Skip to main content


Mass shooter's mom prayed for son's suicide - Denver

Sue Klebold told author she wished her son dead before hurting more people.


The mother of Columbine shooter, Dylan Klebold prayed for her son to commit suicide when she became aware that her son had carried out the mass shooting at his school in April 1999.

Klebold and Harris in this iconic image from the massacre.

Klebold and Harris in this iconic image from the massacre.

DENVER, CO (Catholic Online) - In a story run by Reuters, the mother of Dylan Klebold said in a book interview that she wished her son had committed suicide after shooting his classmates. The book, which was published in November, was written by Andrew Solomon and titled, "Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for identity."

Sue Klebold told Solomon that when police informed her that her son was a suspect, she prayed for her son to commit suicide. She said she was afraid of what might become of him if he had lived.

"And so while every other mother in Littleton was praying that her child was safe, I had to pray that mine would die before he hurt anyone else," she told Solomon.

Dylan Klebold teamed up with a friend, Eric Harris, and murdered 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado in 1999. The boys were 17 and 18 respectively.

Klebold said she was worried her son would be tried and executed.

The Klebold family has largely avoided the media following the shootings, but each new mass shooting brings back memories of Columbine to the public psyche. Before Columbine, there had been mass shootings, but never at a children's school.

Last week, a young man, Adam Lanza, went on a rampage and murdered 26 others, mostly children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut before turning a gun on himself. He also murdered his mother before going on his rampage.

The shooting brings public spotlight to the plight of the parents of such infamous killers.

For her part, Sue Kleblod has been criticized for her comments regarding her son. Victim's parents have spoken out against her interview as speaking only for her feelings and not acknowledging the pain of the victim's families.

However, the depth of a mother's despair, so great that she wishes her own son dead, cannot, and should not be trivialized.

Nothing should trivialize the impact of a mother's grief.

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention:
The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Sue Klebold, Eric Harris, Columbine, shooting, suicide

NEWSLETTERS »

E-mail:       Zip Code: (ex. 90001)
Today's Headlines

Sign up for a roundup of the day's top stories. 5 days / week. See Sample

Rate This Article

Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 3 of 3 Comments

  1. Catholic Online Staff
    4 months ago

    Mike,

    Thank you for the correction.

  2. Mike
    4 months ago

    Actually, there had been many school shootings prior to Columbine. Including an elementary school in Stockton, California in which 5 or 6 children under the age of ten were shot and killed.

  3. MBP
    4 months ago

    This is so sad. If someone commits suicide, they lose the chance of going to Confession and doing penance on earth for their sins. The result = Hell or, if God gave them the opportunity to somehow repent, a long time in Purgatory. A mother should never want that for her child. I wish she had prayed that he surrender and repent instead.

Leave a Comment

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment


Newsletter Sign Up

Daily Readings

Reading 1, Acts 28:16-20, 30-31
On our arrival in Rome Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of ... Read More

Psalm, Psalms 11:4, 5, 7
Yahweh in his holy temple! Yahweh, his throne is in heaven; his ... Read More

Gospel, John 21:20-25
Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following ... Read More

Saint of the Day

May 18 Saint of the Day

St. Pope John I
May 18: St. John I, Pope and Martyr (Feast day - May 18) A native of ... Read More