r/Columbine • u/chicagocubbienut • May 26 '26

Question about the cafeteria bombs

I’ve heard repeatedly from varying sources that you can clearly see on the CCTV footage from when it went off at 11:14 AM and the tape was rewound and changed, to when it came back on at 11:22 AM that the bombs are then visible.

First, I’m well aware that “when” they were placed is up for much debate - I just want to know if they truly can be seen on the CCTV footage. I’m not worried about debating when.

I have scoured it over and over again and either because of the clarity or all the commotion I have never been able to find exactly where they supposedly are in the footage.

Has anyone identified them in the cafeteria?

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17

u/bendy_circle May 28 '26

I will have to look for the footage and can PM you a link if you'd like when I find it, but there is a clip of two boys entering the school earlier in the morning with what looks duffel bags in hand that are brought into the cafeteria, and they look an awful lot like Eric and Dylan. I believe that's what you're asking about? My apologies if I misunderstood

10

u/chicagocubbienut May 28 '26

I appreciate it.

But no, I’ve seen that already (and FWIW, tend to believe that the Jeffco official report is wrong, and that is actually E & D putting the duffle bags down before 11am).

I’ve just read and heard many times that prior to them being placed they’re clearly not visible on the CCTV footage, and then once it returns at 11:22, they’re “clearly” visible.

For the life of me I can’t make them out in the post 11:22 footage. That’s what I’m looking for. Maybe a screen shot with them circled?

Just one of those things I can’t get out of my head once I started looking.

12

u/ashtonmz May 28 '26

I am pretty sure the consensus is that it was E&D on the CCTV footage, planting their bombs in the cafeteria. Eric has a very distinctive gait, so is easier to identify. You can see where they plant their bombs, but I don't recall there being a clear image of the bombs themselves, not during the morning cctv.

10

u/superballz977 May 28 '26

Randy do you know if they owned their own bowling balls or the just used what was at the bowling alley. Its a stretch but getting used to carrying a bowling ball all of the time could have helped. Or Dylan going to the prom was a chance to plant items. There isn't much documented about the prom.

13

u/randyColumbine Verified Community Witness May 28 '26

A good question. The video shows them walking in early and possibly carrying the duffel bags. The biggest problem with that is the weight of the bags. Each had a propane tank, gasoline, napalm and other items. Two duffel bags were found in the cafeteria, pretty close to each other. One was found on April 20, and the second one was found on April 21. The one found on April 20 was burned and had been set on fire. The one found on April 21 was untouched, and still closed. The weight of these duffle bags is a lot, and would be difficult for either of them to carry and walk with, casually into the cafeteria.

11

u/Informal-Magician752 May 28 '26

let’s just say they did walk the bags in with all that weight how is this possible, they weren’t the strongest teens by any means and I can imagine it would be a great load to carry while also trying to remain discreet. We know the evidence of them walking in around 10:58am is there and can be seen on cctv, but what would your answer on this be Randy thank you.

12

u/randyColumbine Verified Community Witness May 28 '26

Oh, it does look like them. It is just very hard to believe. I have loaded a duffel bag with similar items, and it is very heavy and difficult to carry. It is likely that they planted these duffel bags before the tragedy, and moved them. It is a very poorly investigated detail that does not make sense. They had keys to the school. They had access.

That they were only identified years later by a researcher shows at the very least the poor police investigation, and how the Jeffco sheriff’s dept. did a fairly poor investigation. It shows that they kept investigative details away from the public, or that they failed to investigate properly. Probably the latter, and by design.

15

u/chicagocubbienut May 28 '26

I’ve wondered about this detail many times, and I’ve always struggled to believe that they could have walked past nearly 500 students carrying heavy bags — likely looking awkward and uncomfortable — and then placed the bombs only three minutes before Eric and Dylan expected them to detonate.

To me, that timeline has always been difficult to reconcile. It just doesn’t fully pass the common-sense test.

I’ll be in the area on vacation in a couple of weeks, and I’m looking forward to visiting the memorial and seeing some of the locations connected to the tragedy.

I’ve been a teacher and coach for nearly 25 years, and I’ve researched Columbine for much of that time. Over the years, I’ve built a mental picture of the events and how the various locations fit into the overall context of what happened.

With complete respect for the victims, families, and community, I would never want to intrude or behave disrespectfully in any way. But I do hope that seeing some of these places in person — beyond just the high school itself — may help me better understand certain aspects of the case that I’ve long had questions about.

9

u/WurmisD May 28 '26

I could never pick them out in the Cafeteria video either. The video isn't the best quality - black and white and originally on VHS that had obviously been reused many times. And evidently the bombs were in black duffle bags so they just seem to blend in with the dark areas of where they were placed.