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![]() Columbine shooter rejected by Marines because of anti-depressant drug, sources say
Cafeteria video sent to FBI for analysisApril 29, 1999
LITTLETON, Colorado (CNN) -- Shooting suspect Eric Harris was rejected by Marine Corps recruiters just five days before the Columbine High School massacre because he had been prescribed an anti-depressant and was under a doctor's care. The medication prescribed for Harris was Luvox, sources who asked not to be named told CNN on Wednesday. Luvox is most commonly prescribed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. Defense Department sources said earlier Wednesday that Harris had contacted Marine Corps recruiters and inquired about joining but was disqualified because of the prescription and the fact that he was under the care of a doctor at the time. Jefferson County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Davis told reporters that he didn't have details about Harris' rejection from the Marine Corps. He said the initial toxicology report indicated there was no drug or alcohol in any of those killed during the siege, including the gunmen, Harris and Dylan Klebold. "The final reports from the coroner have not been made and given to us. However, like I've said, I'll have to revert to what they told us about the toxicology reports earlier, and that is that there weren't any drugs or alcohol in the blood, and, once again, I didn't hear her say illegal drugs or legal drugs," said Davis. Chief Deputy District Attorney Mark Paulter also downplayed the importance of Harris' rejection by the Marines, saying "it wouldn't be particularly relevant to our investigation,". Harris, 18, and Klebold, 17, both seniors at Columbine, are blamed for the deaths of 12 students and one teacher. They then both shot themselves, one in the mouth, the other in the side of his head, according to the coroner's office. Search warrants for Klebold's house and other sites will remain sealed, a state judge ruled Wednesday. The Denver Post had asked Judge Henry Nieto to unseal the search warrants and related documents in the investigation of the massacre at Columbine High School, saying the material is a "matter of wide public interest." The local prosecutor, District Attorney David Thomas, had asked that the documents be sealed.
Also Wednesday, Davis said three young men, dressed in black jackets and military fatigues, who were caught near Columbine High School the day of the massacre had been questioned and were not suspected of having played a role in the attack. Their arrest had been caught on camera during the coverage of the siege. "Apparently, last night when the sheriff was speaking to you, he hadn't been updated on the very latest, and these three people ... the three that we see the picture of with their hands on their head in black, have now been cleared," said Davis. He said it was his understanding that they did know Harris and Klebold. "How well, I don't know," said Davis.
Davis said Klebold's 18-year-old girlfriend bought three, not two, of the four guns believed to have been used by Harris and Klebold. "Those three being the long guns, the two shotguns and the rifle," he said. "The handgun, or the Tec-9, we've been talking about, right now we still don't know and they're still working on that one." The young woman has been cooperating with the investigation is not considered a suspect. However, Davis said one still unanswered question was: "Did she supply those weapons to them with full knowledge, or not, of what they intended to do with them." Davis also said a videotape taken of the Columbine High cafeteria the afternoon of the attack could provide what he called "good footage." But a first look at the cafeteria tape did not show additional suspects. "It may be a tremendous help later on , or it may just be a small part in a large amount of evidence," said sheriff's department Sgt. Jim Parr. A number of explosives were found in the cafeteria, and authorities suspect Harris and Klebold may have had help in carrying the munitions into the building. Authorities are still checking into claims that a hardware store clerk sold some of the ingredients for those explosives. Gary Sowell, 50, an employee at a hardware store in Littleton, told investigators he saw Harris and Klebold buy propane tanks, wire, screws, nails and duct tape -- material believed used in the bombs.
On a hill overlooking Columbine, 15 crosses have been raised, one for the slain teacher and 14 for the dead students, including the dead gunmen. A funeral was held Wednesday for yet another victim, 14-year-old Steven Curnow. The teenager was remembered as a "Star Wars" movie fan who wanted to become a fighter pilot. "Now I don't have anybody to have fights with over who ... fills the ice cube tray or brings in the groceries," Curnow's 20-year-old sister Nancy said. "Now I can't tease you about your first girlfriend or even when you start to shave." The last service for slain students will be held Thursday for Isaiah Shoels. The 18-year-old senior had wanted to attend an arts college and become a music executive. Shoels was shot in the head execution-style in the school library, because he was African-American and because of his athletic interests, witnesses said. Correspondent Tony Clark and Charles Zewe contributed to this report. CNN INDEPTH SPECIAL: Are schools safe? RELATED STORIES: Columbine shooter rejected by Marines because of anti-depressant drug, sources say RELATED SITES: Swedish Hospital (patient conditions)
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