I feel there are way too many lawsuits, however this one may be justified. No offense to the lawyers and LE folks on TFL. I discussed this with a freind who is a high school principal. She felt the school administration was much more at fault than the police for not taking action based on the behavior, threats, WEB site etc. of the perpetrators. She attended a seminar where a LE official involved in the incident claimed the delay in response was because they did not have a blueprint of the school building. I would be interested to hear any LE opinions to help me understand this better.
Parents of Columbine Victim Sue Police, Alleging Negligence
Reuters
Wednesday, April 19, 2000; Page A06
GOLDEN, Colo., April 18 –– The parents of a slain Columbine High School student today filed the first lawsuit against authorities over the massacre, claiming police who arrived at the school after two teenage gunmen opened fire on classmates did nothing to rescue the victims.
Michael and Vonda Shoels, parents of Isaiah Shoels, one of 13 people killed in the attack on April 20, 1999, also claim the Jefferson County sheriff's office could have prevented the carnage if it had acted on early warning signs about the gunmen.
The lawsuit is the first of several expected to be filed against Jefferson County sheriff's officers in connection with the school attack.
The gunmen, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, also wounded 23 others in the attack before killing themselves.
Sheriff's officers "made no effort to rescue the students" because commanders "made a deliberate decision to limit the response . . . to 'securing the perimeter' " and did not pursue the killers, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also claims that officers had received information about early warning signs but failed to respond, even to information about threats by Harris and Klebold to kill Columbine students.
The county attorney's office was not immediately available to respond, but it said Monday that it would not be appropriate to comment during the week of the anniversary.
Attorneys for the Shoels family said they regretted filing the lawsuit so close to the anniversary, but they noted that the one-year statute of limitations for filing such a suit was nearly up.
The Shoels's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said he also expects to file a lawsuit on behalf of another victim, Mark Taylor, who was seriously wounded in the carnage.
Last year, Isaiah Shoels's parents sued the parents of Harris and Klebold. The case "is lying in limbo" because the Harris and Klebold families sought a delay until the criminal investigation is finished, said Douglas Raymond, another attorney for the Shoelses.
Other victims' families are also expected to sue the sheriff or the school district for alleged negligence.
The lawsuit filed today alleges that sheriff's officers failed to adequately investigate complaints in 1998 that Harris had used a Web site to threaten fellow students.
It also accuses the office of failing to investigate complaints that Harris often talked about making pipe bombs and planning to use them to kill numerous people.
"The Web site included: descriptions of a pipe bomb detonation by Harris and Klebold, detailed descriptions of multiple pipe bombs that were built by Harris and Klebold [and] explicit threats to shoot and kill people," according to the lawsuit.
If the officers had taken steps based on information available to them, "this tragedy would not have occurred," the lawsuit claims. Harris and Klebold set off pipe bombs during their shooting rampage.
Parents of Columbine Victim Sue Police, Alleging Negligence
Reuters
Wednesday, April 19, 2000; Page A06
GOLDEN, Colo., April 18 –– The parents of a slain Columbine High School student today filed the first lawsuit against authorities over the massacre, claiming police who arrived at the school after two teenage gunmen opened fire on classmates did nothing to rescue the victims.
Michael and Vonda Shoels, parents of Isaiah Shoels, one of 13 people killed in the attack on April 20, 1999, also claim the Jefferson County sheriff's office could have prevented the carnage if it had acted on early warning signs about the gunmen.
The lawsuit is the first of several expected to be filed against Jefferson County sheriff's officers in connection with the school attack.
The gunmen, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, also wounded 23 others in the attack before killing themselves.
Sheriff's officers "made no effort to rescue the students" because commanders "made a deliberate decision to limit the response . . . to 'securing the perimeter' " and did not pursue the killers, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also claims that officers had received information about early warning signs but failed to respond, even to information about threats by Harris and Klebold to kill Columbine students.
The county attorney's office was not immediately available to respond, but it said Monday that it would not be appropriate to comment during the week of the anniversary.
Attorneys for the Shoels family said they regretted filing the lawsuit so close to the anniversary, but they noted that the one-year statute of limitations for filing such a suit was nearly up.
The Shoels's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said he also expects to file a lawsuit on behalf of another victim, Mark Taylor, who was seriously wounded in the carnage.
Last year, Isaiah Shoels's parents sued the parents of Harris and Klebold. The case "is lying in limbo" because the Harris and Klebold families sought a delay until the criminal investigation is finished, said Douglas Raymond, another attorney for the Shoelses.
Other victims' families are also expected to sue the sheriff or the school district for alleged negligence.
The lawsuit filed today alleges that sheriff's officers failed to adequately investigate complaints in 1998 that Harris had used a Web site to threaten fellow students.
It also accuses the office of failing to investigate complaints that Harris often talked about making pipe bombs and planning to use them to kill numerous people.
"The Web site included: descriptions of a pipe bomb detonation by Harris and Klebold, detailed descriptions of multiple pipe bombs that were built by Harris and Klebold [and] explicit threats to shoot and kill people," according to the lawsuit.
If the officers had taken steps based on information available to them, "this tragedy would not have occurred," the lawsuit claims. Harris and Klebold set off pipe bombs during their shooting rampage.