Dave Sanders

From Encyclopedia Columbine
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

William David Sanders was born on October 22, 1951 in Eldorado, IL, and died on April 20, 1999 in a science storage room at Columbine High School at the age of 47. Dave was a beloved teacher and coach at Columbine High School for 25 years. Hired at 22, he taught business, computer classes, was a substitute science teacher [1], and coached girls' basketball and softball.

He left behind a wife, four children, and five grandchildren.

Dave Sanders' Funeral and Gravesite

Dave's family kept his burial private, but held an open funeral for him at Trinity Christian Center on April 26, 1999. His funeral was led by Trinity founder and senior pastor Billy Epperhart[2], who also led the services for Corey DePooter, Rachel Scott, and Steven Curnow.

x

While the 911 operator knew about Dave's situation, police allegedly did not. SWAT officers Lt. Terry Manwaring and Capt. Vince DiManna told the Denver Post they were never told about Sanders and they didn't know there was a teacher bleeding to death in a classroom [3].

In Memoriam

After his death, a softball field was named after coach Sanders

Sanders was awarded the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage.

Autopsy Report

Sanders' autopsy report was written by Michael J. Doberson, M.D., Ph.D., a Forensic Pathologist and Corner/Medical Examiner for Arapahoe County on May 18, 1999. His autopsy states the following:

PATHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES

1. Perforating gunshot wound to the neck and head with:

  • Entrance, left lower neck.
  • Exit, right upper lip.
  • Partial transection of the left internal carotid artery.
  • Laceration of the tongue and avulsion of multiple teeth.
  • Associated hemorrhages.

2. Perforating gunshot wound to the trunk with:

  • Entrance, right upper back.
  • Exit, right upper chest.
  • Fracture of the right clavicle.
  • Partial transection of the right subclavian vein.
  • Associated hemorrhage.

OPINION

This 48-year old man sustained gunshot wounds at the high school in which he was a teacher. He died a short time later at the scene. His death is attributed to multiple vascular lacerations due to perforating gunshot wounds to the neck/head and trunk. Toxicology analysis of body fluids obtained at the time of autopsy were negative. In view of the scene and circumstances surrounding the death and autopsy findings, the manner of death is classified as homicide.

Encyclopedia notes: Although the autopsy states he was 48 years old, Sanders was 47 years, 5 months, 29 days old at the time of his death.

Lawsuits

The family of Dave Sanders filed a federal lawsuit against the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department alleging that they knew by 12:30 p.m. that both shooters were dead, which would have changed the way they were required to respond. Police and medical personnel were forced to wait outside, some of whom said they were threatened with being shot if they disobeyed orders. One officer did disobey orders to rescue severely wounded Mark Taylor.

According to the Sanders lawsuit, knowing the shooters were dead by 12:30 p.m. should have allowed police and medical teams to go into the school and save Sanders. By noon, they were aware he was wounded and knew his exact location. A teacher in the room, Ms. Miller, placed a dry erase board in the window that read "1 BLEEDING TO DEATH." Instead of being rescued, they let Sanders bled to death for hours. Although he had a pulse when he was finally found by SWAT, they made the tough decision to leave him and search for other survivors.

One of the most interesting allegations in the Sanders lawsuit was that a SWAT sharpshooter had Dylan Klebold in his sights, asked to take a head shot, and was told to stand down by his supervisor. Another allegation claims that the unnamed sharpshooter witnessed both Harris and Klebold die in the library, which means police knew the shooting was over hours before Sanders died and failed to rescue him. [4]

It is known (with photographic evidence) that there were several sharpshooters stationed on nearby residential roofs who could see clearly into the library, specifically the area where Harris and Klebold died. Although some claim police and sharpshooters could not have had a clear sight into the library during the shooting, a crime scene photograph Brian Rohrbough presented during the Ireland lawsuit, taken the day of the shootings, proved that even law enforcement on the ground could see clearly into the library from the ground. This supports the allegations in the Sanders suit that the sharpshooter had the visibility he claimed.

Controversies

Timeline

Below is a timeline of events related to Dave Sanders' actions the day of the shooting constructed based on witness testimony. Note that if the timeline doesn't match the official story, that's because the incident likely began at 11:15 a.m. and most of the first actions in the cafeteria were removed from the CCTV tape before being released to the public.

Summary of the timeline of events:

11:13 a.m.

--Sanders is in the teacher's lounge with Judy Greco and Chris Redmerski. (11k, p.4161)

11:15 a.m.

--Sanders, Greco, and Redmerski hear a series of banging on the window and Redmerski goes outside to tell students to stop. (11k, p.4162)

--On her way out, Redmerski looks out the window from the edge of the lounge and sees two students lying face down near each other directly below the window. (11k, p.4162)

11:16 a.m.

--Redmerski goes to the Northwest cafeteria door and encounters Sean Graves, shot, lying by the cafeteria door. (11k, p.4162)

--Graves tells Redmerski he can't feel his legs. He tells her he's been shot in the back. Redmerski struggles to understand that Graves has been shot and thinks he's exaggerating because there is no gunfire nor explosions at this time. She thinks Graves got into a fight and someone pushed him down. Graves tells her he was shot by a kid in a trench coat on top of the hill. Redmerski looks for signs of gunshot wounds on Graves and doesn't see any. Just when she pokes her head out to look up the hill, she hears gunshots. (11k, pp.4162-4163)

Map of the teacher's lounge and Northwest cafeteria door.
Map of the teacher's lounge and Northwest cafeteria door.

11:17 a.m.

--After hearing gunshots, Redmerski goes back to the teacher's lounge to tell the other teachers someone is shooting outside and tells Sanders she needs help with Sean. (11k, p.4163)

--Sanders is seen running out of the teacher's lounge yelling for everyone in the cafeteria to "get down." (11k, p.2466; p.2326)

11:18 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

--Greco calls secretary Jan Fiedler. (10k, p.23029)

--Redmerski goes back to Graves, and Jon Curtis, Judy Greco, and Dave Sanders help her pull Sean Graves' head into the doorway of the Northeast cafeteria door. (11k, p.4163; p.3657; p.3424 )

--Greco and Sanders leave the Northwest cafeteria door and are gone by the time Redmerski leaves Graves. (11k, p.4164)

--Redmerski goes back to the teacher's lounge and notes that Sanders is not there. (11k, p.4164)

--Sanders walks out of a cafeteria into the Senior parking lot telling students outside to get inside the cafeteria. (11k, p.2836)

--Sanders is seen coming back into the cafeteria from the Senior parking lot, yelling at everyone to "get down." (11k, p.3178)

--Sanders then runs back outside again briefly. (11k, p.3179)

--Sanders comes back into the cafeteria, yelling at everyone to "get upstairs." (11k, p.5899; 6033)

--Teacher Kandice Sterling sees Sanders run from the teacher's lounge and "bolt" up the stairs from the cafeteria to the second level. (11k, p.2484)

Note: This was Sanders' first trip up the stairs; he made two trips upstairs. This trip occurred minutes before the big stampede went up the stairs following Dave Sanders the second time.

--At the top of the stairs, the first time he runs up, Sanders tells the few students present in the upper hall not to go down the library hallway and to "get downstairs". (11k, p.5853; p.5899; p.5979; 6033)

--According to witnesses, the commotion in the cafeteria starts at this point.

11:21-11:23 a.m.

--While upstairs, Sanders runs down the left portion of the East-West hall away from the library, toward the East main school exit, and as he runs, he pushes Jennifer Barnes and tells her to keep running. As Barnes approaches the East main exit, she turns around to look at Sanders, who sounds out of breath. She notices his hands are covered in blood, but doesn't know if he has been injured or if the blood is from him helping someone else. Barnes asks Sanders if he is all right and he says, "Yes" and tells her, "Go, go." As Barnes runs, she looks back and Sanders is leaning against the wall. (11k, p.2428)

--Sanders turns around and runs back down the stairs into the cafeteria.

11:24 a.m.

--Sanders heads back up the stairs to the second level again and is quickly followed by a stampede of students.

--As Sanders runs up the stairs the second time, Elisha Encinias is running next to him. As soon as they get to the top of the stairs, they both turn right to go down the library hall when someone shoots at them from the West door area. Encinias sees Sanders get shot and fall to the ground. She is not injured, turns around, and runs in the other direction. (11k, p.2944)

Note: In the CCTV footage, Sanders runs up the stairs, alone, shortly before the stampede. However, Encinias could have already been on the portion of the stairs the camera didn't cover. (11k, p.4892)

--Sanders is shot through the mouth seconds after reaching the top of the stairs.

--Right before he's shot, Sanders is seen stepping in front of teacher Theresa Miller (Theresa Lara). (11k, p.4930)

--Three people witness Sanders get shot at the top of the stairs. (11k, p.2944; p.4930; p.4891)

--All three witnesses only report one shot at this time. (11k, p.2944; p.4930; p.4891)

--One of the three witnesses said Sanders was running East when he was shot in the back. (11k, p.4892)

--Sanders falls to the ground just several feet from the top of the stairs near the East/West hallway. Sanders is seen on his hands and knees, bleeding from the mouth. (11k, p.796; 2944; 4330; p.5899)

--After the hallway clears, teacher Rich Long hears someone say, "Dave's been hit" and sees Sanders stumble into the South hallway and fall. As Sanders falls, Long sees a big explosion. These events are corroborated by Andrea Coe who also saw a big explosion in front of SCI-8 at the time when Sanders fell. (11k, pp.494-495; p.5853)

--Long goes to assist Sanders. (11k, possibly p.2103)

--Sanders crawls for a short distance and then teacher Rich Long assists Sanders in standing up and "shoulders" him through an open doorway into SCI-3, where teachers Doug Johnson and Theresa Miller help him into the classroom.

--Sanders takes a couple of steps into the classroom and falls forward onto his face. (11k, p.796)

The CCTV footage is missing 8 minutes

There are several 8 conveniently missing from the CCTV video: 11:14 a.m. - 11:22 a.m. According to witnesses, this timeframe begins exactly when Sanders, Greco, and Redmerski realized something was wrong and ran over to the door where Sean Graves had been shot. These missing 8 minutes would have depicted the following key events:

  1. Harris and Klebold entering the cafeteria with an older male wearing a white v-neck shirt.
  2. Klebold walking over to the vending machines possibly to check on the bombs.
  3. Sanders pulling Graves into the doorway.
  4. Sanders running up the stairs long before 11:24a.m.
  5. Sanders coming in and out of the cafeteria twice to usher students inside.
  6. Sanders coming into the cafeteria from the parking lot holding his injured right shoulder.
  7. A wave of students coming down the stairs as directed by Sanders from above.

If Sanders was shot outside, why does he not appear injured?

Sanders appears uninjured in the CCTV footage as he goes up the stairs. However, four things should be noted:

(1) The CCTV quality is extremely poor. However, in one frame of the video, a dark spot is visible on the location of his exit wound over his right clavicle. This spot appears in every frame.

This spot appears over Dave Sanders' exit wound through his right clavicle.
This spot appears over Dave Sanders' exit wound through his right clavicle.

(2) Sometimes wounds aren't visible right away. Graves had been shot in the back and Redmerski couldn't see his wounds. If wounds can't always bee seen in person, it can't be assumed that a wound would be clearly visible in a poor quality video.

(2) The CCTV video appears to have been edited. There is an abrupt color change between the cut segments, which is not normal for VHS tapes. Also, the jump cut timing from one camera to another is inconsistent beginning when Sanders first appears on the tape. We don't have the original tape - it was immediately sent to Quantico to be "enhanced."

(3) Investigators claimed the 8-minute gap was the result of a tape change, and it took 8 minutes for the custodian to rewind an old tape and start recording again. However, it would have only taken about 2 minutes to rewind a VHS tape. Furthermore, the custodian doesn't mention rewinding a video in his interview - he simply says he "changed the tape" and then went on with his day.

(4) Investigators claim the CCTV footage timestamp was accurate, and everything else with a time clock had to be adjusted to match: the fire alarms, the dispatch tapes, and the cafeteria's cash register. This does not appear to be true. The cafeteria time stamp appears to lag behind by about 1 minute and 30 seconds. This was discovered by a researcher who goes by SarinGasAttack. This researcher lined up some of the 911 calls with the cafeteria footage and identified key events that could be heard in the 911 call and seen in the cafeteria tape. The result was a discrepancy of about 1.5 minutes.

Multiple witnesses support that Sanders was first shot outside

  1. Samuel Granillo said he saw Sanders appear to get shot outside. (11k, p.2836); (Samuel Granillo; Rolling Stone)
  2. Right as students stood up to look outside, Nathan Vanderau saw Sanders walk by his table in the cafeteria holding his shoulder/arm as if he'd been shot. (11k, p.4677)
  3. Adam Foss saw Sanders already bloody coming up the stairs, but was not yet shot through the mouth - right before he was shot through the mouth when he started to run. (11k, p.4930)
  4. Jennifer Barnes saw Sanders with bloody hands upstairs by the main East exit without a face wound. (11k, p.2428)
  5. Kyle Gummere saw Sanders with only a shoulder wound upstairs. (11k, p.1908) (10k, p.17850-17851)

The reason it's hard to believe Sanders was shot outside is because we've been told that Sanders only went up the stairs once and was immediately shot twice and taken down. However, witness statements show that Sanders took two trips up the stairs, and he had already been shot outside before he went up the stairs the first time.

Why would this be hidden? Perhaps it's because Sanders was shot outside by someone who was not Harris or Klebold. Where he was, he should not have been within a shooter's sight if it was just Harris and Klebold. Sanders was shot outside in the same area where Ann Marie Hochhalter was shot, and she didn't think it was Klebold who shot her. Other witnesses also stated that Hochhalter was shot by Robert Perry. Did Sanders identify his shooter to the students in the science room? Is that why we don't have their 911 calls? Is that why so many witnesses in that science room have no interview summaries and instead, have placeholder text that simply says their story matched what other witnesses said?

Detailed timeline with estimated times

11:13 a.m.

--Sanders is in the teacher's lounge eating lunch with Chris Redmerski and Judy Greco. (11k, p.4161)

11:15 a.m.

--After eating half her sandwich, Redmerski hears a series of three loud knocks on the faculty lounge window. Everyone ignores the first two knocks, and after the third, Redmerski heads out to tell the students to stop. First, she looks out the faculty lounge window and sees two students lying facing the window on their stomachs directly outside and below the window four feet apart and parallel to each other. (11k, p.4162)

11:16 a.m.

--Redmerski walks to the Northwest cafeteria door, opens the door, and sees Sean Graves lying the ground. Graves tells her he can't feel his legs. Graves tells her he's been shot in the back by a kid in a trench coat up on the hill. Redmerski looks for wounds, but can't see any injuries and it takes her a bit to take him seriously since there is no gunfire happening at that time. Just as she starts to poke her head around the corner to look up the hill, she hears gunshots and realizes someone is shooting outside. She tells Graves she'll be right back, and goes back to the teacher's lounge. (11k, p.4162)

Map of the teacher's lounge and Northwest cafeteria door.
Map of the teacher's lounge and Northwest cafeteria door.
11:17 a.m.

-Redmerski goes back into the faculty lounge and tells Sanders a student has been shot and is outside in danger and she can't move him. (11k, p.4163)

--Greco goes for the phone.

11:18 a.m

--Sanders runs to the Northwest cafeteria door where Redmerski is tending to Sean Graves. Redmerski, who is now on her stomach holding Graves' hand, sees Sanders standing behind her with Greco. The teachers drag Graves closer to the door so that his head is in the doorway, but he's still mostly outside of the cafeteria. (11k, p.4163; p.3657; p.3424 )

--Jon Curtis comes to the door and Greco and Sanders leave the Northwest cafeteria door and are gone by the time Redmerski leaves Graves. (11k, p.4164)

--Sanders walks to a different cafeteria door toward the Senior parking lot and yells at students to get inside the cafeteria (11k, p.2836)

--Sanders is seen coming back into the cafeteria from the Senior parking lot, yelling at everyone to "get down." (11k, p.3178)

--Sanders then runs back outside again briefly. (11k, p.3179)

--Sanders goes back to the teacher's lounge briefly.

--Sanders is seen coming out of the teacher's lounge a final time yelling for everyone in the cafeteria to "get down." (11k, p.2466; p.2326)

--Sanders is seen by Spanish teacher Kandice Sterling running out of the teacher's lounge and "bolting" up the stairs to the second level. This event is what we see on the CCTV footage timestamped at 11:24 a.m. (11k, p.2484)

This event is also described by Kim Anderson, who saw Sanders run out of the teacher's lounge and yell at everyone to get down right as people moved to the windows to see what was happening outside. (11k, p.2326)

--Redmerski goes back to the teacher's lounge and notes that Sanders is not there. (11k, p.4164)

--At the top of the stairs, apparently realizing there is a shooter near the library, Sanders tells the few students present not to go down the library hallway and to "get downstairs". (11k, p.5853; p.5899; p.5979; 6033)

--The commotion in the cafeteria starts at this point.

--Sanders goes back down into the cafeteria, yelling at everyone to "get upstairs." (11k, p.5899; 6033)

--While outside, either the first or second time, Sanders was most likely shot by the bullet that entered his upper right trap and exited through his collarbone.

--Sanders heads back up the stairs to the second level again and is shortly followed by a stampede of students.

--At some point, Sanders runs down the left portion of the hall away from the library, toward the East main school exit, and as he runs, he pushes Jennifer Barnes and tells her to keep running. As Barnes approaches the East main exit, she turns around to look at Sanders, who sounds out of breath. She notices his hands are covered in blood, but doesn't know if he has been injured or if the blood is from him helping someone else. Barnes asks Sanders if he is all right and he says, "Yes" and tells her, "Go, go." As Barnes runs, she looks back and Sanders is leaning against the wall. (11k, p.2428)

--Something made Sanders turn around and run back toward the stairs.

--As Sanders runs up the stairs the second time, Elisha Encinias says she is running next to him. As soon as they get to the top of the stairs, they both turn right to go down the library hall when someone shoots at them from the West door area. Encinias sees Sanders get shot and fall to the ground. She is not injured, turns around, and runs in the other direction. (11k, p.2944)

--Right before he's shot, Sanders is seen stepping in front of teacher Theresa Miller (Theresa Lara). (11k, p.4930)

--Three people witness Sanders get shot at the top of the stairs. (11k, p.2944; p.4930; p.4891)

--All three witnesses only saw one shot fired at this time. (11k, p.2944; p.4930; p.4891)

--One of the three witnesses said Sanders was running East when he was shot in the back. (11k, p.4892)

--Sanders falls to the ground just several feet from the top of the stairs near the East/West hallway. Sanders is seen on his hands and knees, bleeding from the mouth. (11k, p.796; 2944; 4330; p.5899)

--After the hallway clears, teacher Rich Long hears someone say, "Dave's been hit" and sees Sanders stumble into the South hallway and fall. As Sanders falls, Long sees a big explosion. These events are corroborated by Andrea Coe who also saw a big explosion in front of SCI-8 at the time when Sanders fell. (11k, pp.494-495; p.5853)

--Long goes to assist Sanders. (11k, possibly p.2103)

--Sanders crawls for a short distance and then teacher Rich Long assists Sanders in standing up and "shoulders" him through an open doorway into SCI-3, where teachers Doug Johnson and Theresa Miller help him into the classroom.

--Sanders takes a couple of steps into the classroom and falls forward onto his face. (11k, p.796)

Did Sanders ran up the stairs twice?

There is a strong reason to believe Sanders ran up the stairs twice.

Cameron Witt was at the top of the stairs when some kids ran up and told him to get out because someone was shooting downstairs. He didn't listen, and then Dave Sanders came up the stairs yelling "get downstairs." Then Witt heard shots and Sanders ran around the corner of the stairs toward the library (to the right) and then quickly retreated and ran back down stairs.

At this point, there wasn't much commotion yet and Witt went downstairs to look through the window to see what was happening. As he was looking out the window, that's when the commotion started and Sanders started yelling at everyone to "get upstairs."

This is corroborated by Andrea Coe (11k, p.5853), who said Sanders was at the top of the stairs telling kids not to go down the library hallway, pushing them down the stairs.

Note: why don't we see kids coming back down the stairs on the CCTV footage? Why don't we see Sanders going up the stairs twice? The tape has been edited.

Mark Hengel also heard Sanders tell people to go downstairs and then to go upstairs. (11k, p.5899)

Annette Shinn also reported that Sanders told her to go downstairs and that Sanders was not injured at that time. (11k, p.5979)

It appears that Sanders did run up the stairs twice. He ran up the stairs, then ran down and went outside. He was shot through the upper right trap, and then he ran back up the stairs wounded, where he was seen coming up the stairs already bloody. From there, he ran down the East hall, where he pushed Jennifer Barnes toward the East exit, rested against the wall briefly, and retreated back to the top of the stairs. Sanders was shot a second time through the mouth as he ran toward the West exit from the East exit.

What time did Sanders run up the stairs?

Sanders is seen running up the stairs at 11:24 a.m. on the CCTV footage, but based on witness statements, it's more likely that he ran up the stairs closer to 11:17 a.m., which is interesting because that's 7 minutes earlier than the CCTV timestamp. However, it should be noted that the events in the CCTV footage appear to be the same series of events that witnesses reported happening approximately eight minutes prior. What a coincidence that there happen to be 8 minutes of missing footage from the tape that cuts out at exactly the minute the teachers began running around the cafeteria and tending to Sean Graves (11:14 a.m.), which would have been seen on the on one of the cameras had the tape not been cut.

11:xx a.m.

----Sanders is seen running down the South main hall moving in the direction of the main East exit. He was already wounded and had bloody hands, but was not yet wounded through the mouth. Jennifer Barnes heard shots (11k, p.2427)

11:xx a.m.

Before the mass exodus of students headed up the stairs to the second level, Frank Petersen, SCI-2 teacher, walked over to the stairs from his science class and didn't hear anything. He said some kids were coming up the stairs quickly, but not at an alarming rate. Then he heard a barrage of gunfire and saw teacher Rich Long crouched over with someone on the floor next to him. Long yelled at Petersen to get help. Petersen wasn't sure if the person on the floor next to Long was Sanders. However, it's likely the person was Sanders because that is the same area where Long went to assist Sanders after he had fallen from being shot through the upper left back and out through his upper right lip.

11:xx a.m.

Detailed Witness Statements

Witnesses who saw/heard Sanders yelling in the cafeteria

First name Last name Location Interview page #

Witnesses who saw Sanders with Sean Graves

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Christina Redmerski Cafe [pp.4160-4171]
Christopher Markham Cafe [pp.3656-3659]
John Curtis Cafe [pp.2785-2792]
Judy Greco Hallway [pp.5694-5699]
Matt Katzenmeier Cafe [pp.3423-3425]

Christine Redmerski

Redmerski saw Sean Graves outside the cafeteria door

"Chris said that she then exited the West doorway of the faculty lounge and walked to the door located at the Northwest corner of the cafeteria. Chris said that she then opened the door (the hinges of which were to her left) and stood in the doorway while holding the door open with her left arm. At that time, Chris said that she saw a student lying in front of the door, at an angle with his head facing Northeast and his feet pointing Southwest. [...] Chris said that in her mind, she was thinking that this student had been in a fight and or had been pushed and was perhaps 'exaggerating' his injury. Chris said that upon asking him this, he 'looked at me and said, 'I can't feel my legs.' (11k, p.4162)

Redmerski ran back to the lounge get help from Sanders; he followed her back to Graves

Chris said that she then ran back into the West doorway of the faculty lounge where Dave Sanders and Judy Greco were still the only ones inside and still eating their lunch. Chris said that she yelled at Dave, 'Help me! A student's been shot and I can't move him!' Chris said that Dave then stood up and Judy immediately ran to the phone on the desk along the East wall of the lounge. Chris said that she does not recall which door of the faculty lounge Dave then exited. [...] Chris said that she then laid down on her stomach and told Sean to 'give me your hand.' Chris said that she remembers a custodian named Jon (Curtis) came to the doorway behind her and that she looked back to him and said, 'I can't pull him in, he's too big.' She also remembers seeing Dave Sanders and Judy Greco behind her in the doorway as well, but could not recall when they left or where they went. (11k, p.4163)

Christopher Markham

Markham saw Sanders help pull Graves into the doorway

"Markham saw Lance Kirklin, Dan Rohrbough, and Sean Graves all lying just outside the cafeteria door. Sean Graves was the closest and said that he had been shot. Matt Katzenmeier was also at the door looking out. Mr. Sanders, another teacher, and a janitor helped pull Graves inside the cafeteria. (11k, p.3657)

Jon Curtis

Curtis helped pull Graves into the doorway with Sanders

"He stated that during the incident he observed victim Sean Graves, who was a wounded victim, laying halfway in the cafeteria and halfway outside a door, this door is located on the Northwest corner on the cafeteria. Curtis informed me that he stayed with Graves..." (11k, p.2788)

Although Curtis' interview summary doesn't mention Sanders directly, others saw him and Sanders move Graves

"Markham saw Lance Kirklin, Dan Rohrbough, and Sean Graves all lying just outside the cafeteria door. Sean Graves was the closest and said that he had been shot. Matt Katzenmeier was also at the door looking out. Mr. Sanders, another teacher, and a janitor helped pull Graves inside the cafeteria. (Markham, 11k, p.3657)

"Chris said that she remembers a custodian named Jon (Curtis) came to the doorway behind her and that she looked back to him and said, 'I can't pull him in, he's too big.' She also remembers seeing Dave Sanders and Judy Greco behind her in the doorway as well, but could not recall when they left or where they went. Chris said that Jon then crouched in the doorway to help her, but was interrupted by a female 'cafeteria worker' who came to the door and yelled at her and Jon 'not to move him (Sean), that he may have spinal damage.' (Redmerski, 11k, p.4163)

Judy Greco

Greco went to check on Graves with Sanders

"Dave & I went to see what Chris was talking about. [...] "There was a kid laying on the ground by the outside door , he said I've been shot." (11k, p.5696-5697)

Matt Katzenmeier

Katzenmeier doesn't mention Sanders, but he was looking out the same door

"In that interview Matt did relate that he was in the cafeteria at the vending machines near the West entrance and that he heard 2 shots and yelling in the parking lot and that Sean Graves had been shot as well as another person." (11k, p.3424)

Markham saw Katzenmeier at the door with Sanders

"Markham saw Lance Kirklin, Dan Rohrbough, and Sean Graves all lying just outside the cafeteria door. Sean Graves was the closest and said that he had been shot. Matt Katzenmeier was also at the door looking out. Mr. Sanders, another teacher, and a janitor helped pull Graves inside the cafeteria. (Markham, 11k, p.3657)

Witnesses who saw Sanders come in and/or out of the cafeteria/parking lot

First name Last name Location Interview page #

Witnesses who saw Sanders run up and/or down the stairs

First name Last name Location Interview page #

Witnesses ushered downstairs by Sanders

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Andrea Coe Hallway [pp.5851-5856]
Annette Shinn Hallway [pp.5977-5980]
Cameron Witt Hallway [pp.6029-6035]
Mark Hengel Hallway [pp.5898-5903]

Witness list:

Andrea Coe

Sanders, not yet shot through the mouth, pushed Coe down the stairs

"Andrea said that as she and Annette reached the corner of this hallway and began to "turn the corner" into the North-South hallway that leads to the library, they both saw teacher Dave Sanders standing at said corner. At that point, Andrea said that she heard someone say, "someone was shot outside." Andrea said that Sanders' face was "white" and that he said something to the effect of, "Don't go this way! Don't go down this hall!" Andrea said that Sanders was referring to the hallway that she and Annette had intended to walk down, toward the library. Andrea said that Sanders intercepted them and began "pushing us down the stairs" while telling them to "go downstairs." Andrea said that she and Annette then walked down the first flight of the interior stairway and were among several other students, some of whom were "standing at the balcony, looking over. (11k, p.5853)

"Andrea said that when she and Annette reached the point on the stairway where the cafeteria came into view, "the whole cafeteria just dropped." Andrea said that with few exceptions, all of the students inside the cafeteria, which was fairly full, quickly dropped to the floor and/or dove under tables."

"Andrea said that "all of a sudden, someone screamed, "Run upstairs! He's got a gun!" At the same time, Andrea said that she heard a gunshot, whereupon several students began running toward the stairway. Andrea said that she stood there on the stairway for "a few seconds, still in shock," and was "pushed back up the stairs" by the hard of students running up them."

"While still running, Andrea said that she glanced back toward the doorway and "saw a big explosion" directly outside the doorway to SCI-8. Andrea described this explosion as "a big flash of light, very loud." (11k, p.5854)

Annette Shinn

Shinn was with Coe when Sanders told them to go downstairs

"Shinn stated that she was walking in the South main hallway toward the top of the stairs when she contacted Dave Sanders. Sanders said, "Don't go this way." Sanders was standing in the hallway, which goes in front of the library. Sanders told her to go downstairs. She began walking down the stairway, which leads to the cafeteria. She stated that she heard some popping noises and heard students in the cafeteria begin to scream. She could see some students in the cafeteria area begin to duck. Students then began running up the stairway from the cafeteria. I asked Shinn if Dave Sanders was injured when she saw him in the hallway which runs in front of the library. She stated he was not injured at that time." (11k, p.5979)

Contradictory interview summary

As a key witness to Sanders' movements during the shooting, it's odd that investigator Lock wrote that Shinn left school at 11:20 a.m., was never in the cafeteria that day, and saw nothing.

11k, p.5978 - Investigator claims Shinn was not at school and was never in the cafeteria
11k, p.5978 - Investigator claims Shinn was not at school and was never in the cafeteria

This discrepancy was addressed and resolved by investigator Luciano

"According to the report submitted by Investigator Lock, Shinn left school at about 11:20 on 4-20-99 and did not see anything that happened.

According to the report submitted by Investigator Obbema, Shinn was in the South main hallway on 4-20-99 as the shootings started. She was contacted by teacher Dave Sanders, who told her, "Don't go this way." Shinn heard popping noises and students screaming in the cafeteria. Shinn ended up hiding in the chemical storage room with other students until rescued by SWAT.

On 11-18-99 I spoke to Shinn on the telephone for the purpose of verifying her whereabouts on 4-20-99. Shinn told me that the statement she gave to Investigator Obbema is accurate and correct. Shinn did not recall being interviewed by Investigator Lock." (11k, p.5980)

Cameron Witt

Sanders told Witt to get down stairs before the big stampede

"Cameron stated he saw some of their friends, Joey Millazzo and two others coming up the stairs. Cameron stated they were in a hurry and Joey said something like, "Gunshots, get out of here." Cameron stated he didn't pay any attention.

Cameron stated Mr. Sanders then came running up the stairs yelling, 'Get downstairs, get downstairs.' Cameron then heard shots.

Witt saw Sanders turn the corner to the library, retreat and run back downstairs

Cameron went on to say Mr. Sanders ran around the corner of the stairs toward the library and quickly returned and went back downstairs." (11k, p.6033-6034)

While Sanders was downstairs, Witt heard Sanders tell kids to get upstairs

"At this time cafeteria people were getting down and running and Mr. Sanders yelled, 'Get upstairs, get upstairs.'

While running East, Witt saw Sanders on the hallway floor, injured

Cameron stated he and Mark went to the hallway in front of the library. They went to the side of the balcony looking down on the cafeteria stairs to watch everyone coming up the stairs from the cafeteria. [...] Cameron stated Mark started running down the other hallway, East by the science/math rooms. Cameron went on to say the ceiling then started falling from gunshots, so he followed Mark.

Cameron stated they ran by the big windows and Mr. Sanders was on the ground with his shoulder all red." (11k, p.6034)

Note: the "big windows" seem to be a reference to the windows by the top of the stairs that provide a view into the cafeteria from one side and into the hall from the other side.

Mark Hengel

Hengel heard Sanders tell everyone to go downstairs, then upstairs

"Mr. Sanders, a teacher at Columbine High School, began telling everyone to head downstairs into the cafeteria, but after hearing gunfire, told everyone to go upstairs.

Hengel was running with Sanders as he rounded the library hall corner

A large group of students went up the stairs on the Southeast corner of the cafeteria, and once at the top, ran to the right and East through the East/West hallway on the South side of the auditorium and out the exit by the math area. Hengel, Witt, and Mr. Sanders went to the left towards the library, and Hengel and Witt hid behind a pillar near the top of the stairs." (11k, p.5899)

Hengel saw Sanders after he had been shot, bloody, lying on the ground in the hall

"After taking this quick peek from behind the pillar, Hengel turned to say something to Witt, and saw Mr. Sanders lying on the floor near the top of the stairs with blood all around him." (11k, p.5900)

Witnesses ushered upstairs by Sanders

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Cameron Witt Hallway [pp.6029-6035]
Mark Hengel Hallway [pp.5898-5903]

Cameron Witt

Sanders told Witt to get down stairs before the big stampede

"Cameron stated he saw some of their friends, Joey Millazzo and two others coming up the stairs. Cameron stated they were in a hurry and Joey said something like, "Gunshots, get out of here." Cameron stated he didn't pay any attention.

Cameron stated Mr. Sanders then came running up the stairs yelling, 'Get downstairs, get downstairs.' Cameron then heard shots.

Witt saw Sanders turn the corner to the library, retreat and run back downstairs

Cameron went on to say Mr. Sanders ran around the corner of the stairs toward the library and quickly returned and went back downstairs." (11k, p.6033-6034)

While Sanders was downstairs, Witt heard Sanders tell kids to get upstairs

"At this time cafeteria people were getting down and running and Mr. Sanders yelled, 'Get upstairs, get upstairs.'

While running East, Witt saw Sanders on the hallway floor, injured

Cameron stated he and Mark went to the hallway in front of the library. They went to the side of the balcony looking down on the cafeteria stairs to watch everyone coming up the stairs from the cafeteria. [...] Cameron stated Mark started running down the other hallway, East by the science/math rooms. Cameron went on to say the ceiling then started falling from gunshots, so he followed Mark.

Cameron stated they ran by the big windows and Mr. Sanders was on the ground with his shoulder all red." (11k, p.6034)

Note: the "big windows" seem to be a reference to the windows by the top of the stairs that provide a view into the cafeteria from one side and into the hall from the other side.

Mark Hengel

Hengel heard Sanders tell everyone to go downstairs, then upstairs

"Mr. Sanders, a teacher at Columbine High School, began telling everyone to head downstairs into the cafeteria, but after hearing gunfire, told everyone to go upstairs.

Hengel was running with Sanders as he rounded the library hall corner

A large group of students went up the stairs on the Southeast corner of the cafeteria, and once at the top, ran to the right and East through the East/West hallway on the South side of the auditorium and out the exit by the math area. Hengel, Witt, and Mr. Sanders went to the left towards the library, and Hengel and Witt hid behind a pillar near the top of the stairs." (11k, p.5899)

Hengel saw Sanders after he had been shot, bloody, lying on the ground in the hall

"After taking this quick peek from behind the pillar, Hengel turned to say something to Witt, and saw Mr. Sanders lying on the floor near the top of the stairs with blood all around him." (11k, p.5900)

Witnesses who saw Sanders injured downstairs

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Matt DePew Cafe [pp.2825-2841]
Nathan Vanderau Cafe [pp.4676-4686]
Samuel Granillo Cafe [pp.3176-3183]

Matt DePew

"At that point Mr. Sanders came out of the East door of the faculty lounge. Mr. Sanders stepped outside briefly trying to get kids into the school. Matt stated he was on the ground at that point crawling East through the cafeteria with his friend Dan. They heard three more shots. Matthew stated he saw Mr. Sanders jerk as if he got shot too." (11k, p.2836)

Nathan Vanderau

"Vanderau did not recall any describers for the two individuals other than they were white males. A teacher came in the door by Vanderau's table and told everybody to get down and get upstairs. This teacher was Mr. Sanders and he was holding his arm and may have been shot." (11k, p.4677)

"Everyone stood up and looked outside and at that time, he observed a gray Honda in the parking lot with its windows broken out. Nathan said that moments later, Mr. Sanders ran by holding his arm or shoulder and was telling everyone to get down under the tables." (11k, p.4683)

Samuel Granillo

Granillo thought Sanders had been shot when he came back into the cafeteria

Granillo told Rolling Stone, "We sat down and were comfortable eating, and everybody just stood up like there was a fight outside. I didn’t hear anything, but Mr. Sanders came running back and yelled, ‘Everybody get the hell down right now!’ We got under the table and saw him run outside, and then we heard a really loud boom. We stayed under the table and heard more shots. Mr. Sanders came in a second time. I think he was shot. It was hard to tell. Everyone was so freaked out, running all around, scurrying under tables, knocking them down."

Granillo's interview summary doesn't mention Sanders possibly being shot

"On the day of the attack I was sitting at table SS at the 1 o'clock position. I was [with] Sarah Slater (#4422). I saw everyone stand up. Mr. Sanders then ran in and said everybody get down. He ran back out. I then heard a loud explosion. Mr. Sanders again came and told everyone to get down." (11k, p.3179)

Witnesses who saw Sanders injured upstairs, but not through the mouth

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Adam Foss Choir [pp.4927-4931]
Kyle Gummere Science [pp.1907-1911]
Jennifer Barnes Cafe [pp.2426-2429]

Adam Foss

Foss saw Sanders come up the stairs, already bleeding before being shot through the mouth

"Adam stated he then saw Mr. Sanders come up the stairs, bleeding. Adam stated Ms. Miller and Mr. Sanders were closest to the science hall. Adam stated he was about 3' from the stairs and he saw the barrel of a shotgun. He thinks it was a single barrel.

Adam continued by saying at this time the gun fired at Mr. Sanders. Mr. Sanders stepped in front of Ms. Miller just before the shot.

Adam stated he looked at Mr. Sanders and something impacted him." (11k, p.4930)

Why did Foss say Sanders was shot in the leg?

On the questionnaire, Foss is asked "Did you see anyone who was shot?"

He wrote, "Mr. Sanders, was shot in leg." (11k, p.4927)

This is most likely a reference to Foss witnessing the shot that took Mr. Sanders to the ground. Foss only knew "something impacted him" and it's common for people to think a person has been shot in the leg when they fall.

Kyle Gummere

Gummere saw Sanders with only one wound

"When I was still inside, I saw Mr. Sanders in the hallway with a bullet wound in his shoulder. This is when we all went back into the room." (11k p.1908)

"Kyle stated Mr. Petersen, their classroom teacher, told everyone to stay down. The fire alarms went off and he, along with his classmates, went to the door to get out. When he opened the door he saw Mr. Sanders (teacher) bleeding." (11k, p.1909)

Jennifer Barnes

Barnes saw Sanders bloody, near the East exit, but not shot through the mouth

Sanders told Barnes to run just when someone yelled that a shooter was coming into the cafeteria (Klebold). She ran upstairs and ran down the East hall away from the library

"Jennifer continued to say that as she was running down the hall she heard a series of rapid fire shots from behind (West) her, and male voices laughing and saying, "We got that one down, look at all the blood."

As Barnes approached the East exit, Sanders pushed her and told her to keep running. She saw Sanders bloody, but not shot through the mouth, out of breath, leaning against the wall

"Jennifer said that as the group approaches the main exit she stopped running and at this time, Mr. Sanders ran up behind her and pushed her. She said that Mr. Sanders told her to keep running. Jennifer said that Mr. Sanders sounded like he was out of breath and she briefly turned and looked at him. At this time, she noticed that his hands were covered in blood. She stated that she did not know if he had been injured or if the blood came from someone he was trying to help. Jennifer related that she asked Mr. Sanders if he was all right and he said yes and told her "go, go." Jennifer said that as she started to run again, Mr. Sanders was kind of leaning against the wall." (11k, p.2428)

Witnesses who saw Sanders upstairs appearing uninjured

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Annette Shinn Hallway [pp.5977-5980]

Annette Shinn

"Shinn stated that she was walking in the South main hallway toward the top of the stairs when she contacted Dave Sanders. Sanders said, "Don't go this way." Sanders was standing in the hallway, which goes in front of the library. Sanders told her to go downstairs. She began walking down the stairway, which leads to the cafeteria. She stated that she heard some popping noises and heard students in the cafeteria begin to scream. She could see some students in the cafeteria area begin to duck. Students then began running up the stairway from the cafeteria. I asked Shinn if Dave Sanders was injured when she saw him in the hallway which runs in front of the library. She stated he was not injured at that time." (11k, p.5979)

Witnesses who saw Sanders get shot upstairs

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Elisha Encinias Cafe [pp.2938-2947]
Zack Cartaya Choir [pp.4890-4892]

Note: There are multiple witnesses who saw Sanders get shot through the upper left back - the shot that exited his mouth and took him down to the ground. However, no witnesses reported seeing Sanders get shot through the right clavicle and no witnesses reported seeing Sanders get shot twice while he was upstairs.

Elisha Encinias

Encinias saw Sanders fall in the hallway

"Encinias said once upstairs, some ran towards the science area and others towards the library. Encinias said she was with a male teacher described as white haired and glasses. Encinias said as they were running down the hallway, she said, "We both saw the gunmen coming in the side doors, at which time they began to shoot at us." Encinias said her and the teacher began running in towards the school, at which time she observed the teacher fall out of the corner of her eye. (11k, p.2940)

"Elisha stated she was running next to a teacher up the stairs whom she believed to be Mr. Sanders. As she and Mr. Sanders turned at the top of the stairs to go right and then down the hall in front of the library, a gunman began shooting at them from beyond the library closer to the double outside doors on the West side. A this time Elisha stated Mr. Sanders fell and she turned to run the other way. (11k, p.2944)

Note: In the CCTV footage, Sanders runs up the stairs alone shortly before the stampede. Encinias could have already been on the portion of the stairs the camera didn't cover, including the upper landing before the second flight of stairs. This makes sense considering Sanders went up and down the stairs several times. He may have only gone down to the landing out of view the last time before the stampede pushed him back up (with Encinias).

Sanders was running two feet behind Encinias

"Elisha then got up and ran up the stairs and down the hallway towards the library. She stated that Mr. Sanders was with her and that he was approximately two feet behind her. As she was running, Elisha saw a male enter the school from the West doors. [...] Elisha stated that the male had a black gun in his hand and began shooting at her and Mr. Sanders.

Elisha stated that she then turned around and started to run back towards the stairs, at which time she and Mr. Sanders both fell." (11k, p.2946-2947)

Zack Cartaya

Cartaya saw Sanders get shot in the upper left back in the hallway

"Zack stated he looked out into the hallway again, at which time he saw Mr. Sanders get hit with a gunshot. Zack stated Mr. Sanders was going East in the hallway and it looked like he got shot in the back. Zack stated it looked like Mr. Sanders was hit in the back near the upper left side rib area. (11k, pp.4981-4982)

Witnesses who saw Sanders after he had been shot upstairs

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Ben Schumann Cafe [pp.4328-4334]
Chris Donnelly Cafe [pp.2879-2885]
Christian Olsen Science [pp.2082-2084]
Daniel Grange Cafe [pp.3172-3175]
Frank Petersen Science [pp.2101-2108]
Jennifer Camacho Cafe [pp.2615-2622]
Jessica Brown Cafe [pp.2540-2544]
Mark Hengel Hallway [pp.5898-5903]
Rachel Erbert Cafe [pp.2952-2957]
Steve Houck Choir [pp.4968-4971]
Theresa Miller Hallway [pp.5925-5932]

Ben Schumann

Schumann saw Sanders on the ground, bleeding from his mouth

"He said he was aware of the location of an emergency exit in the math hall, but was headed at first toward the science hall. He stated that he heard a gunshot and ran back down the hall and saw Mr. Sanders on the floor. He said Mr. Sanders was down on his hands and knees and was bleeding from his mouth. Ben saw Mr. Sanders motion with his arm indicating that he wanted Ben to get away." (11k, p.4330)

Chris Donnelly

Donnelly saw Sanders on the ground, shot

"He said that when he reached the top of the stairs, he looked to his right and saw a teacher lying on the ground that had been shot. He now knows that this was Mr. Sanders, but at the time, he knew it was a basketball coach. When he saw this, he continued with the crowd to run to the East, down the corridor and directly out the East doors." (11k, p.2881)

Christian Olsen

Olsen saw Sanders as he was being brought to SCI-3

"At approximately 11:20 a.m. he was in the middle of a test when he heard three to four explosions. His teacher identified as Mr. Peterson left the classroom. The fire alarm went off and he heard more explosions. He and his classmates attempted to leave the classroom. Mr. Johnson, another teacher, told them to go back in their classroom and lock the door. Mr. Olsen stated when he first opened the classroom door he saw Mr. Sanders (teacher) had been shot." (11k, p.2083)

Note: Sanders didn’t run up the stairs until 11:24 a.m. Olsen likely saw Sanders just after 11:24 a.m. being shouldered into SCI-3 by Rich Long. SCI-3 is next door to SCI-2. Peterson’s classroom was SCI-2, Johnson's classroom was SCI-3. The door to SCI-2 opened into a hallway around the corner from where Sanders was shot, so Sanders would not have been visible to Olsen from his vantage point unless Sanders was coming down the hallway with Rich Long at that time.

Olsen saw Sanders as he was being brought to SCI-3.
Olsen saw Sanders as he was being brought to SCI-3

Daniel Grange

Grange saw Sanders on the ground, bleeding from the mouth

"Grange grabbed his backpack and got up and ran up the stairs to the main level. Grange saw Mr. Sanders lying about 15 feet to the right of the top of the stairs. He was struggling to get up and had blood coming out of his mouth." (11k, p.3173)

Frank Petersen, SCI-2 teacher

Petersen saw Sanders on the floor with Rich Long

"He went to the stairs going down to the cafeteria. At first, he didn't hear anything. There were kids coming up the stairs quickly, but not at an alarming rate.

Petersen heard a barrage of fire. He then heard pop, pop, pop. Kids hit the deck, then there was a second barrage of gunfire. Petersen saw another teacher Rich Long. He was crouched over. Long yelled for Petersen to go and get help. There was possibly someone on the floor next to him. This investigator asked Petersen if it was Dave Sanders. He indicated it is unknown to him if it was Sanders or not. (11k, p.2103)

Jennifer Camacho

Camacho saw Sanders on the ground after he had been shot

"After I got to the top of the stairs, I saw a man lying down on the ground. Then I looked up and saw him standing there." (11k, p.2616)

"She said that while she was going up the stairs, she heard a very loud explosion and felt the stairs shake. She advised that once upstairs, she ran down a hall towards the science lab and observed a person laying on the floor in he hallway. She said this person might have been Mr. Sanders, but she was not sure." (11k, p.2618)

Jessica Brown

Brown saw Sanders on the ground after he had been shot

"She stated that she went up the stairs and a bomb exploded near her. She advised that she saw Mr. Sanders and believed he had been injured as he was on the floor on his knees." (11k, pp.2541-2542)

Mark Hengel

Hengel was running with Sanders as he rounded the library hall corner

A large group of students went up the stairs on the Southeast corner of the cafeteria, and once at the top, ran to the right and East through the East/West hallway on the South side of the auditorium and out the exit by the math area. Hengel, Witt, and Mr. Sanders went to the left towards the library, and Hengel and Witt hid behind a pillar near the top of the stairs." (11k, p.5899)

Hengel saw Sanders after he had been shot, bloody, lying on the ground in the hall

"After taking this quick peek from behind the pillar, Hengel turned to say something to Witt, and saw Mr. Sanders lying on the floor near the top of the stairs with blood all around him." (11k, p.5900)

Rachel Erbert

Erbert saw Sanders on the ground bleeding from his face and back

"Rachel related the students around her then began to run and she followed the crowd running up the stairs to the second floor. When she got to the top of the stairs, she looked to her right and observed a boy in the hall by the library who was trying to jump out of the gunshots and Mr. Sanders down on the floor bleeding from his face and back. It appeared he had been shot." (11k, p.2953)

Steve Houck

Houck saw Sanders on the ground bleeding

"One of the choir room doors opened and Houck heard an explosion or a very close gunshot. Houck went out the door of the choir room to the main hallway and saw Mr. Sanders on all fours bleeding in the hallway." (11k, p.4969)

Theresa Miller

Miller saw Sanders on the ground, bleeding

"She stated that she observed kids falling and tripping on top of each other and at about this time, Miller said she saw teacher Dave Sanders injured with blood on him. She stated another teacher helped Dave Sanders into the science classrooms and during this time, the students were evacuating from the school." (11k, p.5926)

"As the kids were going to the science rooms, she saw Dave Sanders (teacher) laying down behind the kids. Richard Long, another teacher, went over to help Dave Sanders. Sanders' face and chest were covered in blood.

Ms. Miller stated she asked Dave Sanders where he was hit. Mr. Sanders said in the mouth." (11k, p.5929)

Witnesses who saw Sanders enter/inside of SCI-3

First name Last name Location Interview page #
Aaron Hancey Science [pp.1912-1915]
Alysa Bernard Science [pp.1793-1795]
Caprice Wyatt Science [pp.2267-2271]
Carrie Preziosi Science [pp.2118-2122]
Christine Kane Science [pp.1957-1958] & [pp.1967-1969]
David Smith Science [pp.2179-2181]
Deidra Kucera Science [pp.1990-1997]
Doug Johnson Science [pp.1946-1962]
Dustin Rissmiller Science [pp.2133-2135]
Elizabeth Mullen Science [pp.1956-1957]
Elizabeth Schneider Science [pp.2162-2165]
Eric Parsons Science [pp.2089-2095]
Erin Walton Science [pp.2241-2248]
Jessica Rusch Science [pp.2142-2145]
John Vandemark Science [pp.2216-2223]
Jonathan Ballard Science [pp.1764-1768]
Kami Held Science [pp.1918-1920]
Kevin Starkey Science [pp.2196-2199]
Lisa Cosgrove Science [pp.1844-1845]
Marjorie Lindholm Science [pp.2010-2011]
Melanie Poleschook Science [pp.2116-2117]
Mike Rotole Science [pp.1954-1955] & [pp.2138-2141]
Nathan Anema Cafe [pp.2346-2360]
Sarah Wood Science [pp.2264-2266]
Stephen Broden Science [pp.1807-1809]

Aaron Hancey

"One teacher asked another teacher if she knew First-Aid and I responded and went into another science room (SCI-3) where I found a teacher had been shot. I tried to help Mr. Sanders as much as I could. He had been shot in both shoulders w/a broken right shoulder." (11k, p.1913)

Alysa Bernard

"Ms. Bernard stated she was in Mr. Doug Johnson's science room when she heard gunshots. Mr. Sanders came into Mr. Johnson's room shortly thereafter." (11k, p.1794)

Caprice Wyatt

"A man, Dave Sanders, was brought into SCI-3 where I was w/one other teacher. We tried to care for him, he was bleeding bad." (11k, p.2268)

Carrie Preziosi

"Mr. Sanders came into the room bleeding out of his mouth. He had been shot twice. Mr.Johnson's class and Mr. Peterson's class joined right by the door where the classrooms meet. Something broke the door to the science office and made a loud bang. And you could hear people running downstairs and all around." (11k, p.2119)

Christine Kane

"Mr. Sanders, another teacher, came into their science room and he was covered in blood." (11k, p.1968)

David Smith

"On April 20, 1999 at 11:25 a.m., he was in his science class. [...] Mr. Smith took off his shirt to help stop the bleeding on Mr. Sanders." (11k, pp.2181-2182)

Deidra Kucera

"Ms. Kucera stated they were in the same room with Mr. Sanders. However, she could no see Mr. Sanders because they had tables around him." (11k, p.1996)

Doug Johnson, SCI-3 teacher

"Mr. Johnson stated he then saw Dave Sanders, another teacher. Mr. Sanders staggered over to Mr. Long and Theresa Miller. Mr. Sanders had blood all over his face, hands, and chest area. Mr. Long brought Mr. Sanders into Mr. Johnson's science room and laid him on the floor face first." (11k, p.1948)

Dustin Rissmiller

"Shortly after hearing the gunshots Mr. Sanders stumbled into the room and fell to the floor." (11k, p.2134)

Elizabeth Mullen

"Mullen stated CHS teacher, Sanders, came into the room and he had been shot." (11k, p.1956)

Elizabeth Schneider

"Ms. Schneider stated they hid in a corner of the science room. Mr. Rich Long (teacher) came into the room and he had blood on his arm. She thought Mr. Long had been shot. Mr. Long told Ms. Schneider it was Dave Sanders' blood." (11k, p.2163)

Eric Parsons

"Taking science test. Miss Wyatt came to door called teacher over. Mentioned shooting. Someone yelled "Someone's shooting." Panic. Everyone got against a wall.

Mr. Sanders came in bleeding from mouth. Fell to ground." (11k, p.2090)

"Eric went to his science class room number 3, which Mr. Johnson teaches. Eric stated they began taking a science test and after a few minutes into the test Mrs. Wyatt came to the door and whispered to Mr. Johnson that someone was shooting.

Eric stated he then heard three gunshots from the cafeteria area. Then he heard screaming coming from the same area.

Eric continued by saying that everyone in his class stood up and the teachers told them to get against the wall and get down. Eric stated there were about 30 students in the class. They got against the wall closest to science room 2, so that if anyone looked into his classroom the couldn't see anyone unless they entered the room.

Eric stated Mr. Sanders came in before they got to the walls. He stated Mr. Sanders had blood on his face, a lot of blood. Mr. Sanders then fell down after about 1+1/2 steps into the room."

"Eric went on to say that Mr. Friesen came into the room and took his shirt off to help stop the bleeding of Mr. Sanders. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Friesen tried to help Mr. Sanders." (11k, p.2093)

Erin Walton

"Walton related when 5th hour started, she was in Mr. Petersen's room. When he left the room, Ms. Miller, Mr. Johnson, and Ms. Wyatt entered the room. This is also the room that Mr. Sanders was brought into. [...] When they brought Mr. Sanders in, he was bleeding really bad. He slipped in and out of consciousness several times." (11k, p.2243)

Jessica Rusch

"Jessica stated after the party with the gun disappeared from the window, that a teacher known as Mr. Sanders entered into the classroom from an adjoining classroom, and that he had been shot in the back area." (11k, p.2144)

John Vandemark

"Vandemark stated, he then observed Mr. Sanders, being helped by another teacher, Mr. Johnson, walk past his classroom and into the classroom next door. He noticed Sanders' head was down and he could see a lot of blood on the upper right side of Sanders' chest." (11k, p.2221)

Jonathan Ballard

"We all ran to the corner of the room and then Mr. Sanders came in bleeding and coughing." (11k, p.1765)

Kami Held

"Ms. Held stated she was in Mr. Johnson's science class taking a test. [...] Mr. Sanders was brought into Mr. Johnson's room."  (11k, p.1919)

Kevin Starkey

"Mr. Starkey stated he was in science room number 3, Mr. Johnson's room, taking a test when he heard bombs or large firecrackers go off. [...] Mr. Starkey stated Mr. Sanders was wounded when he was brought to Mr. Johnson's room." (11k, p.2198)

Lisa Cosgrove

"Cosgrove also said she observed teacher Dave Sanders, who had been shot in the back and bleeding, and that he was in the room with them." (11k, p.1845)

Marjorie Lindholm

"I was in science class. Heard like 2 rocks hitting school class window. Mr. Johnson looked out. Heard a loud bang. Someone said they were shooting. Started to get on floor. Mr. Sanders came in and fell to the floor and started coughing up blood." (11k, p.2011)

Melanie Poleschook

"I was in my science class, Mr. Johnson's room. We were taking our test when at about 11:30 we heard some loud noises and screaming. We all stood up and ran to the back of the room and sat on the floor by the walls. Mr. Sanders and a few people came in our room. Mr. Sanders was shot and he was bleeding, then he layed on the floor." "We heard the door handle move, I think the gunmen were trying to break into our room." (11k, p.2117)

Mike Rotole

"I was in my science room - we heard a shot, a teacher came in and told our teacher something. We heard multiple gunshots close range. A teacher, Mr. Sanders, came in and was shot in the jaw and back. He fell flat on his face." (11k, p.2139)

Nathan Anema

"I then took an immediate right and eventually ended up in a science class with about 30 kids in it. Close behind me was Mr. Sanders, who was very bloody." (11k, pp.2347-2348)

Sarah Wood

"I was in the science room. [...] Then Mr. Sanders came in, he had been shot in the upper body." (11k, p.2265)

Stephen Broden

"He stated at approximately 1120-1122 hours, Mr. Sanders came into his classroom." (11k, p.1809)

News articles

  1. Funeral held for Columbine's 'hero' teacher (CNN, April 26, 1999).
  2. The Journey To Healing, (Washington Post, May 1, 1999).
  3. Columbine rescuers in the dark (Denver Post, May 30, 1999).
  4. Columbine "coverup" (Salon, April 21, 2000).