Tanner Gun Show
The Mart Pavilion
Denver Merchandise Mart
451 E 58th Ave
Denver CO 80216
West of I-25, just North of 58th Avenue.
The shows are usually held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Tanner Gun Show is held 9 times a year at the Denver Merchandise Mart. JD Tanner is the man behind the shows. In 1999, he was 72 years old.
All of the guns that were used in the Columbine High School shooting were purchased at Tanner Gun Shows. The TEC9 with its barrel extender and 30-round clip was purchased from Larry Russel on August 2, 1998 for $491 by Mark Manes, who later sold the pistol to Dylan for $500 cash.
In March of 1999, Mark Manes invited Dylan over in the evening in order to secure their deal for the TEC-9 pistol. That evening after showing Dylan how to work the action, clean and load the pistol, Mark handed over his TEC-9 to Dylan in exchange for a down payment of $300. The rest was to be paid later. Dressed in his Black Jack Pizza shirt, Dylan had a beer with Mark and his friends Brian Distal and Greg Marcilliott before carrying the TEC-9 away with him in its black plastic carrying case.
Sidenote: The serial number on the sticker for the case didn’t match the serial number on the actual firearm when Mark bought it, although the serial on the receipt did.
On November 21, 1998 Eric and Dylan attempted to purchase weapons from the Tanner Gun Show but were told to come back with someone who was 18 or older. The next day on November 22, they brought Robyn Anderson with them who purchased the Carbine and both shotguns.
Dylan’s Stevens 311D double barrel 12 gauge shotgun cost $245. It had a walnut stock with the bluing on the barrel being very well worn. The barrel was originally 28″ but Dylan sawed it down to 12+ 15/16″
J.D. Tanner, organizer of the Tanner Gun Show, said the weapons sold at his show are not cause the violence like the April 20 attack by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. The two students killed 13 and then took their own lives. ”Guns are not to blame and the ready availability of them is not to blame,” said Tanner, 72. He said he couldn’t explain the violence at Columbine. ”It’s in the minds of the children,” he said. ”I’m not a psychologist.” He canceled one show that was to be held the weekend after the shooting, but said he’ll continue his monthly shows. ”We’ll do gun shows as long as we can do gun shows.”
Robyn Anderson’s Statement
“Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had gone to the Tanner gun show on Saturday and they took me back with them on Sunday. I remember this as being in November or December of 1998. When Eric and Dylan had gone the previous day, a dealer told them that they needed to bring someone back who was 18. They were both 17 at the time. This was a private dealer – not a licensed dealer. While we were walking around, Eric and Dylan kept asking sellers if they were private or licensed. They wanted to buy their guns from someone who was private – and not licensed – because there would be no paperwork or background check. At one point Eric was interested in a gun from a licensed dealer. The dealer asked me if I would fill out some paperwork and I said, “No, I didn’t feel comfortable with that.’ I didn’t want to put my name on something that I wasn’t going to have control of.
They bought guns from three sellers. They were all private. They paid cash. There was no receipt. I was not asked any questions at all. There was no background check. All I had to do was show my driver’s license to prove that I was 18. Dylan got a shotgun. Eric got a shotgun and a black rifle that he bought clips for. He was able to buy clips and ammunition without me having to show any I.D. The sellers didn’t write down any information. I would not have bought a gun for Eric and Dylan if I had had to give any personal information or submit to any kind of check at all. I think it was clear to the sellers that the guns were for Eric and Dylan. They were the ones asking all the questions and handling the guns. I had no idea what they were eventually going to do with the guns. When I look back at it, I think I was kind of naive. I wish a law requiring background checks had been in effect at the time. I don’t know if Eric and Dylan would have been able to get guns from another source, but I would not have helped them. It was too easy. I wish it had been more difficult. I wouldn’t have helped them buy the guns if I had faced a background check.”
Signed,
Robyn Anderson
Phil Duran
Phil Duran, who had worked with Eric and Dylan at Black Jack Pizza, introduced them to Mark Manes (who later sold Dylan his TEC-9 pistol). Mark and Phil introduced both of them to Rampart Range, which was the place they regularly went to go shooting with a few other friends. Eric had gone shooting with Mark on three separate occasions, only two of which Dylan was present for.
Two weeks after Mark sold his TEC-9 pistol to Dylan, they went shooting at Rampart. It was the first time they had gone shooting together. Eric brought his Carbine and Dylan brought his TEC-9.
Note:A couple of days later Dylan gave the remaining $200 he owed for the TEC-9 to Phil Duran while they were at work. Phil then gave the money to Mark.
One week later Mark went shooting with Brian Distal, Phil Applegate and Mark’s girlfriend Jessie. Brian brought his two AR-15 rifles. Dylan had to work, but Eric brought along the TEC-9 with his Carbine. Their targets were orange dots stuck to the trees.
On March 6, 1999, Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, Phil Duran, Mark Manes, and Jessica Miklich all went to Rampart Range to go shooting. Phil filmed everyone shooting for most of the time. They shot Mark’s Ruger Mini-30 and his Ruger .45 pistol, Dylan’s TEC-DC9M, and two sawed off 12 gauge shotguns- a Stevens Double Barrel, and Springfield Pump Action. Eric’s Carbine does not appear in this video. This tape has been dubbed the “Rampart Range Video.”
Note: Their targets were mainly bowling pins and trees.
Eric and Dylan asked Brian if he wanted to sell them his SKS Rifle. He didn’t want to sell it, but he never really gave them a definite no.
Rampart Range was a place in the woods for target practice until a short while after the shooting took place. The closing of Rampart Range to the discharge of firearms had nothing to do with Columbine, and everything to do with safety.