On April 20, 1999, 2 students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, entered Columbine High School on a mission of death. In the aftermath, 12 students, 1 teacher died and more than 20 others were injured before Harris and Klebold took their own lives. While the tragedy of Columbine devastated the families of those that were killed, a similar devastation occurred with the family of the killers. Their devastation, however, was mixed with isolation, as they had to deal with not only the loss of their sons, but also the anger of the community against them. And against Dylan’s mom, Sue. Sue wrote that when she learned about what was happening at Columbine High, “[w]hile every other mother in Littleton was praying that her child was safe, I had to pray that mine would die before he hurt anyone else.” Come hear her story.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Ms. Klebold remained out of the public eye while struggling with devastating grief and humiliation. Her search for understanding would span over fifteen years during
which she volunteered for suicide prevention organizations, questioned experts, talked with fellow survivors of loss, and examined the crucial intersection between mental health problems and violence. As a result of her exploration, Sue emerged a passionate advocate, dedicated to the advancement of mental health awareness and intervention.
In this event, Ms. Klebold will share her painfully tragic, deeply emotional story as EOIE continues to explore the depths of mental illness and depression. EOIE will purchase copies of her book A Mother’s Reckoning for all attendees.