end of the line. Dispatcher talking to officer: Im getting additional reports now that the parties are still inside the school, still shooting, launching grenades. Scott didn't know that his sister, Rachel, already had been shot outside the cafeteria. Deputy She also fell behind on her master's. it ends before steven curnow even got shot. However, at 4:20, a noise often attributed to this yelling is from a 911 operator, and shows up at 0:15 in 11.29.25. area, is dispatched to the scene of the fire and explosion on Wadsworth After being grazed by a bullet in the. tape from the library records the sound of many gunshots being fired during this I hope I make sense and I worked there a year before I moved to a better paying job. The two teenage killers stood next to each other. In 2011, a Youtuber posted "leaked audio" of Lauren Townsend (18) being killed with Klebold's TEC-9 as Val Schnurr screams, "Oh God! length of the front counter. "I've got every student in this library on the floor,'' she told the dispatcher, and then screamed to the kids: "You guys just stay on the floor!'' While the first five and half minutes of the call have been released to the public, the rest of the audio is "available" in the form of a transcript. Outside the school's west exit, where Rachel Scott lay dead and Richard Castaldo was crippled, Eric Harris spotted Jefferson County sheriff's Deputy Neil Gardner, the school resource officer, in the Columbine parking lot. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Nielson has written to most of the families whose kids were killed. Teacher on phone, overheard talking to students: Get down.. Stay down. A shotgun fired and hit Townsend, Kreutz, Schnurr and Park. County Commissioner and Board Chairman Patricia Holloway. It was an older building. its late morning news program, Denvers KMGH-TV Channel 7 announces that Smoker advises dispatch that four down on the west side need to be evacuated. Schnurr had heard the result when Bernall professed her faith. the Jefferson County SWAT team and the Sheriffs Office command staff to be Deputy Theyve got some Band-Aids. I think I read that she escaped to a closet or something, but in her 60 Minutes interview she only mentions hiding in the librarian desk. Several They wounded art teacher Patricia "Patti" Nielson (35) and student Bryan Anderson (17) upon entry. Smoker radios that students are saying the shooter is wearing a black trench Nielson has written to most of the families whose kids were killed. Jefferson County sheriff's officials say their final Columbine report still is months from being finished. alarm in the cafeteria is activated. Though his buddies, Danny Rohrbough and Sean Graves, didn't smoke, the teens still met at lunch every day to swap Columbine High School small talk. Next to him, Scott curled in pain. Creepy huh?). A YouTube video shows a reconstruction[7] of how the 911 call transpired. Jefferson - AP special section I've got the kids on the floor. Shots in the building. Dispatch Jefferson They were playing a game.'' So he lifted his right arm, which had only one bullet. Bleeding from nine bullet and shrapnel wounds, Schnurr mumbled, "Oh, my God.''. So he was shot in the jaw? Im going to give this a proper read. reports several shots fired at Columbine High School. videotape. cancin: erased. With the killers still in the library, Hall tried to ward off Ireland's help. In 7 minutes, 10 people to watch the lower level main south doors of the school and the entrance to the Her head falls to the side,'' Phelan said. And hey if it works why fix it? on the Internet. leaning out of a broken window on the set of double doors into the school, begins Artista: Dead by april. Walker reports more explosions inside the school. (Sound of gunshots.) - How to share your thoughts Nothing close to what I read elsewhere. At 4:49 is when the amateur transcripts say one of the shooters says, "that bitch is not staying alive, go get her." "He shot me in the face.''. When I heard of this being a theory on the patti call, I listened and heard right away some things were those echos. Despite Two janitors locked themselves in a kitchen refrigerator, and another 20 students, teachers and cooks crammed into a pantry. Bullets whistled and windows shattered. suspects both take a moment to drink from water bottles left by students on the Seconds sleeve of a black trench coat shooting a. Klebold As chiiling as they are, such an important part of this horrifying puzzle. Barking orders in the stairway between the lower-level cafeteria, which was being bombed, and the main level hallway, Sanders led dozens of students out of harm's way. in the cafeteria realize the activity occurring outside is more serious than a containing enough explosive, student parking lots to sit in their respective cars, The Lt. Dave caller tells dispatch. Beneath a table huddled Lauren Townsend, Lisa Kreutz, Val Schnurr, Jeanna Park and Diwatta Perez. Lance Kirklin saw his friend being rescued. "He wanted to kill Brooks, said Randy Brown, so we went to the police with that. out the east main entrance, to Littleton Hospital. On April 20th, 1999, seniors Eric Harris (18) and Dylan Klebold (17) launched an attack on Columbine High School, located near the suburbs of Littleton, Colorado. Phil Hy arrives on scene and begins identifying and O.K.? So all the static noise your lining up, you can actually do with recorded calls coming from somebody who had to do this job. "Eric shot him once, and Daniel pushed chairs at him to try to make him stop, and Eric shot him again,'' said classmate Joshua Lapp, who was beneath a nearby table. Some people see it and think they are true. But I don't want to impose. "There's a nigger over here!'' windows near the cafeteria. County Patrol Deputy Rick Searle, on the upper grassy area on the southwest side During the incident, teacher Patty Nielson placed a call to 911 Emergency. Also, why are some of the written records of the prior warnings now missing? Patty Nielson. "Who's ready to die next?'' One of the biggest issues with detecting anything that Harris and Klebold said on Patti Nielson's 911 call is the extraneous background noise, some of which people believe to be Harris and Klebold talking. two-hour 911 phone call (from 11:29 a.m. to 1:24 p.m.) from a school secretary But toward the end of his freshman year at Columbine High School, he came across Corey DePooter a guy who, like Eubanks, appreciated the simple joys of golf, fly fishing and country music. The From the corner of his eye, though, he saw another girl get shot. requests emergency medical response to the west side of the school. I dont think Im going out there.. The Harris In Five years ago,Patti Nielson's life was turned upside down by a pair of violent teenagers whose actions Nielson and the rest of this Colorado community are still struggling to comprehend. Twenty-two steps above them, at the top of an outdoor concrete stairway, someone laughed. Dispatch Yeah, I guess I can try to go, but hes right outside that door. And bullets ricocheted off hallway lockers. Two more students are Deputy County Deputies Scott Taborsky and Paul Smoker arrive on the west side of the The Columbine Library Audio refers to a 911 call placed by art teacher Patti Nielson[1] as she hid inside the library of Columbine High School during the shooting rampage on April 20, 1999. going to come to an end. safe Seems like they were making the transcript off witness accounts and not from actual sound, which is backwards. carrying two large duffel bags So if a customer complained that one of my ladies swore on the phone, I would have to review that call, and fire for language. "My God, the gun is right outside the door,'' Nielson frantically told the dispatcher. Beneath the librarian's desk, Nielson whispered the Lord's Prayer. Klebold and Harris standing just inside the schools northwest entry doors. The two killers reached the middle of the library. However, it's another 911 operator, at 0:37 of 11.29.25, and the operator says "okay, I'm gonna keep you on the phone, ma'am, I'm gonna keep you on the phone." Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The paramedic rolled her over and found open eyes full of tears. Dispatch just Hoping a simple human gesture might stop the bloodshed, Steepleton peered from 20 feet away directly into Klebold's eyes. Email. I thought it was probably a video production, she said, so I went out there to tell him to stop., It was then she realized it was real as one of the young gunmen turned around and fired in her direction. weekly ad specials from the denver post voices of columbine PATTI NIELSON Mother, Columbine teacher, library survivor By Susan Besze Wallace Denver Post Staff Writer Apr. school lunch tables. The other put his gun in his mouth. But I still won't do it if it starts to make me crazy or takes time from my kids. But mostly there was a resetting of priorities, she says. Upon entering the library, Harris shouts, "Get up!" Patti Nielson speaks at a Capitol Hill news conference on gun control. But harm found him. Why can't I just take care of my kids? Walker. Dispatch Dispatch There are two other useful files that aren't necessary: Here is a link to my Audacity file if you'd like to listen to them yourself, and here is a link to the audio that I've put side-by-side after the shooters enter the library, with Nielson's call on the right side, and the background audio on the left side. Let's get out of here!''. Harris I'm working to get to April 21. Neilson was in the library when she placed the call. A shard of bomb shrapnel flew into DiManna's cheek. when he hears dispatch report that a female is down in the south lower lot of Help reached him too late. Some yelling occurs at 4:33 of Patti Nielson's call, and is, in fact, from one of the shooters. Kids are screaming . Regaining consciousness later at Denver Health Medical Center, Kreutz remembered the pain of being rolled onto her wounded shoulder. news announces reports of two gunmen at Columbine High School. Sgt. I think that's the start of my new year.". The terror soon would follow her inside the school. "I'm perfectly willing to talk to any of them. north main hallway. Remaining behind in the library, though, were severely wounded students Pat Ireland and Lisa Kreutz, as well as teacher Patti Nielson, who was hiding inside a cabinet. Could it have been averted?Five years later, nobody knows exactly why Harris and Klebold went on that murderous rampage. Ambulance traffic addressing SWAT teams searching for Sanders: We are still in contact with some patients via cell phone in the school. one killer shouted. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The first shots rang out at 11:08 a.m. After killing two students and wounding several others outside the school, the gunmen entered the building. And they are having very much difficulty in controlling the bleeding. Deputy In summary, there's only 3 concrete instances of the shooters talking and/or yelling, and all of the rest is background noise from the 911 call center. Klebold and Harris made in their homemade videotapes, the investigation "I wasn't going to know if I could go back unless I tried. Wadsworth. Time and again, they were savage enough to spray a classmate with bullets, hear the moans of pain, and then silence the cries with a final gunshot at point-blank range. Several seconds after this event in 11.23.11, the caller says "they just shot, shot somebody inside the cafeteria.". The call was placed at 11:25 a.m.[4] She relays to the operator that she was on hall duty when she noticed an unfamiliar male student (Eric Harris) holding what appeared to be "a large [prop] gun." With two 9mm bullets in his left arm, one in the right and at least three others piercing his lungs, kidney and vertebrae, Castaldo somehow remained conscious.