An essay by the mother of Columbine killer Dylan Klebold says she had "no inkling" of her son's inner turmoil, and her examination of his journals has prompted her to learn about suicide in an effort to understand the 1999 school shooting.
The essay by Susan Klebold, which appears in the November issue of O — The Oprah Magazine, explores her son's role in the massacre where he and co-conspirator Eric Harris killed 12 students and a teacher and left two dozen wounded before killing themselves.
Neither family has spoken at length in the aftermath of what at the time marked the most deadly school shooting in U.S. history. Pending litigation contributed to the silence for several years, but even with the lawsuits resolved, repeated requests for interviews have been turned down.
In a press release, Oprah Winfrey also noted that Susan Klebold had declined interview requests. But several months ago, Klebold agreed to write about her personal experience. The magazine released a few advance excerpts.
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"From the writings Dylan left behind, criminal psychologists have concluded that he was depressed and suicidal," Susan Klebold wrote in one passage. "When I first saw copied pages of these writings, they broke my heart. I'd had no inkling of the battle Dylan was waging in his mind."
Klebold received no payment for the essay, said a magazine representative, but hoped to "raise suicide awareness," and to generate support for suicide- prevention organizations.
The magazine hits newsstands on Tuesday.
