Columbine: Reporter's Perspectives, Part I

Local Columbine Courier reporter Caren Boddie, who arrived at Columbine High School before other media and most emergency personnel, has since left the small weekly newspaper.

Boddie's home and Columbine High School are both located in unincorporated Jefferson County. She was at home when her editor called about the shooting. In 10 minutes she was on the scene, while the killers were still in the building.

"The weirdest thing is those guys were still alive inside shooting and the fire alarm was going off, but it was just a heavy silence where I was. I didn't hear any of that stuff. Maybe I did hear it and I just blocked it out, but what I remember is silence."

The area had not yet been secured, Boddie said. She saw a law officer and ran to him, stating she was going to follow him.

"He looked like he was really in shock," she said. "He didn't question it. Then a couple of grown men ran out of the building and we ran over to them. They had seen where the incident just started. One had tried to warn students and the other just hightailed it."

At that point, Boddie said, the officer turned toward her and issued a warning. If she used any of the statements the men were giving, he said, she could be prosecuted.

Soon, the chaos began and those who had escaped from the school started to congregate at the police line now marked with tape. The sound of helicopters and sirens of emergency vehicles filled the air, and Boddie began to interview students.

"One thing that stands out in my mind," she said. "These kids (Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold) were persecuted in the school. I think back to that moment at the police tape and everybody — all of the students — said they were constantly picked on."

Since Columbine was her beat, Boddie covered the story for months. "It was overwhelming," she said.

"It was supposed to be this part-time job that was supplementing my other income and it had become my whole life. I went up to full time and beyond."

As a result, Boddie said, she confused her priorities. "The paper was first and my family was second," she said. "I was too stressed and it was affecting my family."

In addition to the stress of covering the story, Boddie said some glaring headline errors, particularly one on an exclusive story with the school librarian, made the situation worse.

"Most of the students who were killed died in the library," she said. "It was very, very sensitive — she put her career on the line. At that time, the parents were all understandably upset with the school and administration. She was very careful about what she said. She was very supportive of the parents."

During a phone interview with the librarian, Boddie said a student had come in complaining about the temporary library the students had to use after the original facility had been boarded up. The librarian asked the student if he wanted to speak to Boddie.

When he got on the phone, Boddie said, he praised the librarian and talked about how much he wanted the old library back. During the conversation, the student said he thought the librarian should have her classroom back.

Unfortunately, Boddie said, the story was published with the headline: "Librarian wants her classroom back."

"It was just devastating to her," Boddie said, noting that the librarian has since left the field of education.

The intense dislike and distrust for the media that grew out of Columbine also influenced her decision to leave the newspaper, Boddie said.

"When you come from New York and you cover the story and go home, it's not a biggie to you if you upset people. They weren't really upset about what I had written, just the media. The people here grew to hate anybody who had anything to do with the media. This is my community and that just became way too much for me."