Columbine school shooting victims remembered at 25th anniversary vigil

A girl who wrote to God in her journal, a boy with learning disabilities who was just learning to love who he was, and a teenager who spent every free minute fishing were among the 13 victims of the Columbine High School shooting recalled at a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the country had seen at the time.

As small candles flickered on 13 empty chairs, short biographies of Columbine students Rachel Scott, Kyle Velasquez and Corey DePooter and the other victims were read one by one. After each event, the crowd of about 150 people responded together “never forgotten” and a bell rang.

The youngest person killed in the attack that inspired dozens of copycat shootings was 14-year-old Steven Curnow. The oldest was teacher Dave Sanders, 47, who led students out of the cafeteria to safety and was shot as he tried to herd students into classrooms. .

Others killed were Cassie Bernall, Kelly Fleming, Matt Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Dan Rohrbaugh, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin and Lauren Townsend.

Sanders’ daughter, Coni Sanders, said her father changed the world forever by saving hundreds of students.

“The children he saved now have children and those children will have children so that generations from now on will know that they exist because of his courage,” she said before the ceremony began.

The rally, organized by advocates including gun safety organizations, was the main public event marking Saturday’s anniversary, which is more low-key than in previous years. In addition to honoring those killed, the vigil at a church near the state Capitol also brought attention to those who were injured and those who survived the shooting but suffered trauma.

Daniel Mauser’s father, Tom Mauser, decided to organize the vigil after learning that school officials were not planning to hold a large community event like they did for the 20th anniversary.

Mauser, who became a gun safety advocate after the shooting, urged the crowd of about 150 people gathered at a church across from the state Capitol to never forget the Columbine victims and take measures to reduce gun violence.

“And above all, we ask you to never forget, to never forget the victims of Columbine. The killed, the injured, the traumatized and their families. And above all to never forget those who lost their lives,” Mauser said , wearing his son’s sneakers, a tradition he reserves for special occasions.

President Joe Biden, in a statement released Saturday, said his administration has taken numerous steps to try to curb the “senseless violence” that has destroyed some 400 schools since Columbine, including the creation of the White House Office for the prevention of armed violence.

“I have met countless families who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Their message is always the same: do something,” the statement said. “My administration will continue to act, but Congress must do its part. We need universal background checks, a national red flag law, and we must ban assault weapons and high-volume magazines. ability.”

Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffordswho began campaigning for gun safety after nearly being killed in a mass shooting, was in attendance and spoke about her long recovery, drawing comparison to the small steps needed to make a change in the world.

“Change doesn’t happen overnight and we can’t do it alone. Join me. Let’s move forward together,” she said, drawing a standing ovation.

Nathan Hochhalter, whose sister Anne-Marie was paralyzed after being shot at Columbine, described being trapped in a school classroom with about 30 students when they heard gunshots nearby. They were rescued about four hours later by SWAT officers who he said searched them five times. Six months later, his mother, who suffered from bipolar disorder, committed suicide after asking to look at a gun at a pawn shop and killed herself there.

“I just want to take this moment to let everyone know that it’s okay to seek help, whatever your situation, whether as a survivor 25 years later or as a person with “These things come in waves and they can hit you when you least expect it. You all need to know that we are all here for you and you are not alone. Hochhalter said.