He’s best known as the father of Eric Harris, a tragic figure linked to the Columbine High School massacre, where 13 people lost their lives and 24 others were injured. Before that moment in the public eye, he had already lived a notable life—serving proudly as an Air Force pilot earlier in his career. He was the son of Thelma Harris, and family played a central role in his life. Alongside his wife, he raised two sons: Eric Harris and Kevin Harris. As the father of Eric Harris, his connection to one of the most devastating school shootings in U.S. history has inevitably shaped much of how he’s been perceived. Still, beyond that tragedy, he built a life defined by service and family, with his role as the father of Eric Harris being just one part of a more complex story.
Two years prior to the tragic shootings, he began documenting his son Eric’s increasingly unpredictable behavior. Over the years, Wayne and the rest of the family relocated multiple times, moving from one state to another and from city to city, before Eric even entered high school. Eventually, they settled down in Littleton, Colorado, in 1993. At that time, Eric was 12 years old, and his older brother Kevin was about three years his senior.