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'''Eric David Harris''' (April 9, 1981 – April 20, 1999) and '''Dylan Bennet Klebold''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|l|iː|b|oʊ|l|d}}; September 11, 1981 – April 20, 1999) were an American [[mass murder]] duo who killed 13 people and wounded 24 others{{refn|group=n|Harris and Klebold directly wounded 21 people by gunfire; three others received injuries related to the attack.}} on April 20, 1999 at [[Columbine High School]] in [[Columbine, Colorado|Columbine]], [[Colorado]], just weeks before they were to graduate. This became known as the [[Columbine High School massacre]]. Harris and Klebold were [[senior (education)|senior]]s at the school at the time of the shooting. Both perpetrators committed [[suicide]] in the library, where they had killed 10 of their victims. The ''[[Napa Valley Register]]'' has called them "cultural icons" for disenfranchised youth. Harris and Klebold's shooting spree still remains one of the most infamous shootings in history. The shooting would also go on to cause a massive moral panic in society, leading more schools to implement [[Zero tolerance (schools)|zero tolerance policies]].
Harris and Klebold were both born in 1981. While Klebold stayed situated all of his life in Colorado, Harris moved around frequently due to his father being a [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] transport pilot. Harris finally situated in [[Littleton, Colorado]] in 1993, when his father was forced to retire. The boys had met sometime while they were in the 7th grade at Ken Caryl Middle School. Over time, they became increasingly close. By the time they were juniors, they were described as inseparable. There are differing reports, some say Harris and Klebold were very unpopular students and frequent targets of bullying, while others say they weren't near the bottom of the school's social hierarchy and each had many friends. The pair were known to have near opposite personalities. Harris was described by his peers as more outgoing and charismatic, while Klebold was known to be more quiet and shy. They were both arrested in January 1998 for breaking into a van and stealing equipment. They got into a [[Diversion program|diversionary program]], to help the boys stay out of any more trouble by going to frequent meetings with their psychiatrists and doing community service, while expunging their [[criminal record]]s if they passed, which they successfully did at the beginning of 1999. By their journal entries, they began planning the attack by May 1998, gathering an arsenal of weapons and building explosives. The pair left behind many journal writings and home videos, foreshadowing the massacre and explaining their actions, with what they hoped to achieve. They would often cite the 1995 [[Oklahoma City Bombing]] as an inspiration and as a goal to surpass the bombing's casualties.
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