Wrongful death suit
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Lawyers for families of five students killed in the Columbine High School massacre will take depositions this week from the parents of teen gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold for a wrongful death lawsuit, attorneys said. Klebold and Harris killed 12 students, a teacher and themselves April 20, 1999. The parents of Danny Rohrbough, Kelly Fleming, Kyle Velasquez, Matthew Kechter and Lauren Townsend are suing Tom and Sue Klebold and Wayne and Kathy Harris in federal court, alleging the two families knew or should have known their children were planning an attack. Some of the pipe bombs used in the attack were made at the Harris home. Parents of other victims have settled lawsuits against the two families, and lawsuits against Jefferson County and law enforcement agencies have been dismissed. Attorneys for the Harrises and Klebolds also will take depositions. Judy Brown, whose son, Brooks, had reported death threats made by Eric Harris, said she will give a deposition Monday. The Browns have criticized authorities for failing to follow up on their reports about Harris. “In over four years of trying to find out the truth, the families finally get to meet and question the parents of the killers. And I hope they learn something that will help them understand why this tragedy happened,” said Randy Brown, Brooks’ father. Attorney Franklin D. Patterson, who represents the Klebolds’ insurance company, said the depositions “are a routine part of every civil suit.” There was no comment Sunday from C. Michael Montgomery, the lawyer representing the Harris’ insurance company. No home telephone number is published for him and he did not respond to a call to his office. |