WEST PALM BEACH — The investigators who flagged Damien Allen's violent online messages weren't the first to notice his obsession with school shooters a police officer with the Palm Beach County School District made note of "his Columbine comments." Officer Warren Madorma interviewed a 15-year-old student at Forest Hill High School in October 2021 describing his outfit during the school's homecoming spirit week said he was going for a "1999 Columbine vibe — like a black trench coat with stuff strapped to me." The comments made her "incredibly uncomfortable," the student said She told the officer she walked away from Allen she said he ran his right hand along her breast Allen denied groping the girl and told Madorma that she lied because "she was scared of his Columbine comments." "It's unfair for people to say there were no signs," the teen said in an email to The Post on May 3 "My statement after the incident where I explicitly brought up his disgusting 'Columbine shooter' comments should've been taken more seriously." Prosecutors charged Allen with battery for the incident at the West Palm Beach school on April 28 almost three years to the day before Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies arrested him on suspicion of planning to carry out a mass shooting The State Attorney's Office dropped the battery case in 2023 after Allen agreed to undergo a mental health evaluation and have no possession of weapons or firearms investigators said Allen bragged about his arsenal of firearms and was prepared to carry out an attack Allen discussed mass murderers online with a community of other people who idolized and imitated them killed a student and a teacher in her Wisconsin private school before turning the gun on herself on Dec According to another former Forest Hill student Allen was obsessed with firearms even as a teen "It was kind of where all the non-fitting-in kids would go," she said returning to the topic even when others tried to steer the conversation elsewhere Mosos said students made fun of Allen for his all-black clothes his obsession with firearms and his generally "creepy vibe." Mosos said she and Allen texted one another for about three weeks before his unrelenting desire to talk about guns made her rethink their friendship "He fit the stereotype of a mass murderer when you think about it," she said Mosos said she struggled to find common ground with him during those three weeks so they spoke about Columbine High School and the two teenagers who killed 12 students and a teacher before taking their own lives The massacre changed how the nation thought about school safety It also cemented the gunmen's status as antiheroes among certain underground spaces on the internet and how he could understand why they did what they did," she said I felt like I was talking to a brick wall." Afraid to confront Allen about his behavior quit art club and avoided the places on campus where she knew he hung out She said she told an administrator at Forest Hill about her concerns but had no reason to suspect that Allen was aggressive or violent — just obsessed Mosos said the administrator promised to look into it Go deeper: Sandy Hook mother praises Palm Beach County deputies for foiling suspected massacre Mosos said Allen didn't cross her mind again until she saw his name and mugshot in the news for stockpiling weapons Deputies said during an April news conference that there was no evidence Allen had chosen a date and venue to target though he told Rupnow he had seven places in mind represented by Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth Ramsey remains in the Palm Beach County Jail without bail In addition to the criminal charges he faces PBSO asked a judge to temporarily remove Allen's firearms under Florida's Risk Protection Order Act The statute — sometimes referred to as a “red flag” law — lets authorities stop a person from accessing firearms if they're deemed a threat to themselves or others Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com. Wind gusts of 30+ mph along with afternoon and evening blowing dust, could reduce visibility. Weather Maps RadarSurviving Columbine: Dr. Josh Hevert's journey from tragedy to teaching resilienceby Nasya Mancini a history professor at the El Paso Community College shared his harrowing experience as a survivor of the Columbine High School shooting reflecting on the tragedy and the resilience that followed "One thing you have to understand about the Columbine community and Littleton the most American slice of apple pie that you can imagine," Hevert said "And the idea of having something like this happen at Columbine High School was just not something that you thought about." describing it as a "picture-perfect day" in Southwest Denver Hevert narrowly escaped the massacre by choosing to work on a project in the tech lab instead of the library "Thank goodness that I went to the tech lab instead of the library I don't know if I'd be here," he said Hevert said he and others were in the tech lab unaware of the danger "We did not know that these were shots being fired from semi-automatic weapons and the pipe bombs that the perpetrators had," Hevert said Hevert described the chaos and fear as someone flung open the door and yelled eventually escaping to Clement Park-- a park near the school RECOMMENDED: 4 Young Park shooting suspects plead not guilty, face adult court proceedings my home phone was ringing off the hook," as he anxiously checked on friends and classmates never came off his mental list of those confirmed safe Hevert finds active shooter drills challenging like that just sends me to a place that I can't go to." Hevert emphasized the importance of community support drawing parallels between Columbine and El Paso "No one in El Paso has to go it alone," Hevert said "You can rely on your community." Hevert's story serves as a testament to the enduring strength and solidarity of those affected by tragedy RECOMMENDED: El Paso Walmart shooting victim's family speaks out on DA's decision against death penalty Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker — Sunday marks 26 years since the shocking tragedy of the Columbine High School shooting Twelve students and a teacher were killed when two gunmen attacked the Jefferson County school on April 20 The youngest killed in the attack was Steven Curnow who shepherded students out of the cafeteria to safety and was shot as he tried to get students upstairs into classrooms The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement in an X post Sunday morning: “Today we pause to remember the lives forever changed on April 20 and we stand with all who continue to feel its impact A memorial near the school is a place for the community to visit and remember the impact of the Columbine High School shooting Still, it needs upgrades more reliable lighting system to make it easier to read the inscriptions and other much-needed improvements clear blue eyes and a big warm smile that she generously shared she dreamed of bringing new life into this world Cassie truly longed to know what heaven would be like and she strived to know the Lord whom she would meet there Her heart’s desire was 'just to live for Christ.' Weeks before her death she expressed her anxiousness to see heaven stating that she could 'hardly wait to get there.' When asked how we would ever live without her Cassie simply replied 'Wouldn’t you be happy for me Cassie lost her life because of her belief in God Although her dreams of ushering in new life tragically ended her stand continues to encourage many to seek new life through Christ He never held a grudge and was quick to offer help Steve loved reading watching adventure movies and playing soccer When Steve realized he was not skilled enough to make the high school soccer team his dream of playing professional soccer was gone He continued to play on his recreational soccer team and was also a referee Steve wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a naval aviator He had found a love of flying during his first plane trip The plane hit some pretty rough turbulence Talking on the plane suddenly stopped with many of the passengers becoming white knuckled and tightening their grips on the arms of the seats "Corey was a young man who was full of life He was a person that you would want to spend time with He loved to talk and could have long conversations on the subjects he was passionate about With his sense of humor Corey could have a whole room laughing Corey was an outdoorsman at heart Corey had just turned seventeen and was excited about his future He was working at a golf course to save up for his first car His goal was to become an officer in the Marine Corps Corey looked forward to becoming a husband and a father and sharing his faith with his children Kelly's memorial inscription is taken from a poem she wrote in 1998 I put my head down and said a little prayer I saw a light and asked myself can that be Her first draft; final draft published in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul III" "Matthew, a gift from God Memories are moments of time strung together but in these moments of reflection we will see the kindness in your eyes and feel the love for others in your heart We will always remember your fondness for the outdoors, your passion for sports and your dedication to academic success. Your broad and proud grin after you caught your first trout will never be forgotten. You loved to compete and strive for the best in all sports that you played yet your sense of fairness and integrity always prevailed Never forgotten will be the moment when you were listening to music watching a football game and working on your Algebra and that is all I am going to say about that.' Known as the go-to-guy for homework help you always found time to lend a hand you brought joy to those around you with a kind work or a gentle smile Your devotion to family and friends will serve as our inspiration to follow as we journey through life You possessed such profound empathy for someone so young "It is not easy to sum up the life of a son and brother To his parents he was a first born gift with spiritual dimensions that caused us to seek a deeper life he was a fun companion but also one who was willing to share his wisdom and knowledge To his sister Madeline he will be the brother who was never known To others he will be an inspiration for how he tackled his own weaknesses and often overcame them in surprising ways We remember Daniel as a boy with a gentle spirit and a shy grin Often charming and sometimes intense,; he was just coming into his own He still saw the world through largely innocent eyes He was an inquisitive and occasionally maddening adolescent who would challenge you to examine your assumptions about most everything knew the ineffable sweetness of life and it was part of him It was our great blessing to have had him as a member of our family." A precious gift from God with an engaging smile and beautiful blue eyes that would light up the room A funny kid with an infectious laugh and a quick come back so full of questions and wanting to know how things work Family was important to you and always included in your life Just beginning your journey with so much to learn My son in a Nation that legalized the killing of innocent children in the womb; in a County where authorities would lie and cover up what they knew and what they did in a Godless school system your life was taken…Dan “I love you dad, I’ll see you tomorrow.” "Her middle name described her; she was a Joy Her beauty reflected her kindness and compassion A month before her death she wrote: 'I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same People will never know how far a little kindness can go.' Rachel had a sense of destiny and purpose She also had a premonition her life would be short I always knew this home I have will never last.' The day she died she told a teacher: 'I’m going to have an impact on the world.' In her diary she wrote: 'I won’t be labeled as average.' Her faith in God was expressed in a prayer she wrote: 'I want to serve you; I want to be used by you to help others.' Her final words were testimony to her life little league baseball and loved the sound of a bouncing basketball Dave’s young life was mentored by his high school basketball coach He played basketball and ran cross-country in college then began his career as a business teacher and coach. Dave encouraged students family members and friends to become better people through kindness and encouragement He inspired many people to achieve their dreams and his spirit lives on in everyone who loved him or knew him Know that he loves you all and is with you always He will always be only one thought away when we need strength and comfort We have a lifetime filled with memories of a man we are so proud to have known remember Dave for how he lived; not how he died We are grateful for his final words: 'Tell my girls I love them,' we love you too." "The love of God was first in Isaiah’s life His close relationship with his Grandmother Bessie showed in his respect for others and was taught to love others no matter how they treated him Isaiah died in a room filled with hate and darkness He now lives in a beautiful heavenly room filled with light and beauty He would want you to look up and see the light He is one of the beautiful flowers God has picked for his Heavenly Garden John Tomlin was a young man with a broad smile and bright eyes As a teen he added Chevy trucks and the Green Bay Packers to that list and his love for Jesus developed in him a strong set of Christian morals John had a gentle disposition that parents and girlfriends dream of; the kind that didn’t need a heavy hand of discipline and that made him an old-fashioned gentleman on dates But his sunny disposition could not keep him from entering what many teens enter; a dark tunnel of loneliness where God seemed far away Seven months before his death he reconnected with God and rediscovered the joy of his faith That faith sustained John with courage and strength to face evil during the last moments of his life in the Columbine High School library John fully understands the truth of the words written long ago: 'You because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.' 1 John 4:4" A woman in the middle of a field of flowers kissing Jesus’ wounds I didn’t think I could draw such a beautiful picture I did tonight I think something was guiding me other than just my hand I want to wake up in a field of flowers and see Jesus sitting there smiling but I can’t even describe how happy I would be if I could do that and we would just sit there hugging in the sun with the wind blowing in our hair Just that moment is worth living many lives for and joyful; like I am on the verge of enlightenment There is so much more going on here than we realize I do think humanity is losing touch with itself and their relationship with their surroundings Unfortunately it usually takes a huge trauma to get people to realize what is important and I feel that is what is going to happen to wake up everyone to get in touch with their spiritual sides For, in the end all there is, is love. who as a child struggled with developmental delays and learning disabilities He was just beginning to really like who he was Kyle taught those who loved him so much about unconditional love He was a true friend to those who chose to take the time to know him watching sports with dad and going to the library with mom Kyle had been a student at Columbine only three months and was just beginning to spread his wings The world around him was beginning to open up for a young boy who had struggled through school and life through all his delays and difficulties he always smiled forgave and saw the GOOD in those around him He will always be missed and never forgotten." Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right lending a helping hand and following through on promises the week of April 15-21 has been unusually cruel in history that time period has been referred to as "the cruelest week." Historically, the week of April 15 is no stranger to tragedy an unusual number of tragic events seem to take place on a few inauspicious days in April But it leads one to wonder if a day (or a week) can simply be unlucky he used a handgun that was previously used and purchased by his mother "This is a tragic day for Florida State University," FSU President Richard McCullough said "We're absolutely heartbroken by the violence." that happened during the week of April 15-21 Shortly after the end of the American Civil War President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford's Theater in Washington Lincoln was carried to a house across the street from the theater Booth escaped the theater after the assassination but was shot to death 11 days later when the 16th New York Cavalry attempted to capture him on a farm in Virginia Presidents Day: George Washington (sort of) has 2 birthdays. Why isn't it a Florida holiday? a fire broke out in the city and burned for four days and nights Between 700 and 3,000 people were killed and more than 80% of the city was destroyed In an eerie coincidence, on June 15, 2006, a century after the massive San Francisco Earthquake, there was another natural disaster in San Francisco. According to CNN "A magnitude 4.7 earthquake and multiple aftershocks shook the south San Francisco Bay Area Geological Survey deemed 'light,' happened at 5:24 a.m and there was no significant damage reported the most famous cruise ship still evokes tragic feels the passenger liner RMS Titanic sank after striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic which provided an escape for just a fraction of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew More than 1,500 people died in the disaster making it one of the worst commercial maritime disasters during peacetime 1914?Striking coal miners and their families were staying in a tent colony outside Ludlow when an ongoing conflict with the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co and the Colorado National Guard turned deadly when a gunfight broke out between the miners and guards the guards fired on the tent colony with a machine gun overcrowding in the standing-only central pen at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield led to a disastrous event in which 96 people were crushed to death and 766 were injured The central pen became dangerously crowded during a Football Association Challenge Cup semi-final match when police failed to control the number of people coming into the area People at the back of the pen were not aware that people near the front were being crushed as more and more fans streamed in Police and bystanders didn't fully realize what was happening until a near-goal caused fans in the pen to surge forward breaking a barrier and spilling injured people onto the field The Hillsborough Disaster remains the UK's deadliest sporting disaster began when members of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms attempted to raid a compound occupied by heavily armed members of the Branch Davidian religious group The resulting conflict lasted several weeks and involved the ATF the FBI used tear gas in an attempt to flush the Branch Davidians out of the compound A truck loaded with ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in downtown Oklahoma City, killing 168 people on April 19 the worst terror attack in United States history Timothy McVeigh and several co-conspirators orchestrated the attack which McVeigh said was in retaliation to the government's handling of the siege at Waco aka the Waco disaster (see above) McVeigh was convicted and executed by lethal injection in 2001 Oklahoma City bombing: About the attack, the aftermath and the city's resilience Two students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, shot and killed 12 students and one teacher and wounded an additional 21 people in a massacre that made the word "Columbine" synonymous with school shootings. The Columbine shooting happened April 20, 1999. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold initially planned a bomb attack, but the propane bombs they planted in the school cafeteria failed to detonate. Harris and Klebold died by suicide after exchanging gunfire with police. How many died in Virginia Tech shooting on April 16, 2007?Undergraduate student Seung-Hui Cho shot 49 people, killing 32, in one of the worst school shootings in United States history. On April 16, 2007, less than a decade after the Columbine school shooting (see above), Cho shot and killed two students in a residence hall before returning to his room, changing out of his bloodstained clothes and heading to the engineering, science and mechanics building. There, he killed 30 more people before fatally shooting himself. How many died in Deepwater Horizon Disaster or BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010?The Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig was destroyed by an explosion and subsequent fire while drilling for BP about 40 miles off the Louisiana coast. On April 20, 2010, 11 workers were killed and 17 others were injured in the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Following the explosion, engineers discovered a massive oil leak was spreading from the well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, which has since been renamed to the Gulf of America. The well continued to leak for weeks, as several containment efforts were unsuccessful. The spill caused massive ecological damage in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Gulf Coast. Terrorists detonated two bombs near the finish line at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, killing three people and injuring more than 250. Two brothers, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev were identified as suspects. The brothers engaged police in a dramatic chase and shootout that left Tamerlan Tsarnaev and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer dead, and 17 other police officers wounded. After his arrest, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev said the brothers were influenced by extremist Islamist beliefs. A fire broke out at a fertilizer storage and distribution facility in the city of West, Texas, about 18 miles north of Waco. As firefighters responded, a massive ammonium nitrate explosion killed 15 people, injured 160 others and destroyed or damaged more than 150 buildings in West. The April 17, 2013, blast was the equivalent of more than 7 tons of TNT and created a 93-foot wide crater. Windows were blown out of buildings miles away, and the explosion shook the ground with the strength of a magnitude 2.1 earthquake. In 2016, the ATF said their investigation revealed the fire had been intentionally set. A fire started in the roof of the famous Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and spread through the structure, toppling the iconic lead and timber spire as firefighters rushed to save the irreplaceable relics and works of art from the 800-year-old church. On April 15, 2019, millions watched in real-time via live news coverage or social media livestreams as the landmark cathedral burned. When the fire was finally extinguished, the cathedral's roof was almost completely burned and the structure had suffered major damage. The facade, with its distinctive towers, remained standing, though the priceless rosette window had fallen away. The landmark cathedral was undergoing a $6.8 million renovation when the fire broke out. Police say the son of a sheriff's deputy opened fire at Florida State University in Tallahassee on April 17, 2025, killing two people (who authorities said were not FSU students) and injuring six others. Police identified the alleged gunman as 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner. Authorities said the gunman was taken into custody and taken to a local hospital. Tallahassee police believe the suspect acted alone. At the scene, investigators recovered a handgun that belonged to the suspect's mother, a longtime deputy with the Leon County Sheriff's Office, said Sheriff Walt McNeil. A shotgun was also found, but it's unclear whether it was used. Ikner, an FSU student majoring in political science, had previously attended trainings held by the law enforcement agency. "Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons," McNeil said. "We are continuing that investigation into how that weapon was used and what other weapons he perhaps may have had access to." Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, and Tarah Jean and Arianna Otero, Tallahassee Democrat Open navigation Close navigation Home All the major chapters in the American story from Indigenous beginnings to the present day History from countries and communities across the globe On April 20, 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton began shooting students outside the school before moving inside to continue their rampage Klebold and Harris had killed 12 fellow students and a teacher and wounded another 23 people the two teens turned their guns on themselves and died by suicide The crime prompted a national debate on gun control and school safety as well as a major investigation to determine what motivated the teen gunmen In the days immediately following the shootings it was speculated that Klebold and Harris purposely chose jocks minorities and Christians as their victims two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton It was initially reported that one student was allegedly asked by one of the gunmen if she believed in God Her parents later wrote a book titled She Said Yes the question was not actually posed to Bernall but to another student who had already been wounded by a gunshot Subsequent investigations also determined that Harris and Klebold chose their victims randomly Their original plan was for two propane bombs to explode in the school’s cafeteria potentially killing hundreds of people and forcing the survivors outside and into the gunmen’s line of fire Harris and Klebold went into the school to carry out their murderous rampage There was speculation that Harris and Klebold committed the killings because they were members of a group of social outcasts called the “Trenchcoat Mafia” that was fascinated by Goth culture Violent video games and music were also blamed for influencing the killers Columbine High School reopened in the fall of 1999 but the massacre left a scar on the Littleton community the young man who sold a gun to Harris and bought him 100 rounds of ammunition the day before the murders the mother of a student who was paralyzed in the attack Several other parents filed suit against the school and the police Even Dylan Klebold’s parents filed notice of their intent to sue claiming that police should have stopped Harris earlier And when a carpenter from Chicago erected 15 crosses in a local park on behalf of everyone who died on April 20 parents of the victims tore down the two in memory of Klebold and Harris Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on April 20th The first New York state constitution is formally adopted by the Convention of Representatives of the State of New York, meeting in the upstate town of Kingston, on April 20, 1777. The constitution began by declaring the possibility of reconciliation between Britain and its former American colonies as remote and uncertain, thereby making the creation […] Colonel Robert E. Lee resigns from the United States army two days after he was offered command of the Union army and three days after his native state, Virginia, seceded from the Union. Lee opposed secession, but he was a loyal son of Virginia. His official resignation was only one sentence, but he wrote a […] With passage of the Third Force Act, popularly known as the Ku Klux Act, Congress authorizes President Ulysses S. Grant to declare martial law, impose heavy penalties against terrorist organizations and use military force to suppress the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Founded in 1865 by a group of Confederate veterans, the KKK rapidly grew from […] Ending a bitter coal-miners’ strike, Colorado militiamen attack a tent colony of strikers, killing dozens of men, women and children. When the evictions failed to end the strike, the Rockefeller interests hired private detectives that attacked the tent colonies with rifles and Gatling guns. The miners fought back, and several were killed. When the tenacity […] The United States goes off the gold standard, a monetary system in which currency is backed by gold, when Congress enacted a joint resolution nullifying the right of creditors to demand payment in gold. 1971 On April 20, 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously declares busing for the purposes of desegregation to be constitutional. The decision in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education settled the constitutional question and allowed the widespread implementation of busing, which remained controversial over the next decade. The Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of […] As the Vietnam war continues, the Pentagon releases figures confirming that fragging incidents are on the rise. In 1970, 209 such incidents caused the deaths of 34 men; in 1969, 96 such incidents cost 34 men their lives. Fragging was a slang term used to describe U.S. military personnel tossing of fragmentation hand grenades (hence […] Soviet aircraft force a Korean Air Lines passenger jet to land in the Soviet Union after the jet veers into Russian airspace. Two people were killed and several others injured when the jet made a rough landing on a frozen lake about 300 miles south of Murmansk. The jet was on a flight from Paris […] On April 20, 1980, the Castro regime announces that all Cubans wishing to emigrate to the U.S. are free to board boats at the port of Mariel west of Havana, launching the Mariel Boatlift. The first of 125,000 Cuban refugees from Mariel reached Florida the next day. The boatlift was precipitated by housing and job […] 1986 On April 20, 1986, the Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan scores 63 points in an NBA playoff game against the Boston Celtics, setting a post-season scoring record. Despite Jordan’s achievement, the Bulls lost to the Celtics in double overtime, 135-131. Boston swept the three-game series and went on to win the NBA championship. A standout player […] On April 20, 2008, 26-year-old Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan, making her the first female winner in IndyCar racing history. Danica Patrick was born on March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wisconsin. She became involved in racing as a young girl and as a teenager moved to […] April 20, 2010: An explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 50 miles off the Louisiana coast, kills 11 people and triggers the largest offshore oil spill in American history. The rig had been in the final phases of drilling an exploratory well for BP, the […] The Stonewall Inn was controlled by the Genovese crime family. And how did the infamous 1971 skyjacker vanish into thin air with $200,000? Some claim that new clues could finally crack the case. Fear of Mexican immigrants led to the criminalization of marijuana. Innocent Italian-Americans got caught in the crosshairs of a bigoted mob. We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day Learn something new with key events in history from the American Revolution to pop culture you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States Editor’s note: This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org – Audree Heine loved to sing Taylor Swift songs She wore a bright pink cowgirl hat to her 13th birthday party last year A week after she turned 13 in December, she died by suicide. That's when her mom, Jaimee Seitz, learned Audree was also part of an online subculture – one that idolizes the two black-trench-coat-wearing teens who killed 13 people at Columbine High School in 1999 She's my best friend," Seitz told The Enquirer "What did I miss and how did I not know she was a part of this group?" Seitz learned this when she read her daughter's journal which she had kept in her middle school locker Among pages of writing about her fascination with the Columbine shooters she wrote about her deteriorating mental health and bullying I just accept it," the seventh-grader wrote in the fall of 2024 Her feelings of being outcast and picked on led her to a subculture known as the True Crime Community where she believed a lie about the two shooters who launched the modern This teen tried hiding his autism. His parents think it drove him to suicide. Columbine expert Dave Cullen has addressed the subculture In a recent article he wrote for The Atlantic, he said TCC followers are taken in by the myth that the Columbine shooters were misfit teens who took revenge on their bullies "The TCC twists the story to recast the murderers as victims; and the dead "But the killers never mentioned it in the huge trove of journals and videos they left to explain themselves." At least 50 mass shooters over the past 25 years have been inspired or influenced by Columbine Hundreds have been killed or wounded as a result Cullen calls that influence "The Columbine effect." Seitz became aware of the extent of that subculture about two weeks after her daughter died. That's when two people were killed and six injured during a school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin. The shooter appeared to have been involved in the same TCC subculture as her daughter – something Seitz recognized when she saw photos of the shooter wearing the same kind of T-shirts Audree had asked her mom to make for her She couldn't help thinking that without TCC and its focus on mass violence and self-harm Seitz has spent hours on TikTok reporting TCC-related videos and accounts for violating community standards Her daughter's suicide shocked her. Now, she's raising awareness. Audree's TikTok account was banned the same night she died Seitz suspected Audree may have tried to livestream or post a video of her actions to TikTok It's where the teen found accounts that glorify self-harm and suicide Researcher Lisa Dittmer, of Amnesty Tech, told The Enquirer that TikTok's algorithm prioritizes and amplifies videos that show young people posting about their mental health issues dozens of accounts were created to mimic a 13-year-old's TikTok profile Some of the accounts were run by artificial intelligence Any TikTok videos tagged with mental health terms were watched twice 50% of the content was all about depression Some of those videos explicitly encouraged self-harm and discussed methods of dying by suicide Some countries have taken note of the harmful effects of TikTok and other social media websites In the European Union, a law called the Digital Services Act went into effect last summer It requires companies with digital operations to take more responsibility for what is posted to websites and social media the law forces the companies to be "legally accountable for everything from fake news to manipulation of shoppers Russian propaganda and criminal activity including child abuse." One part of the new law prohibits the companies from targeting children with advertising based on cookies or personal data It also requires social media companies to increase privacy and safety for minors and reduce safety risks to children That's the kind of change Seitz wants to see in the United States – more accountability from social media companies Seitz was devastated to learn from police that the teens Audree was talking to online knew she planned to die by suicide and did nothing to discourage her According to a report from the Florence Police Department Audree's interest in TCC and chats with other teens were found after a digital scan of the teen's phone when she died Seitz said that's around the time Audree's aunt Chasity Wiseman insisted on asking the FBI to investigate The FBI did not answer emailed questions from The Enquirer but confirmed the agency had been in contact with the Seitz family Seitz says the FBI scanned Audree's phone again and it led them to intervene in a possible terrorist attack in Indiana Two of the teens Audree had been chatting with were planning to bomb their school The Florence Police Department report confirms information was shared with an Indiana-based police agency due to a scan of Audree's phone "It was like they were feeding off of each other and nobody stopped either of them," Seitz says Seitz can't know whether Audree knew that threat was credible But she also can't imagine Audree would ever hurt anyone it's clear to her that Audree must have had unaddressed mental health issues she thought her daughter was just still figuring out her life she'd wear one of her favorite T-shirts from Hot Topic with baggy jeans and a fluffy tail attached to it The next day she'd dress preppy or insist on blasting music by '90s rapper Eazy-E Less than three months before Audree died by suicide she wrote in her journal about helping a friend who was harming herself "I obviously told someone (which was horrifying actually) and im hoping she gets better," Audree wrote about her friend That gave Seitz some solace – that her daughter may have stopped a friend from dying by suicide She also finds comfort in something an FBI agent told her The teens who planned to blow up their school in Indiana are in counseling now and lives might have been saved because of that That's why she's adamant about sharing Audree's story If a parent is able to recognize their teen's interest in the Columbine shooting or the TCC subculture Suicide Lifeline: If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time, day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line provides free confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they text "HOME" to 741741 reflection and remembrance in Littleton around the fifth anniversary of the Columbine tragedy in April 2004 (Photo by James Baca/Denver Catholic)Editor's Note: This month marks 26 years since the tragic events at Columbine High School in Littleton 12 students and one teacher lost their lives Deacon Ernie Martinez brings a unique perspective to the tragedy and its enduring impact having served as a Denver Police Detective-Sergeant who responded to the scene that fateful day I have always cherished the Gospel of Luke “The world belongs to those who offer it the greater hope.” especially in light of a tragedy that resurfaces in my memory every year — a day that shook our community and left deep wounds: the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton I was leading a team of detectives with the Denver Police Department when the airwaves crackled with a chilling call: “Attention all units we have shots fired at Columbine High School… students shot… requesting all available units to respond.” Law enforcement officers are trained for crisis but nothing prepares you for the sight of terrified students wounded bodies and a community shattered in an instant Chaos and fear filled the air as we worked alongside other first responders each of us asking the same silent question: Where is God in this but I have come to understand through faith that God was indeed present He was there in the bravery of the teachers protecting their students in the hands of the first responders who comforted the frightened and in the embrace of parents reunited with their children it is easy to feel overwhelmed by suffering we hear two profound messages: patience in prayer and hope in expectation The Gospel of Luke speaks to people enduring persecution We see a similar apocalyptic dynamic in the Book of Daniel written during the Jewish people’s oppression under Antiochus as well as in the visions of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation written after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and Jerusalem itself apocalyptic scripture like Luke’s Gospel can seem like messages of doom reminders that even in the worst suffering Most people will never experience the horror of crime in the streets or a school shooting firsthand but tragedy touches every life in some way we all face moments where hope seems distant often become hardened to the evil they witness But the Gospel calls us to more; it calls us to recognize that even in suffering The Canticle of Zechariah expresses it beautifully: “In the tender compassion of our God to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79) This is the promise of Christ: he is the dawn breaking through the night and through the actions we take to rebuild what was broken outreach programs and school safety initiatives that aim to prevent such tragedies and support those who have suffered loss from school safety reforms to faith-based outreach the response has been one of resilience and care we still witness the heartbreaking reality that school shootings and other acts of violence continue knowing that God leads us through the darkness of evil and tragedy into his marvelous light we must ask ourselves: Are we a hope-filled people Teilhard de Chardin’s words remind us that our answer to this question shapes the world around us to believe that our individual efforts cannot make a difference every gesture of kindness or encouragement sends a message Do we look for signs that the world is falling apart Hope is not passive; it is active cooperation with God’s grace It is recognizing brokenness and believing in healing It is seeing darkness and carrying the light of Christ forward “The ashes remind us of the hope to which we are called in Jesus who has taken upon himself the dust of the earth and raised it to the heights of Heaven dying for us and reconciling us to the Father… This is the hope that restores to life the ‘ashes’ of our lives we are doomed passively to endure the fragility of our human condition.” We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ in a broken world Whether through small acts of kindness or great works of justice our lives must be testimonies to the power of God’s love no darkness can overcome the light of Christ we do more than endure hardship; we help transform it we become part of God’s great promise: that love Official Priest Appointments: July 2025Archdiocese of Denver Everything you need to know about incorruptibilityCatholic News Agency 'What should I give up for Lent?': 10 Creative Ideas for a Season of Unexpected GrowthMarie San Jose Advertising Past Issues Events Obituaries Privacy Policy Lea nuestra publicación en español Easter Sunday falls on April 20 a date notable for a number of recent tragedies and most of the world use the Gregorian calendar which can place the date of Easter anywhere between March 22 and April 25 Easter 2025 happens to fall on a day with an unusual number of historical tragedies and ironies For those curious, the last time Easter occurred on April 20 was in 2014, and the next time the holiday is on April 20 will be in 2087, according to the U.S. Census Bureau On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, becoming the largest offshore oil spill in American history The spill killed 11 people and injured 17 others as 210 million gallons of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico (recently renamed by the U.S government as Gulf of America) for a total of 87 days Oil slicks from the blowout covered an area estimated at 57,000 square miles A 2020 study by the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances showed the spill was worse than originally thought Researchers say the full extent of the damage could take decades to assess The spill was also toxic enough to kill about half of the marine life in its path Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in in western Austria. Neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups have a history of staging events across the United States on or close to April 20, groups such as the Anti-Defamation League have previously noted Easter Sunday and 4/20, the unofficial marijuana holiday celebrated globally The two shared the same date in 2003 and 2014 too Photo Credit: (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Sports Information) LAKEWOOD — Honoring Janet Lowry’s fight against cancer was first and foremost the goal Friday night at Jeffco Stadium “I’m so grateful for all the support from both communities of Columbine and Chatfield,” Columbine long-time football coach Andy Lowry said after his Rebels took a 42-13 victory over the Chargers “Tonight was all for her,” Columbine senior quarterback Brennan Goodwin said Even with his wife battling what she has right now he is at practice and with us every single day It speaks to his character and how much he loves us and how much we love him 6 in the Class 5A Colorado Prep Football Rankings — took care of business in the Rebels’ regular-season finale 10 Chatfield grabbed a quick 7-0 lead with an impressive opening drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by senior Hunter Balderston with 4:26 left in the first quarter but then it was our turn to go smack them in the mouth,” Columbine senior Mark Snyder said of the Rebels’ 35 unanswered points after the Chargers took the early 7-0 lead Senior James Basinger broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown run to tie things up 7-7 Then it was Goodwin’s turn to get into the action The senior quarterback kept the ball on an option play and sprinted 92 yards for the longest touchdown of the season for any Rebel but all the credit goes to the offensive linemen,” Goodwin said of his first rushing touchdown of the season “They get all the dirty and hard work done They are the ones we give credit to at Columbine.” With teams focusing on shutting down Basinger and Snyder — both 1,000-yard rushers this season — Goodwin saw his opportunity to break off a big gain “It is defintely cool when you can run triple-option It is a tough thing to defend,” Goodwin said I just took advantage of the defense biting on our amazing running backs and took it.” “That was awesome,” Snyder said of Goodwin’s 92-yard touchdown run Goodwin extended the lead to 21-7 just before halftime with a 13-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Conan Williams Snyder had touchdown runs of 21 and 10 yards to push the lead to 35-7 early in the fourth quarter Chatfield ended the scoring run by Columbine with a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Zach Bickford in the fourth quarter Bickford came in for starting sophomore quarterback Cash Williams Columbine senior Corbin Dyer finished out the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown in the final minutes to close out the regular season and the special night “Tonight was an emotional night for my family,” Coach Lowry said “I let the team know that I appreciate all that they do for me CHSAA is scheduled to release the 24-team 5A state tournament bracket on Sunday The top-8 seeds will receive a first-round bye Seeds 9 to 16 will host first-round games next week We have to improve,” Snyder said of the Rebels (9-1 4-1 in 5A Metro League) likely having a first-round bye next week to open the playoffs 3-2) should get a home game at Jeffco Stadium in the opening playoff round next week national and world events through Deseret News archives two students shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher and injured 23 others before taking their own lives at Columbine High School Many in the West watched the events unfold on television and many still have the image of young students streaming out of the Littleton The Deseret News also reported on the tragedy then and since then on how victims and families have worked to put their lives back together the victims included a girl who wrote to God in her diaries a boy with learning disabilities who was just learning to like who he was and a teen who would spend every free minute fishing During a vigil a year ago on the 25th anniversary of the shooting 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 the crowd of about 150 people replied together “never forgotten” and a bell tolled The youngest killed in the attack that has inspired dozens of copycat shootings was Steven Curnow it is inspiring to read of the survivors — now in their 30s and 40s Here are stories from Deseret News archives about the Columbine shooting and what we have learned: “Year later, Columbine still hurts” “Columbine survivor in Utah offers messages of hope to Newtown community” “Columbine victim Rachel Scott’s faith is still changing lives: ‘Bringing light into a really dark situation’” “Columbine survivors tell tale of hope” “10 years later, Columbine remembers” “Columbine parents praise essay by mom of shooter” “Utah students rally for gun reform on anniversary of Columbine shooting” “Book: Columbine shooters mentally ill, not bullied” “After the shootings: How trauma changes people” LAKEWOOD — Goals have been at a premium so far this season in games involving Columbine’s girls soccer squad For the third game in a row the Rebels found themselves in a 1-goal game Columbine edged area-rival Dakota Ridge 1-0 on Monday at Lakewood Memorial Field The Rebels (2-1 record) now have 1-0 victories over Highlands Ranch and Dakota Ridge Columbine loss was a 1-0 defeat to Heritage a week ago The lone goal Monday came off the foot of Columbine senior Maddie Wallner in the 17th-minute of the first half Freshman Charlotte Dailey picked up the assist on Wallner’s goal “Maddie did a great job splitting two players and finding the finish on the far post,” Todd said Wallner was the Rebels’ leading goal scorer a year ago with 13 tallies during Columbine’s season that ended with a 9-6-1 record “I just love taking the ball and seeing what I can do with it,” Wallner said “I love taking shots and doing whatever I can do to help the team.” Dakota Ridge sophomore goalie Riley Mulberry kept the Rebels from extending their lead in the second half but Columbine junior goalie Ella Rieben kept the Eagles off the scoresheet completely “I think we are going to be really strong defensively this year “We have good balance and continuity right now early in the season but at times it is keeping us from getting numbers up “It looked like it was going in,” Dakota Ridge coach Paul Moline said of Arnold’s shot in the final seconds “A foot lower and it would probably be in.” Moline is in his first year at the helm of Dakota Ridge’s girls soccer program He has been a coaching mainstay in Jeffco since the 1990s with stops at various programs across Jeffco He was an assistant coach for Arvada West’s girls soccer team last spring We are still learning our system and how to play together,” Moline said after the Eagles’ first loss Dakota Ridge got wins over area-rival Chatfield last week along with an impressive 10-0 victory over Vista Peak Prep The Eagles stay busy with a non-league game against Lakewood on Wednesday “It is a lot of games in a small amount of time,” Moline said of the Eagles playing four games in seven days before Spring Break The Eagles are just two years removed from winning the 4A state title in 2023 Moline actually coached D’Evelyn to the 4A girls soccer title in 2017 so he is very familiar with how tough the 4A Jeffco League has been historically Evergreen is the defending 4A state champion “It is crazy how good that league is,” Moline said of the 4A Jeffco Columbine should be in the mix for the 5A Jeffco League race “Really the goal right now is to get better each and every time we go out,” Todd said “There is a lot of promise and potential in this team Hopefully be (state) tournament time we are clicking.” ARVADA — Columbine girls soccer got its scoring from a bit of an unlikely source Monday at the North Area Athletic Complex Freshman defender Kendyl Dirschl scored her first two goals of her young high school career to give the Rebels a 2-1 victory over Arvada West 2-0-0 in league) struck early to take the lead Dirschl scored her first career goal 48 seconds into the match The freshman fired a shot from distance that sailed out of reach of A-West senior goalie Hayden Briscoe just 48 seconds into the game “I just saw the openings and decided to hit it,” Dirschl said of her goals from her defensive position in the 1st and 62nd minutes 0-2) got on the board late in the first half The Wildcats’ leading goal scorer — senior Gigi Grieve — put in her 14th goal of the season in the 31st minute to tie things up at 1-1 going into halftime Dirschl’s goal in the 62nd minute sailed over the head of A-West senior goalie Lexi Tancredo who played the second half for the Wildcats in net “(A-West coach Dan Watkins) does a good job coaching no matter what group he’s got,” Todd said The win will make it tough for A-West to contend for a conference title with an 0-2 start Columbine remained atop the league standings with Valor Christian (5-1-1 Scoring has been a bit of an issue for the Rebels Columbine has scored 13 goals in its first nine games “We had a great day last week against Chatfield We really came alive and played some good soccer We scored some good goals,” Todd said of the 5-0 victory over the Chargers last week “I was hoping that would replicate itself today Columbine and A-West will both return to conference play at Lakewood Memorial Field on Thursday The Rebels square off against Lakewood at 5 p.m “I think we are getting better,” Todd said “I think more goal scoring chances are coming as the season comes along.” JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Even with Easter falling on the same day as the Columbine High School shooting, people of all ages visited the Columbine Memorial to remember the lives lost on that day. Rhonda Grindle was among the community members paying their respects She put up 14 crosses to honor the victims She promised him she would help with putting up crosses each year on the remembrance several stopped to observe the names and pictures on the crosses numerous people come by here and they've never seen these before remembering and they just thank us for doing it Grindle began putting the crosses in the ground and around 11:20 a.m and this year we added Anne Marie because the coroner said it was related to her wounds at Columbine," Grindle said Grindle shared that it was hard to add another cross 26 years later but is dedicated to her promise of carrying the legacies of the lives lost on that day the 'never forgotten.' We said that way back when too 'never forgotten' and I mean it," Grindle said now lives in Colorado and runs the Regina Caeli Hermitage for the Brothers of Saint John situated in the foothills west of Chatfield State Park On the property he sees scores of white and lavender columbines Given that the rue plant is so intertwined with Lithuanian culture he wondered if the same is true for the Centennial State. or at least nowadays it's more like a symbolic little ring still made of rue so it's really a part of national identity,” he said as a part of an inquiry through Colorado Wonders “I was wondering whether in Colorado … is it just because it's in the mountains because half of Colorado is mountains or there's some story behind that?” History Colorado director of interpretation and publications Sam Bock says goes back more than a century to the late 1800s “This was one of those fun referendum things that the legislature put out as a means of building Colorado identity in the early days of our state most states started adopting symbols and flowers and if you think about what was going on in our country at the time this is a time of really rapid expansion in the number of states in the late 1800s “States were looking to establish an identity for themselves and to celebrate the things that made them unique.” Bock said the ubiquity and familiarity with the flower probably played into the choice It was voted on by school children statewide and won handily over the claret cup cactus — which “I think people were probably pretty familiar with the flower and I think it's also reflected in the vote,” Bock said “More than 90 percent of the votes went for the columbine over the cactus “It's because America is the country of democracy Colorado’s state flower is a fairly resilient species and can be found at high altitudes where other plants struggle to take hold They’re well suited to the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail said even without the distinction of being the state flower “It's one of the most beautiful flowers in Colorado but this is a particularly exquisite species that lives in our state I think that even people who aren't botanists can easily recognize our columbine,” Griffoul said. The one that has the distinction of being the state flower is the Aquilegia coerulea though she said not enough to alter the intention of the designation. Colorado actually has six different species of columbine is found in the northwest corner of the state and the rocky mountain blue columbine is found only in Colorado. Griffoul said that for plant lovers — or perhaps those who don’t yet know they’re plant lovers — the columbine is a great jumping off point for floral adventures. “I would say for people who really love columbine and really appreciate how beautiful they are I encourage people to go and try to find some of the other species the Aquilegia saximontana (rocky mountain blue columbine) that is really stunning it is just really such a treat to see that one,” Griffoul said. You want to know what is really going on these days We can help you keep up. The Lookout is a free daily email newsletter with news and happenings from all over Colorado Sign up here and we will see you in the morning Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. Listen now. © 2025 Colorado Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy A former Columbine high school student who only narrowly survived the deadly 1999 mass shooting there – and subsequently spent nearly three decades grappling with complications from her wounds in the attack – has died Anne Marie Hochhalter, 44, died on Sunday from what were described as natural causes, according to a statement from the principal at Columbine when the shooting at the Colorado school occurred Frank De Angelis’s statement, as reported by Colorado’s Denver Gazette called Hochhalter “a pillar of strength for … so many” after she fostered a love of dogs and music despite having to live in a wheelchair after the shooting “She was an inspiration and exemplified never giving up,” he added in the statement was eating lunch at the cafeteria when she was shot in her back and chest with a semiautomatic pistol on the day of the Columbine shooting She was among the most grievously wounded of more than 20 people who were injured during the attack which killed 12 of her schoolmates as well as one teacher The two shooters – who were students – then died by suicide in what remains one of the deadliest school shootings in the US’s ignominious history of such cases Surgeons managed to save Hochhalter’s life. But, as the Denver Post reported her wounds left her paralyzed – and they were not the only traumatic ordeal she was confronted with that year asked to see a gun and used it to take her own life The Denver Post recounted how the younger Hochhalter prioritized living as normal a life as possible amid the media frenzy surrounding the killings at Columbine, which came during one of more than 400 school shootings between then and the day she died. She lived independently at a handicap-accessible home, showering her love on her dogs and friends. Beside the clarinet, she also loved playing the harp, piano and guitar, her brother, Nathan Hochhalter, said to the Post. Read more“She never wanted to be called a victim,” Anne Marie Hochhalter’s close friend Sue Townsend – whose stepdaughter was killed at Columbine – told the Denver Gazette Sue Townsend told the Post that she believed Hochhalter ultimately died from complications associated with medical ailments stemming from her injuries in the Columbine shooting Townsend suggested that Hochhalter never stopped battling to overcome the devastation that 1999 had inflicted on her when the mother of one of the Columbine shooters published a book in 2016 Hochhalter wrote the author a letter saying she held no recriminations for her with many medical issues because of my spinal cord injury and intense nerve pain but I choose not to be bitter towards you,” Hochhalter wrote to Sue Klebold whose book was titled A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy ‘Bitterness is like swallowing a poison pill and expecting the other person to die.’ It only harms yourself I have forgiven you and wish you the best.” Hochhalter further elaborated on those sentiments in two social media posts which she published on successive Aprils in 2023 and 2024 – the 24th and 25th anniversaries of the Columbine shooting “Why did I survive and so many others didn’t that horrific day?” she wrote in April 2023 and I’ve tried to live the best life possible in honor of the 12 students and one teacher we lost 24 years ago.” Hochhalter wrote: “I’ve truly been able to heal my soul since that awful day in 1999.” Columbine High School shooting survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter reacts during a vigil remembering the 25th anniversary of the mass shooting Hochhalter was found in her home in suburban Denver on Sunday Her family suspects she died of natural causes stemming from her injuries in the 1999 shooting in which 12 students and a teacher were killed The investigation into how she died has been transferred to the office that conducted the autopsies of those killed at Columbine the coroner’s office for Adams and Broomfield counties said Hochhalter in 2016 wrote a letter to one of the gunmen’s mothers saying “Bitterness is like swallowing a poison pill,” and offering her forgiveness Attending a vigil on the tragedy’s 25th anniversary last year — after skipping a similar event five years earlier — she said she was flooded with happy memories from her childhood and wanted those killed remembered for how they lived Hochhalter struggled with intense pain from her gunshot wounds over the past 25 years Yet her brother said she was tireless in her drive to help others — from people with disabilities to rescue dogs and members of her family She was really a good human being and sister,” her brother Her own tragedy was compounded six months after the shooting and asked to look at a gun before using it on herself Anne Marie Hochhalter was embraced by another family who lost a daughter at Columbine reached out to help Hochhalter as a means of easing her own pain Townsend took Hochhalter to doctor’s appointments and physical therapy but their bond soon deepened as they got lunch and went shopping together and eventually began sharing family dinners and vacations called Hochhalter their “acquired daughter.” “This relationship would never had happened if it hadn’t been for Columbine So I tried to focus on the gift that Columbine gave us in Anne Marie instead of what it took away,” Townsend said She said she was sure Klebold had agonized over what she could have done differently just as she had thought of ways she could have prevented the death of the mother she loved Hochhalter attended the 25th anniversary vigil in April with her brother who was trapped in a classroom during the shooting She had not attended the 20th anniversary event because of post-traumatic stress disorder “I’ve truly been able to heal my soul since that awful day in 1999,” she wrote LAKEWOOD — Fall weather finally started Friday night at Jeffco Stadium with temps in the 40s and a light rain Columbine is a tremendous program,” Ralston Valley coach Jared Yannacito said ‘Guarantee it is going to be a four-quarter fight.’ I’m so incredibly proud of their fight and belief They believed that they were the team that was going to stop the streak.” 3 Rebels’ winning streak ends at 21 games dating back to last season It was a bit longer than a four-quarter fight 2-1 in 5A Metro League) scored 15 unanswered points to tie things up 28-28 “I have a tremendous defensive staff and defensive coordinator he knew what he wanted on that 2-point play,” Yannacito said Columbine senior quarterback Brennan Goodwin attempted to get into the end zone over the right side of the Rebels’ offensive line but Ralston Valley senior defensive end Carter Coorough and junior linebacker Brody Schaefer sniffed it out Coorough and Schaefer combined to keep Goodwin from getting up field and into the end zone do a down block and I got tight to his shoulder,” Coorough said “I saw the quarterback fake the handoff and come right to me but I just ended up twirling him to the ground.” 3-0) has had success against Columbine recently The Mustangs took a league and playoff victory against the Rebels back in 2022 The Mustangs bolted out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a 7-yard touchdown strike from junior quarterback Zeke Zandrews to senior Drew Gates and 53-yard touchdown run by junior Ethan Shirazi Columbine responded with a 63-yard touchdown run by junior Mark Snyder and 66-yard touchdown pass from Goodwin to Basinger on the final play of the first quarter but a missed PAT allowed Ralston Valley to remain in the lead 14-13 Sophomore Levi Rillos had a huge second quarter with a pair of touchdown catches — 24 and 2 yards — from Andrews to give Ralston Valley a 28-13 lead at halftime Andrews hurt the Rebels’ defense with his arm and legs for the majority of the first half “He (Andrews) is a double-threat,” Rillos said the young Mustangs were shaken during crunch time “I was confident we were going to make plays to win,” Rillos said 1-2) next Friday night at the North Area Athletic Complex The Mustangs finish their regular season Halloween night against rival Arvada West (6-2 “We cannot take a breath,” Yannacito said after the Mustangs’ third straight win since a non-league loss to Valor Christian on Sept but East is a tremendous program and A-West is a great program.” Columbine is on the road next week at All-City Stadium in Denver Chatfield easily beat the Ravens 49-7 at All-City in a late-afternoon game Friday The Rebels wrap up their regular season Nov Sign In Join now Jefferson County School District investigators say that former Columbine High School social studies teacher Leann Kearney was “grooming” a 17-year-old female student between 2018 and 2022 CBS reported last week that the district issued an apology to the parents of the student The investigation found that school counselors helped the student fill out a federal form to declare her as an “unaccompanied homeless youth” so that she could move in with Kearney The student was not an unaccompanied homeless youth This happened after the girl told the school that she felt unsafe at home. It has been reported that the mother sent a message to Kearney warning her to stop contacting her daughter at some point during their relationship The mother showed the calls and texts to Principal Scott Christy Kearney takes interest in helping kids navigate their sexuality.” Kearney resigned from her teaching position at an unspecified date after two years of pressure from the 17-year-old student’s mother and was deployed with the National Guard The student temporarily moved in with another teacher after she turned 18 the student moved with her to Oregon. CBS Colorado reported that an open records request uncovered that the girl’s counselor deliberately kept her parents “in the dark.” The emails reportedly show the counselor telling a “family liaison” to not inform the parents Principal Christy also knew about the girl’s plans but neglected to inform her parents. Jeffco Public Schools released a statement to CBS Colorado and said the principal fully cooperated with the investigation the student did not meet the criteria to be considered homeless and the staff involved in this isolated incident were addressed as part of the investigation as the proper channels in place were not followed.” The statement from the school district also stated that “while we have taken every step to remove this former employee from Jeffco and prevent her from working in another educational setting.. we recognize this is of little comfort to the family... we deeply regret how profoundly this violation has affected their family.” said that the student’s mother wants more accountability for everyone involved The district said it updated policies to prevent such an occurrence from happening in the future The names of other staff members involved have not been released and there has been no mention by the school district of consequences for their actions by the school district The district reported Kearney to Colorado’s Department of Education and she lost her teaching license. It forwarded the details of the full investigation to the U.S. Military. The district also informed the California Department of Education under the belief that Kearney relocated there after leaving Colorado. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating threats that have been made against Principal Christy. School district spokesperson Kimberly Mahugh defended Principal Christy and denounced the threats that have been made. “Jeffco strongly denounces any threats directed at district staff,” she said. “We stand behind Mr. Christy and the Columbine staff, and our Department of School Safety is working closely with the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office to monitor the situation and provide support where needed to ensure everyone’s safety.” Christy has worked for Columbine High School for more than 15 years. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Police were trying to determine if anyone else was involved in the plan I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A man planned to shoot up a Pennsylvania school to mark the anniversary of the Columbine massacre had planned to commit a mass shooting at State College High School on April 21 one day after the 26th anniversary of the deadly Columbine High School shooting Police allege Phillips had compiled a "hit list" and that the shooting would have taken place at around 8:40 a.m — a high traffic time for students and staff — near the school's main staircase Officials cited in the complaint allege that Phillips planned to place bombs in the school bathrooms Two teenage boys went on a killing rampage at Columbine High School in suburban Denver on April 20, 1999. They shot and killed 12 classmates and a teacher, and wounded two dozen others before taking their own lives. The death in February this year of Anne Marie Hochhalter, who was injured and paralyzed in the shooting, has subsequently also been ruled a homicide. Phillips has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was being held without bond at the Centre County Correctional Facility because he was deemed an "extreme danger to the community," according to court records. Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on his behalf. Police were trying to determine if anyone else was involved in the plan. Authorities allege Phillips said a juvenile friend of his also was going to take part in the shooting. "State College Police would like to recognize that the success of this investigation would not have been possible without the initial report made by a concerned citizen. This illustrates the importance of 'see something, say something,'" police said in a statement. Authorities were first alerted to the plot by staff members at a Centre County youth center, who told police a resident had shared information about it. Police interviewed Phillips' friends and others, who told investigators that Phillips detailed how he planned to carry out the shooting and showed them a handgun. When police asked if Phillips had any issues or past grievances with State College High School, a friend said Phillips had told him, "the school did not serve his educational needs and failed him," according to the complaint. Police allege Phillips initially planned to carry out the shooting on April 20, which would have been the 26th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, but that he changed the date because April 20 falls on a Sunday this year. Phillips was set to have a preliminary court hearing on Wednesday. A Pennsylvania man is under arrest for an alleged plot to shoot up a school to mark the anniversary of the Columbine massacre govt and politics"},{"score":0.767395,"label":"/law Boys Soccer: George Washington vs Columbine LAKEWOOD — Columbine’s boys soccer team has already surpassed its win total from a year ago A 5-2 win over George Washington on Thursday night at Lakewood Memorial Field kept Columbine undefeated with a 8-0 record The last time the Rebels had a start to the season like this was in 2014 Columbine started with a 8-0-1 record in non-league play 10 years ago Columbine didn’t start or end the ideal way against George Washington (3-4-2 record) The Patriots got a goal in the 3rd minute of the game to take an early 1-0 lead and ended the game with another score in the final 10 minutes “We are better,” Columbine coach Paul Moline said after the Rebels scored five unanswered goals in between the two scores by George Washington We have to figure out a way to link training sessions into games Columbine did get a quick answer after the opening goal by the Patriots Junior Jack Dively scored goals from his left forward position in the 4th and 6th minutes to grab a 2-1 lead “It was a good response,” Moline said of the Rebels’ back-to-back goals by Dively over the span of two minutes “The places that we found on the field are what we’ve trained to get to those goals.” Melucci said Dively’s goals were critical for the Rebels to keep their winning streak alive Melucci and sophomore Justus Buchanan scored before halftime to push the Rebels’ lead to 4-1 Sophomore Adam Seaton put in Columbine’s lone goal in the second half before George Washington junior Graeme Elson scored in the final 10 minutes “It is a daily grind,” Moline said of the Rebels’ trying to improve on the pitch each game We just have to get some things together before we hit Jeffco because Jeffco is going to be a nightmare.” Columbine begins Class 5A Jeffco League play next week against rival Chatfield (4-2-1) on Wednesday “I like having a little rivalry game right away,” Melucci said of facing Chatfield to open up conference play We’ll get a big crowd out from our student section It will be a really good game with a lot of support behind us.” Moline knows his team can’t get too far ahead of itself as the Rebels being the 5-game league play schedule “Our expectations are just to win the next game,” Moline said It is like you are playing in a playoff game every week DENVER — Columbine’s boys basketball team wasted no time in getting the first victory for new head coach Kevin Chester The Rebels took a 73-35 road victory at D’Evelyn on Friday night in the season opener for Columbine and first game with Chester running the show at the varsity level Chester isn’t a stranger to Columbine basketball program He served as an assistant coach for his first seven years with the Rebels He an assistant under Clay Thielking for three years and then the last four years under Randy Perkins “Most of the kids have been familiar with me along with the new (freshmen) kids coming in as well,” Chester said “I’m familiar with the feeder kids coming to Columbine What the Rebels already had was junior Cash Boykin who led Columbine in scoring last season with 20 points per game it wasn’t enough last year as the Rebels finished the season with a 2-21 record The only two wins for the Rebels last year were a pair of victories over rival Chatfield who finish the year with a 4-19 record a year ago Boykin and his younger brother — freshman Dyson Boykin — led the way early against D’Evelyn The Boykin brothers combined for 39 points single-handedly outscoring the Jaguars (0-3 record) who were playing their third game this week while Dyson’s pair of 3-pointers in the final minutes pushed his point total to a game-high 20 points “It is very nice,” Cash Boykin said of having his younger brother on the team “Excited to play with him for the rest of the season for sure.” Junior Brody Burkhalter (11 points) and freshman Jeremiah Shortis (10 points) both reach double-figure points for the Rebels Columbine stays on the road next week with games at Mullen (Dec The game against Dakota Ridge — two-time defending Class 5A/4A Jeffco League champions — will be a great benchmark for Columbine “It will be a great test,” Chester said of the match-up against Dakota Ridge next Friday night I expect it to be a very good game with a packed house I’m pretty sure we’ll be ready for the challenge.” Columbine actually held a halftime lead against Dakota Ridge last season but the Eagles rallied for a 76-65 victory Cash Boykin had a team-high 18 points against Dakota Ridge but last year’s 5A/4A Jeffco League MVP — Ethan Berninger — poured in a game-high 26 points “It will be a good test for us,” Cash Boykin said of facing cross-town rival before Winter Break It will get us stronger going into the rest of the season.” Chester expects a big jump in his first season at the helm “The expectations are high for us,” Chester said D’Evelyn also has a new coach with Greg Scheckenbach in his first year at the helm of the Jaguars’ basketball program D’Evelyn will attempt to get in the win column when it hosts Bear Creek (0-1) on Monday LAKEWOOD — Long time consuming drives just wasn’t Columbine’s style Friday at Jeffco Stadium 3 in the Class 5A Colorado Preps football poll — took a 35-14 win over Jeffco rival and No Right?,” Columbine coach Andy Lowry said with a smile when asked about the Rebels’ 1-play “Those two backs (Snyder and James Basinger) are pretty special Senior James Basinger scored the other two rushing touchdowns of the night — 20 and 1 yard — to put him at 16 rushing touchdown on the season for Columbine (7-0 Basinger is already well over 1,000 yards on the season while Snyder is nearing that century mark with 13 rushing touchdowns We hope so,” Snyder said when asked if him and Basigner are the best running back duo in the state 1-1) had an impressive opening drive of the game The Wildcats drove inside Columbine’s 20-yard line but back-to-back sacks of A-West junior quarterback Logan Duhachek stalled the 16-play drive that ended in a missed 52-yard field goal Senior Rory Marez and sophomore Keith Fischer picked up the two key sacks to end the drive “At practice this week we were all really focused,” Columbine sophomore defensive back Lijah Vialpondo said of the Rebels’ defense getting ready for the Wildcats’ high-powered offense Everyone was quiet and locked in for everything.” everyone knew we were going to win,” Vialpondo said A-West responded with a 26-yard touchdown throw from Duhachek to junior Keegen Balistreri to even things up 7-7 just before the end of the first quarter The second touchdown run by Snyder gave the Rebels the lead back 14-7 early in the second quarter Basinger pushed the lead to 21-7 seconds before halftime on an impressive 20-yard touchdown run Snyder capped off another quick scoring drive with a 56-yard touchdown run on the opening drive on a 3-play drive that covered 80 yards in less than two minutes “It’s huge for us because we really still don’t know how good we are,” Snyder said “Knowing we can handle a physical team like (A-West) is huge for us It is going to give us a lot of confidence.” The Rebels’ defense intercepted Duhachek three times and also forced a fumble Columbine now has a 21-game winning streak dating back to last year’s undefeated squad that captured the 5A state title The winning streak is nearing the Rebels’ 24-game winning streak it had over the 2006 and 2007 seasons The Rebels continue league play against No The Mustangs cruised to a 47-7 win over Denver South at the North Area Athletic Complex on Thursday night A-West stays on the road and faces Denver East at All-City Stadium on Thursday LITTLETON — The beat goes on for Columbine football 3 in this week’s Class 5A Colorado Preps football rankings — whipped up their 19th straight victory Friday night at Littleton Public Schools Stadium The streak dates back to last year’s undefeated 14-0 mark on the way to the 5A state championship Columbine (5-0 record) scored a dominating 44-7 road victory over Heritage in the non-league finale for the Rebels Columbine scored on its first seven offensive drives only to take a knee to run out the clock on its final possession of the game “We have two special guys,” Columbine coach Andy Lowry said of the running back tandem of Basinger and junior Mark Snyder The Rebels graduated the running back duo of Josh Snyder and Mason Moreno — both who are playing Division II football at Colorado School of Mines — combined for nearly 3,000 yards on the ground a year ago Columbine’s vaunted ground game hasn’t missed a beat with Basinger and the younger Snyder brother leading the way It was textbook Rebel football with Columbine driving 80 yards in 11 plays on the opening drive chewing up half the first quarter before Snyder capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run It was the first of two touchdown runs for Snyder on the night “You are at the point in the season where you just try to get better every week You have to be patient a little bit scheme-wise.” but we’ve got to get better,” Basinger said of the machine-like rushing attack “We’ve got harder opponents going into league Denver East is probably one of our hardest opponents yet We’ll need to run better and block better or each other.” Columbine opens up 5A Metro League play against Denver East (4-1) at 2 p.m The Rebels closed out the win some ball-hawking plays on defense Sophomore Lijah Vialpondo had an interception and fumble recovery in the third quarter that set up to more touchdowns runs for the Rebels extending the lead to 37-0 heading into the fourth quarter Heritage looked like it would end the shutout bid early in the fourth quarter senior James Salazar recovered a fumble to allow one more touchdown drive for the Rebels They came up and made some huge plays,” Lowry said of the Rebels’ defense that caused three second-half turnovers by the Eagles Columbine quarterback Brennan Goodwin connected with sophomore Conan Williams for a 10-yard touchdown pass with just over 7 minutes to play to induce a running clock for the remainder of the game with the Rebels holding a 44-0 lead but this year it has worked out that we’ve got some young guys,” Basinger said “There are definitely some ballers in there for sure.” Heritage did score a cosmetic touchdown in the final minutes on a 3-yard touchdown run by Jett Balika to prevent the shutout While Columbine High School shooting survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter’s life was shaped by tragedy the tenacious woman worked hard to ensure tragedy did not define her Hochhalter was 17 when her life shifted from teen clarinet player to among the most injured survivors of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting The high school junior was paralyzed after being shot in the back She spent the rest of her days in a wheelchair with medical complications Six months after the shooting, her mother, Carla Hochhalter, walked into an Englewood pawnshop, asked to see a revolver and fatally shot herself. Amid the media frenzy Anne Marie Hochhalter was determined to live life on her own terms living independently in a handicap-accessible home with dogs to love and friends to cherish was found dead in her Westminster home Sunday Read the full story from our partners at The Denver Post Anne Marie Hochhalter was found dead at the age of 43 in her home in Westminster Kimberlee Speakman is a digital writer at PEOPLE She has also worked in broadcast television as a reporter for Hawaii-based news station KHON2 News was shot in the back and nearly died in the 1999 high school massacre Softball: Columbine wins Class 5A Region 3 LITTLETON — The only thing missing while Columbine senior Katie Forbes hobbled around the bases after a pinch-hit walk-off 3-run home run Friday afternoon was a Kirk Gibson fist pumping celebration “Katie has worked her tail off ever since she has been here,” Columbine coach Jim Santaniello said You was what she could do on one leg today.” Forbes suffered a completely torn ACL in her right knee during pregame warmups Oct Friday was the first action since the injury 3-seeded Rebels’ ticket to the 5A state tournament next week at Aurora Sports Park inducing the 10-run mercy rule against Greeley West The 3-run blast capped off an 8-run bottom of the fifth inning to give Columbine a 18-8 victory “It was really devastating,” Forbes said of the torn ACL “The first couple days I didn’t think I could do anything Forbes said over the last week or so the swelling in her knee when down and she felt a lot better She got a brace and started taking swings off a tee this week 2-run home run in the regional semifinal against Mountain Vista that the Rebels won 18-8 Her pitch-hit 3-run home run ended another wild high-scoring affair “She (Forbes) is the hardest worker and sweetest person I know,” Columbine junior Liv Keiter said “She is going to do whatever she can for the team to help us win.” The Rebels got plenty of help offensively with Forbes junior Mason Abraham and sophomore Shalee Trujillo all with three RBIs in the win over No “I think toward the end of the year our bats really caught fire This is kind of how we have to win games,” said Santanillo after the Rebels have scored double-digit runs in their last four games “We have a lot of great athletes that play for each other We expect to score double digits every single time.” Greeley West actually held a 8-6 lead in the top of the fourth inning after senior Ellyse Hydock belted a 2-run home run off Columbine starting pitcher Alexis Archuleta Columbine got the lead right back with a 4-run bottom of the fourth inning Trujillo and junior Nina Vargas both had RBI doubles to push the Rebels’ lead to 10-8 entering the fifth inning “We have 100 percent confidence in our pitchers and our line-up,” Keiter said when asked if there was concern trailing in both regional playoff games against Mountain Vista and Greeley West “Have has learned to play selfless softball with a lot of belief.” Keiter provided a lift for the team even before the bats got going Friday The junior shortstop announced her verbal commitment to play softball at the University of Alabama after she graduates from Columbine in 2026 “I went there (Alabama) and Stanford,” Keiter said of a few college visits I listened and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made but I’m more excited right now on this (Columbine’s playoff run).” Keiter is the niece of Arvada West pitcher Kami Keiter that led the Wildcats to back-to-back state titles in 1999 and 2000 Kami went on to play for the University of Oklahoma “It was so awesome,” Santaniello said of Keiter committing to Alabama this week “The girls had a little party for her to celebrate one of their sisters history professor at El Paso Community College and Columbine Survivor will hold a discussion about surviving tragedy Hevert will discuss what he experienced as a Columbine school shooting survivor how to place Columbine in its historical context and what it means to survive after the unthinkable happens April 20 will mark 26 years since then high schoolers Eric Davis Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold killed 12 students and one teacher before killing themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton The shooting sparked national coverage as one of the first mass shooting in a school The discussion is free and open to students Tyaun Marshburn is a multimedia journalist KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KVIA-TV FCC Public File | FCC Applications | Do Not Sell My Personal Information GOLDEN — If it wasn’t for Columbine junior Brody Burkhalter the Rebels’ non-league boys basketball game could have went the other way Monday night Burkhalter scored eight of his 15 points in the second quarter when it looked like Golden had the opportunity to grab a solid first-half lead the Rebels stayed within striking distance to eventually took a 58-52 victory at Golden High School 1-1 in Class 5A/4A Jeffco League) threw a zone defense against Columbine (8-7 The Rebels had some major issues with the zone scoring just six points in the opening quarter “We were just trying to attack the zone (defense) and attack the middle as well,” Chester said of the Demons’ zone defense giving the Rebels’ offensive issues “If we get the ball in the middle it can break the zone down Burkhalter scored the Rebels first eight points in the second quarter including a pair of 3-pointers to cut Golden’s lead to 20-14 with 6:03 left before halftime “My goal is to be the best team player that I can be,” Burkhalter said of his role keep the team together and help out where I can.” Senior Leif Hansen would finish with a team-high 18 points Sophomores Nick Goodspeed and Zach Orser had 11 points each for the Demons the second half belonged to Columbine junior Cash Boykin After an extremely quiet first half where the Rebels’ leading scorer had just 2 points Boykin turned it on in the second half to finish with a game-high 21 points With the game tied at 40-40 early in the fourth quarter Boykin and Burkhalter combined to score 14 of the Rebels final 18 points to lift Columbine to victory Just trying to play the right way,” Chester admitted as the Rebels got back above .500 with their overall record “We are still trying to figure each other out I knew it was going to be an up-and-down season Columbine stays on the road Wednesday with a 6A Jeffco League game at Lakewood The Rebels host rival Chatfield on Saturday “This week is a big week,” Burkhalter said “We need to show that we can dominate teams and really play basketball like we can.” It was the second straight tough loss for the Demons Golden couldn’t hold on to a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter last Friday night at Evergreen High School Golden finishes out the week with a pair of 5A/4A Jeffco League games The Demons host Littleton (Wednesday) and Conifer (Friday) If you or your child is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988- or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night. A chat option is available at 988lifeline.org/chat Parents need to be actively involved in their kids' digital social lives 17 Facts About Gun Violence and School Shootings Fundamentally Different Stories That Matter: True Crime Podcasts and the Domestic Violence Survivors in Their Audiences University of South Carolina Scholar Commons What Protects Adolescents with Youth Subculture Affiliation from Excessive Internet Use? Int J Environ Res Public Health Warning Signs of Suicide Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration DENVER — Anne Marie Hochhalter is described by her loved ones in many ways: resilient she was a compassionate person who used her voice to advocate on behalf of others Hochhalter was a survivor of the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School which claimed the lives of 12 students and one teacher She was shot and left paralyzed from the waist down was found dead in her Westminster home on Sunday "I suspect it had something to do with some complications from her original injury," said Sue Townsend who grew very close with Hochhalter after the shooting met with Denver7 on Tuesday to discuss the life and legacy Hochhalter leaves behind and she advocated for others who had disabilities and she was a compassionate friend," Sue said about Hochhalter The Townsends planned to have lunch with Hochhalter on Sunday but said she did not reply to their Saturday text messages to confirm When they could not reach Hochhalter on Sunday "Everybody knows her as one of the victims of Columbine The Townsends met Hochhalter through the Columbine tragedy Lauren Townsend was one of the 12 students killed in the mass shooting "She was a wonderful young woman and a very bright girl," Rick said about his daughter "I never had trouble sharing stories about Lauren 'We don't want to make you think about it because it will make you sad.' I always think about it Sue read Hochhalter's story and offered to take her to doctor's appointments or physical therapy once a week That blossomed into a friendship that felt more like family She's just become part of our family," Sue said The Townsends were stunned by Hochhalter's passing "I know that she's been having some medical issues but you're just not ready for it because she has bounced back in the past from these problems," Nathan said Nathan said his sister was always the "good kid." She got good grades Nathan was also at Columbine High School on the day of the shooting "I learned how to compartmentalize really well," Nathan said with a small smile Her approach was very supportive to her communities In 2016, Hochhalter penned a letter to the mother of one of the gunmen "Bitterness is like swallowing a poison pill and expecting the other person to die." She finished the letter by forgiving the gunman's mother and wishing her the best Loved ones call the letter another sign of the compassion Hochhalter showed throughout her life The Townsends said they would often share memories of Lauren with Hochhalter They now intend to do the same as they remember Hochhalter "We had Anne Marie was over for brunch with the family on Christmas Day 'How can you understand what the other one's saying?' But they did and they were talking and laughing and having the best time," Sue said I just want to freeze this moment because it was so heartwarming to see them enjoying each other so much." Rick recalled a time when the family took a trip to Hawaii and he helped Hochhalter into the ocean which is one thing she always wanted to do," Rick said She still didn't want to get out of the water She didn't feel any pain at all the whole time she was in that water She struggled a lot with nerve pain from her spinal cord injury and I think that time in the lagoon was a happy place for her." When asked what legacy Hochhalter leaves behind You can get it through and come out the other side better." LITTLETON — Columbine’s girls basketball team had its dancing shoes ready to go Saturday afternoon “We had a whole week of practice that got us all ready to play,” said Columbine junior Taylor Speir who scored 10 of her team-high 24 points in the first quarter Columbine suffered a first-round playoff loss to Arapahoe a year ago Speir and fellow junior Jordyn Washington combined to score 22 of 27 first-quarter points for the Rebels (18-6 record) While Speir did most of her damage on transition layups Washington had the hot hand from long distance with four 3-pointers in the first quarter “It really doesn’t surprise me when she (Washington) is hitting 3s,” Columbine coach Keegan Bell said of Washington Every morning before school she is in the gym It is nice to see that hard work pay off in the game.” Junior Mason Abraham also got dialed in from 3-point range for the Rebels Abraham had four 3-pointers on her way to 18 points Juniore Brynleigh Schmitz also added 8 points for Columbine in the victory She really got going in the end there,” Bell said of Williams scoring her career high “Any time we seemed to be able to take a bigger lead she would make a play Monarch freshman Charlotte Weiss was also dangerous making five 3-pointers on her way to a 16-point game “Even when teams go on a run we try to stay calm and relaxed,” Speir said ten 3-pointers and balanced scoring was enough to advance the Rebels into the Sweet 16 “I think Colorado basketball is really good There is no easy game,” Bell said as the Rebels advance to the Sweet 16 to face likely Cherry Creek Hopefully we can keep this run going a little bit longer.” Columbine High School shooting survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter attends a vigil for the 25th anniversary of the mass shooting held for victims of the movie theatre mass shooting that occurred July 20 Twelve students and one teacher were shot and killed on April 20 The two student gunmen took their own lives a common problem for people living with paralysis He said he knew that his sister’s life would likely be shorter because of her paralysis but her death this early was unexpected “We didn’t think it would be this bad this soon,” he said Hochhalter struggled with intense pain from her gunshot wounds in the years following the shooting but fought hard to to overcome the complications of her injuries and remain positive She was tireless in her drive to help others including people with disabilities and members of her family Hochhalter chose to forgive the mother of one of the gunmen writing in a 2016 letter to Sue Klebold: “’A good friend once told me I have forgiven you and only wish you the best.” Hochhalter’s own tragedy was compounded six months after the shooting Anne Marie Hochhalter said her mother suffered from depression and did not believe the shootings were directly to blame for her mother’s death she became the “acquired daughter” of another family that lost a child in the Columbine shooting reached out to help Hochhalter as a way to cope with her own grief but eventually Hochhalter was coming over for family dinners and joining them on vacations “She brought a light to our lives that will shine for a long time,” Townsend said Hochhalter attended a vigil marking the 25th anniversary of the shooting last year after skipping a similar event five years earlier because of post-traumatic stress disorder This time she said she was flooded with happy memories from her childhood and said she wanted those killed remembered for how they lived