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Parents of Columbine killers give depositions in court

DENVER (AP) - Four years after the Columbine High School slayings, Brian Rohrbough, who lost his only child in the attack, met for the first time with the parents of the student gunmen.

Harris and Klebold killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves April 20, 1999, at the suburban high school.

The faces of Wayne and Kathy Harris and Tom and Sue Klebold have been unknown to the public -- and to most victims' families.

"It's been a long time coming," Rohrbough said.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in 2000 by the families of slain students Daniel Rohrbough, Kelly Fleming, Matt Kechter, Lauren Townsend and Kyle Velasquez. The families believe the parents should have known what their children were up to and prevented it.

The depositions will be reviewed by U.S. District Judge Lewis Babcock, who will determine whether the lawsuit will proceed.

Victims' families who are part of the suit can attend the depositions, but all parties signed statements prohibiting them from revealing details.

Randy and Judy Brown warned the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office more than a year before the shootings that Eric Harris had threatened to kill their son, Brooks. They also warned that Harris was violent and that he had bragged on an Internet site that he and Klebold were making pipe bombs.

Although the Browns are not part of the suit, Judy Brown was deposed for more than five hours Monday by the Harrises' attorneys.

Depositions are traditionally done in attorneys' offices. These were held at the courthouse because a protective order has been filed to keep some information and records confidential.

According to court records, the confidential information includes the school records of the gunmen, "documents referring to or describing any criminal activity" before the shootings and the gunmen's plan to acquire "firearms, incendiary devices, body armor and the like for four years preceding and through April 20."

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