More than two years before the Columbine shootings, Wayne Harris began keeping track of his son’s disputes with friends and his progression through the criminal justice system for breaking into a van.
A 60-sheet notebook marked “Eric” contains names, phone numbers and notes on Eric’s activities but reveals few insights into the retired Air Force officer’s thoughts and emotions about his 18-year-old son.
Wayne Harris wrote on several occasions in 1997 that “we feel victimized, too” in dealing with Randy and Judy Brown’s accusations that Eric broke their son’s windshield with snowballs.
The Browns’ son, Brooks, “is out to get Eric,” Harris wrote on April 19, 1997. “We don’t want to be accused every time something supposedly happens. Eric is not at fault.”
Randy Brown, whose name and phone number are the journal’s first entry, said Thursday that the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office didn’t do its job in investigating his family’s concerns.
“We have to find out what caused this,” Randy Brown said.
The journal was not released until Thursday, and the Harris family had battled for years to withhold it and other documents. Their attorney did not return calls seeking comment Thursday.
Brian Rohrbough, whose son Danny was killed outside the school, said Thursday that the journal “tells you this kid was dangerous” and shows Eric Harris’ parents knew what was going on.
On Sept. 21, 1998, Eric wrote in a school assignment about a time “when it was bad to be good.” He had to give his parents “all my weapons” since he had messed up.
“It was bad not because I might use the weapons, just because I paid good money or spent a lot of time making them. It made me feel that all that time and money was wasted. But since weapons are dangerous and my parents didn’t trust me, I suppose it was for the better,” Eric wrote.
On the day of the 1999 school shootings, Wayne Harris told police he had “no reason to believe” his son would be involved in such a situation, according to documents released in 2000.
Friends told a different story to police. They said the two killers – Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold – had built bombs, including one they said was confiscated by Eric’s father. Wayne Harris doesn’t address such a situation in the journal.
His journal entries turned clinical after Eric and Klebold were caught in January 1998 breaking into a van in Deer Creek Canyon.
Harris weighed choosing an attorney and a psychologist, and what the juvenile diversion program would mean.
Undated entries at the journal’s end indicated Harris imposed rules on his son.
Harris wrote that Eric was unwilling to control his sleep and study habits and was “unmotivated to succeed in school.”
“We can deal with (No.) 1 and (No. ) 2,” Harris wrote, by limiting TV, phone and computer use and having “lights out” at 10 p.m.
“You must deal with (No.) 3,” Harris directed at Eric. “Prove to us your desire to succeed by succeeding, showing good judgment, giving extra effort, pursuing interests, seeking help, advice.”
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
