DENVER –
A girl who wrote to God in her journals, a boy with learning disabilities who was just learning to appreciate who he was and a teenager who spent every free minute fishing were among the 13 victims of the Columbine High School shooting remembered during a vigil on Friday. on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
As small candles flickered on 13 empty chairs, brief biographies of Columbine students Rachel Scott, Kyle Velasquez and Corey DePooter and the other victims were read one by one. After each one, the crowd of about 150 people responded together “never forgotten” and a bell rang.
The youngest person killed in the attack that has 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 lead them up the stairs to classrooms. .
The 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 people will know that they exist because of his bravery,” he said before the ceremony began.
The gathering, organized by advocates including gun safety organizations, was the main public event marking Saturday’s anniversary, which is more subdued than previous major years. In addition to remembering those killed, the vigil at a church near the state Capitol also drew attention to the wounded 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 host a large community event like they did for the 20th anniversary.
Mauser, who became an advocate for gun safety after the shooting, urged the crowd of about 150 people gathered in a church across from the state Capitol to never forget the Columbine victims and take some kind of action to reduce armed violence.
“And most importantly, we ask that you never forget, never forget the victims of Columbine. The murdered, the injured, the traumatized and their families. And, especially, 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 issued Saturday, said his administration has taken numerous steps to try to curb the “senseless violence” that has vandalized some 400 schools since Columbine, including the creation of the Office of Violence Prevention White House Navy.
“I have met with 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 take action, but Congress must do its part. We need universal background checks, a national red flag law, and we must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”
Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who began campaigning for gun safety after nearly dying in a mass shooting, attended and spoke about her long recovery, drawing a comparison to the small steps needed to make change in the world. .
“Change doesn’t happen overnight and we can’t do it alone. Join me. Let’s move forward together,” he said, drawing a standing ovation.
Nathan Hochhalter, whose sister Anne Marie was paralyzed after she was shot at Columbine, spoke of 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, frisked them five times. Six months later, his mother, who suffered from bipolar disorder, took her own life after asking to see a gun in a pawn shop and shooting herself there.
“I just want to take this moment to let everyone know that it’s okay to ask for help, whatever your situation, whether as a survivor 25 years later or as someone struggling with any part of your life. These things come in waves and it can hit you when you least expect it. Everyone should know that we are here to help you and that you are not alone,” Hochhalter said.
This story has been corrected to say that Hochhalter’s mother asked to look at a gun at a pawn shop before shooting herself.