“A teacher described him as unattractive and a slacker..” Nah..I see no evidence of a bullying culture in that school at all.

The teacher calling Dylan "unattractive" and "a slacker" kind of tells you all you need to know about the "bullying culture" at that place during that time. It is never cool for a teacher to comment on the attractiveness of a student. Just weird.

Columbine had a huge bullying problem. The teachers simply didn't give a fuck. Anybody that was different was an outcast. Somebody gets pushed into a locker enough times, and teachers ignore it, you don't just start hating the individual bully, but you begin to hate the school itself for allowing it.

My brother was bullied relentlessly through school, he had social issues and didn't speak.. I was worried about him and how he might react.. kids were so, so mean.. teachers always told my parents it wasn't a problem.. but I was there.. it was a huge problem.. I never understood why they denied the bullying like that.. made us both out to be dramatic liars.. it was like teachers were gaslighting us..

" he tells that student to leave, because he likes him" this is why I am always nice to people who seem like theyre on the edge

"The faculty and the staff adamantly denied there was any type of excessive bullying or harassment at the school" Yeah they always do. In most cases they are either blind or lying.

Since when the hell does a teacher call a student "unattractive?" lmfao

Jeesh, if one of his teachers felt the need to describe Dylan as "unattractive" you wonder how nasty the environment in that school was for awkward outcasts. If the teachers couldn't spot vulnerable students (and have some empathy for them) what chance did anyone have?

The parents of Eric and Dylan had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements to the families of the victims..yet, why wasnt the school held accountable when there were so many red flags ? Why wasnt the police dept held accountable?

I wouldn't say Dylan applying for college means he truly was hopeful for his future. I applied for college in the last year of high school because of the pressure from my parents. While doing that I had a specific suicide plan all along and no intention whatsoever to live to even graduate high school. It was kind of to shut up my parents but to me the applications didn't mean nothing, I had no dreams or hopes and therefore just applied to something that sounded reasonable. Thankfully I got my own depression sorted out and actually went onto college and not suicide.

My school was so toxic when it came to bullying. Most teachers ignored it and at worst participated. It was like the teachers acted like they were students as well. This was back between 95 through 98 that I’m referring to by the way.

My father has always told me the story of a kid in his school when he was in high school. A kid of small stature was always being bullied- one big kid in particular was especially cruel. One day at lunch, the small kid stabbed the big kid. My dad says, "No one ever bothered that kid again." My dad is 72.

"This was the deadliest shooting in history at that time..." Says a lot how as a society we didn't improve

The officer was also probably thinking “I’m shooting at a kid, holy crap.”

I remember the media blamed their shooting on playing the videogame Doom. It sure wasn't the videogames fault. I played Doom ever since I was a kid and I turned out fine. I was also bullied at school and I understand wanting to get payback on the bullies but to actually go through with it means either they reached a total breaking point or they were mentally unstable.

I've read "Eric went to the school to kill and didn't care if he died. Dylan went there to die and didn't care if he killed"

this man doesn't laugh at his own jokes. like ever. the humor sneaks up on me.

I think what makes this case unique is that there were two shooters. Ther fact that two teenagers reached the same point of desperation and homicidal self destruction together is utterly shocking.

"Bullying culture" has been around in every school for decades. Only back when I was a kid, you could physically confront the bullies and not worry about being expelled or criminalized for it. Now, you're punished for standing up for yourself which leaves these kids with hate and no alternative (in their mind) but to do these things.

“A teacher described him as unattractive..." And they want to say there was no bullying in that school. Yeah, okay lmfao. This actually happened to me once while I was at school. I was in the line at lunch and the lunch lady got the attention of another woman and pointed at my legs and said "Look at how skinny his legs are!" This was humiliating for me, because I had been struggling with an eating disorder and finally gained the confidence to wear something tighter that day. So, while it's deeply unfortunate that the teachers/staff at Columbine were verbally abusive to (or when talking about) their students, it does not surprise me in the slightest.

Marilyn Manson was once asked what he would say to these boys... He said “ I would say nothing, I would just listen to them, something no one ever did”

Dylan's mother did a Ted Talk and you can tell how genuinely confused she was and not understanding on why her son would do this.

I lived and worked near Columbine. I'll never forget that day. It was almost surreal.

"The faculty and staff adamantly deny that their was any time of bullying or harassment." I have dealt with schools and teachers when I was a kid about bullying. The teachers don't care. The school doesn't care. The only time they care is when the result of the bullying brings them into a negative light.

Dr. Grande, To be honest I watched this video to see why you were doing it, and to probably criticize it. However, you did a very reasonable analysis based on the information you have. Nice work Randy Brown A Columbine parent.

The most surprising thing here is that Dr G really seems to know his guns

I was treated very well in high school from 2000 - 2004 because it was fresh on everyone's mind and I wore death metal shirts every day. They would all be nice to the metal heads because you never know who's going to shoot people. I don't approve of what they did, it was horrible, but I think we do need to acknowledge that it placed an important issue in the spotlight and I think a lot of people thought twice about bullying for a while after that. High school is the worst period of a lot of people's lives.

It's been said that school is 10% about getting an education and 90% about finding your place in the pecking order. From my personal experience, this is correct.

I loved "he thought of himself as schizophrenic, clearly not understanding what's involved with that disorder"

Case suggestion: the Oscar Pistorius case. The South African Olympian who shot and killed his girlfriend and claimed it was by accident. He never denied shooting her, so a lot of his defense rested on his state of mind and mental health. Would love to hear your thoughts.

I'm a little shocked at how even a teacher would describe either of these kids as unattractive -- worst still, that they would feel compelled to make it their case to describe anyone's children as such. I was a child of the 90's however, so I know better then to doubt this. Life was hell. Don't let the up beat music fool you. 💙

You know shit is bad when KZfaq asks "you sure bro" twice

I'd be VERY interested in your analysis of Dylan Klebold's MOTHER, especially in light of (KZfaq) interviews where she said she had "no idea her son was depressed or suicidal" and that there weren't any serious warning signs (of something of this magnitude.) Was/Is she THAT different than thousands of other parents who think their teens might just be going through a rough patch? and where there ARE no dire outcomes? As a psychologist, what would you advise parents to look for and when to seriously intervene?

I have a friend who hung out with them. They said they were very laid back . They liked video games and nerdy things and were very quiet, my friend never would have guessed that they would do this.

I graduated high school in 98' and I remember watching this live on the news. It was so shocking and horrible. I wonder how the victims feel watching similar events happen year after year with nothing changing. It's so sad.

The 90s was big on bullying especially by adults. When I was in middle school I had to take a form to all my teachers about how I dressed in order to join the cheerleading team. So if you were poor and unable to buy nice clothes you couldn’t join.

I remember reading an article showing Eric completed a psychiatric questionnaire and ticked "depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts " and "homicidal thoughts"... Yet nothing was really done. I do wonder if anything could have changed if the red flags were taken seriously.

I wonder how these guy's would've turned out if they never met. This is like the perfect storm for chaos for 2 psychos to team up.

Dylans mum is a very sweet lady and I hate how she was treated. Sue wrote in her book something like the day Dylan was born she felt like this huge shadow or like a bird of prey come over her and she thought this boy will cause suffering for many...of course as a mother she didn't want to believe that I'm sure and brushed it off..but that gave me chills.

The kid in the library who asked “hey Dylan…what are you doing” was one of the actual members of the trench coat mafia. He later said the group just played D&D together. Just thought the name sounded cool. Neither perp was in the group at all.

Applying to colleges isn't an indication of looking forward to the future. His parents and teachers probably pushed him to apply. It's like a homework assignment. It's expected.

Breakfast, coffee and Dr. Grande. Couldn’t ask for a better morning.

If you are so depressed that you view your own life as worthless, then it isn't a stretch to think you likely won't value other people's lives either, especially when these others are a source for much of your sorrow.

I always wonder when does a person cross that line in their mind? This whole thing is such a tragedy. Just a horrible, horrible tragedy.

When faculty and staff say there is no bullying problem, they are naive. It is the same as a prison guard saying there are no drugs in this prison.

Dr. Grande produces quality content faster than any KZfaqr I’ve ever watched.

School culture is like prison culture. The strong beat up on the weak and the guards stand back and look away.

In my school the headmaster always said "we don't tolerate bullying".... I had learning difficulties I got picked on everyday and the 5 years I was there.......... 3 kids committed suicide due to bullying

What always amazes me about these kinds of situations is the lack of hope for the future. Eric and Dylan only had to hang on for two more months and they would have been DONE with high school forever. They could have gone on to college, got girlfriends (or boyfriends) and careers, had lives. How hopeless must you be to think that murder suicide is your best option? They had the foresight and self control to plan the attack, but not to plan for a life after high school. Strange.

My sister went to high school with Eric before he moved CO and went to columbine... he was quiet but nice. You can look it up he lived in NY before he moved to CO since his dad was in the military. It’s wild she knew him, and how different her experiences with him were than what happened in Colorado.

I understand these two very well. They gave each other emotional validation that was missing in their families. Neither of my parents was interested in learning something new together with me. They were always too busy for that. So they gave me things to keep me busy instead of their time. If I wanted to spend time with them I had to be interested in what they were already interested in. And if I was a better at that thing then they shunned me for it. So I never felt like I fit in or could be the best at anything and it was very hard to create fulfilling relationships and that caused deep depression and alternating rage in me. My solution was to move away as soon as I could to a place where I found like minded people who became my emotional family. That's where I started to understand my issues and begin to deal with them. But I understand the rage that leads to violence and its not surprising to me that kids shoot up schools or that adults shoot up work places to "get even". Because schools are supposed to be able to help you deal with these very issues and yet they fail again and again. And adult workplaces are supposed to be where you self-actualize and grow. But when you can't do that because someone is holding you back or the system works so poorly it becomes abusive then some people will self actualize through violence. In that sense it's a rational response. Take from it what you will.

As someone who has been researching columbine for the longest time I really like your take on Dylan And Eric's Mental health and on the whole situation. I'm also pretty sure that that student who Eric told to leave was Brooks Brown.

Ask A Mortician has a FABULOUS documentary entitled "Why Do We Get Columbine So Wrong" that I cannot suggest enough. As someone only barely older than these kids (I was an undergrad) I was very caught up in the story, and Caitlyn does an amazing job of really going deeply into the history, and why we have lauded these anti-heroes in some areas of our culture.

Everything about this is so tragic, and makes me wonder why all educators at all levels aren't trained in some way to spot alarming behaviors or attitudes.

Many years ago, I was told of a plan a high school student had to "do a columbine". This person had access to firearms and had put it all down in writing, with illustrations and so forth. When I immediately took my knowledge to the school, I was in a circle of teachers, school counsellors, principal and deputy principal and was openly ridiculed by all, as a fantastical story. About a week later, I was called and told (not apologised to), by the deputy principal and informed that an English teacher had come across these plans in the student's notebook, whilst walking around the class, as the students were doing a task. Action was then taken. Now, my point here, is that I was attempting to stop a massacre and felt bullied for doing the right thing, as well as scoffed at. It is not only students who bully other students, but also teachers at times. They often side with the "popular gangs", who are usually the most unkind to others, possibly to make their lives easier, but uts wrong. Even when first hand knowledge was presented to them, they chose to ignore it and shoot the messenger, so to speak. There is an awful undercurrent here of not wanting to know the truth and ignoring huge red flags. When cases like these and many, many other criminal acts occur, it infuriates me that all these people come out, after the fact and give important information or knowledge of people's mental states, plans, thoughts and other actions, leading up to the crimes. I will never understand why people don't speak out and follow through, before these horrific acts are perpetrated. They don't want to get involved and it is weak and negligent in my opinion anyway, yet it happens time and time again.

cannot believe how easily people slip through the cracks . Mental health is so important it’s devastating it got to this point, this was really the event that lead to a chain reaction over the years, so many people saw this as the blue print , soo so sad

Daniel Conner Mauser, 6/25/83--4/20/99, was one of the 13 victims. Conner is Linda's maiden name. Linda is his mom & my friend.

The trauma history might not be documented or even in the home.. being bullied is traumatic. I’m not defending murder I’m just saying “no trauma history” doesn’t sound right to me

I'm so glad I found this channel. Your analysis of each topic is so in depth but very easy to follow.

I’m allowed to listen to music or videos while at work, and I’m so thankful I found this account bc I’ve been binging these videos all morning. Your voice is so soothing

I agree about the denial of the teachers. They saw the signs, but chose to ignore them. Then when hell breaks loose, it's all matter of media's fault and not their own for ignoring the bullying. They were failed by every adult in their lives because they couldn't be bothered.

i am constantly impressed by both the subject matter you choose to examine, and the way you frame the examination with cool objectivity...your humor and compassion make for entertaining content without negating the science. you maintain an admirable balance, doctor...and your rapid channel growth speaks volumes. well done.

You broke it down professionally and with candor. Thanks for your insights

Ty Dr. Grande for the research of such a deeply sad situation.

If you want to know more, what the FFM is actually all about. Dr. Grande has a very interesting playlist with 18 videos, explaining the FFM - (big 5) personality traits (OCEAN), with all the 30 facets in relationship with personalities, mental health and more. Thanks for all the work in making this video, Dr. Grande 😃🇳🇱

The subject of those two teens is extremely extremely dark and your take on this is very interesting. Thank you.

really great breakdown, helps a lot hearing a professional speak about real cases like this helps me gain insight into how psychologists operate, thank you

You’re videos are remarkable I am learning so much about mental health and personality there is so much to learn I’m amazed you keep me so interested I can’t stop watching I wish I was in one of your classes

I've put immeasurable hours over the last 15 years analyzing every facet of this case and I have to say this is one of the better takes I've seen, especially on KZfaq. When I see videos like this I usually cringe because it's almost always the same surface level diagnosis lacking any sort of nuance by either blaming bullying entirely and writing off everything else or regurgitating the ridiculous Dave Cullen theory that bullying never happened at all and Eric was actually a super popular playboy and psychopathic mastermind ignoring all the mountains of conflicting evidence.

John Savage: What are you doing? Dylan Klebold: Just killing people. John Savage: Are you going to kill me? Dylan Klebold: Nah man just get out of here

This was a very well done video. You stayed to objective fact as much as anyone could in the situation. Looking forward to more

By far one of the best analysis on this massacre--there aren't enough positive adjectives to describe your brilliance. Thank you for laying things out as you do. You are hilarious with your humor!

You make an excellent point about Harris keeping his cool during the firefight with the deputy, it would be normal to panic. I think that their training with firearms was a major factor, plus his mindset. By far, one of the most fascinating videos that you've made.

I feel kind of bad for that deputy. He probably lives with that guilt every day.

Revisiting this after the tragedy of Uvalde. Horrific that procedure changed after this for more aggressive police reaction in such a situation and we still fell flat. Just horrific.

Really enjoyed the analysis, but even more so, thank you for sharing your academic sources. Looking forward to reading these

Dylan klebold was reachable with the right help. He was just depressed and you put him with Eric Harris and there you go

This is the best documentary I've ever heard about the topic. All others focus on their specific pet theory what was the single reason. Your balanced analysis really stands out and once more highlights the involvement of narcissistic personality features in this type of attack.

Excellent analysis, Dr Grande. It sounds right, from what I've seen and read before about these two young men.

This was a very good assessment, very well done. I think you're the first person I've heard to define them as narcissistic and that seems to be a very accurate assessment on both of them. It would explain why they had a goal to kill hundreds, even knowing they might kill their friends, instead of singling out those that personally wronged them. Narcissists have very little regard for anyone but themselves.

I appreciate you explaining why the police engaged the situation as they did, whether we like it or not. As Paul Harrell once said, “it’s very easy to critique in leisure what others had to do in haste.”

Teacher says: "...unattractive and a slacker" Maybe the school staff needs an assessment, do you they have a culture of Elitism or controlling?

People have got to be nicer to others. You never know what is going to set another person off. Things have got to change. Civility has to be taught at school because most parents aren’t teaching it at home. Being a parent doesn’t come with an instruction book, so it should be taught in school. We have some very good Doctors like Dr Grande that need to help design programs for schools. And the rules have to be enforced in all schools. It shouldn’t depend on race, sex, wealth or age. Kids need to know someone needs to care about you. Thanks Dr Grande I think you are amazing and Americans should listen to you.

Excellent commentary, Dr. Grande.

It's strange to hear him say that Eric wanted to leave an impression on the world...he kind of got his wish :/

I remember the media craze around this. Every thing from music video games, even medications were being blamed for making the kids kill.

When I did research on this years ago, I remember reading accounts from other students who described Eric as a typical "popular kid", in the sense that he had an aura of charisma around him as well as being a massive bully himself. That he was a troublemaker too, but would play all innocent and that teachers would fall for it every time. It was really only Dylan who was bullied. I wouldn't consider wanting to get revenge because of something like that necessarily indicative of any sort of narcissism at that age. From what I know, particularly in the teenage years almost every child exhibits elements of sociopathy or narcissism as a result of the brain still developing, and it's particularly notable in teenagers likely because of pruning is part of it. That's why therapists are hesitant to give personality disorder diagnoses except in very extreme cases (which Eric likely was).

I read the book that Dylan’s mother wrote a few years ago. It was 💔 . I can’t imagine having to go on with life knowing my child is responsible for murdering all those innocent people, Then feeling guilty for mourning my child. In her book she says while the shooting was going on she prayed that if her son was the shooter that he would kill himself so no one else would be hurt. That sentence broke my heart and I had compassion for her. I pray she will find peace one day. 🥹

"Silhouettes don't typically shoot back. And if they do, its probably time to find another range. " Love the dry humor drop!

I really love the way that you present cases and explain them in a clear manner. There is just something about you and your videos that I love. Thanks.

They were relentlessly bullied and harassed.

I like the finer points distinguishing psychopath from sociopath.

Another case suggestion: the inventor Peter Madsen who dismembered a reporter called Kim Wallin in a submarine.

Overall - this is one of the better assessments I've come across from those who have researched the tragedy. Thank you for your efforts to provide clarity. I would add that the Zoloft and Luvox contributed to Eric's fearlessness, eradication of empathy and drive to actually go through with it. He journaled about this - that these drugs helped him to fuel the rage and complete his suicide mission. Also I would add both were heavy drinkers. In hindsight, my stance now is that the tragedy nearly did not happen. As Seniors, we had only three weeks to go until graduation. In their cores, both boys ultimately wanted to heal and move on to much different lives after high school. There are plenty of healing solutions that were not available to them that I feel would have prevented the tragedy. Chad 1999 Columbine Graduate

I love the in depth dive on the shoot out between Eric n the officer. There wasn't much info on it. Great job I thought I had heard it all except bout the interaction of Harris n police, what a pleasant surprise thanks Dr.!

All of these videos by DR Grande are so awesome too watch especially learning in depth about things ,you might think you know . (Where your own assumptions could be totally false)

Would you talk about The Virginia Tech massacre with a psychological analysis of the shooter?

I was a freshman when this happened one state over, I do sympathize somewhat with them because the culture in that area at that time in schools was hard in its own way. If you were not from a Christian, 2 parent family a jock or smart and pretty, you were a nobody to everyone, including teachers and staff.. they hated that whole school and the culture there.

This case has haunted me for years. I never knew they were throwing pipe bombs.

Dear Dr G another superb analysis. Also your knowledge of firearms is very impressive.