Dylan Klebold’s Mother: During Columbine Shooting I Prayed He Would Kill Himself

Dylan Klebold’s mother said that when she learned her son was likely the shooter in the ongoing shooting at Columbine High School, she had one overriding thought — a wish that her son would kill himself.

In an interview with Parenting, Dylan Klebold’s mother, Sue Klebold, claims that on the day of the massacre, April 20, 1999, she prayed her son would end the massacre.

“I had a sudden vision of what he might be doing,” Sue Klebold said. “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.”

The revelation about Dylan Klebold’s mother came as part of a new book from author Andrew Solomon, Far From the Tree. Solomon explores how blame was placed on a number of factors after the Columbine massacre and that Sue Klebold held guilt for what happened.

Klebold continued:

“I thought that if this was really happening and he survived, he would go into the criminal justice system and be executed, and I really couldn’t bear to lose him twice. I gave the hardest prayer I ever made, that he would kill himself, because then at least I would know he wanted to die and wouldn’t be left with all the questions I’d have if he got caught by a police bullet. Maybe I was right, but I’ve spent so many hours regretting that prayer: I wished for my son to kill himself and he did.”

The spotlight on Dylan Klebold’s mother comes as another mass shooting plays out in the same neighborhood. Authorities in suburban Denver, not far from Columbine High School, are moving forward with prosecution of accused theater shooter James Holmes.