In Memoriam: Cassie René Bernall

 From aColumbineSite:

Born November 6, 1981

17 years old

Cassie Bernall was a junior at Columbine. Her parents, Misty and Brad Bernall, called her "Bunny Rabbit" and said she loved to go rock climbing in Breckinridge. She had recently visited Great Britain. Her favorite movie was Braveheart.

Cassie, like many her age, had recently struggled on her teenage road to self-discovery. She rebelled against her upbringing, trying out the Goth scene and even getting into witchcraft for a bit. She had issues with depression and anger. She experimented with drugs and alcohol. When she was 15, her mother found notes Cassie and her best friend had been writing to each other in which they discussed killing their parents and teachers. Cassie's parents transferred her to a private school at that point. Cut off from her friends and angry with her parents, Cassie spiralled into depression, writing poems about suicide.

Eventually, Cassie made new friends and she found support at her church where her parents had insisted she attend youth programs. She found her way back to religion after attending a church summer camp in 1997, where she became a born-again Christian. That fall, her parents allowed her to transfer out of private school and into Columbine High where she did well in class. She got into Shakespeare and photography. Life was getting better for her.

Then came that fateful day in the library.

According to witness statements and the Columbine Report, Cassie hid under the table she'd been sitting at with her friends when teacher Patti Nielson entered the library and told everyone to get down. Cassie had her hands over her face, perhaps so she wouldn't see what was happening. The gunmen were actively shooting other students nearby.

Just after killing Steve Curnow and injuring Kacey Ruegsegger, Eric Harris went to the table where Cassie and freshman Emily Wyant were hiding. He slapped the top of the table and said to the two frightened girls: "Peek-a-boo!". He then bent down, pointed his sawed-off shotgun under the table and fired once, shooting Cassie in the right side of the head. She died immediately.

For a long time after the shootings, it was believed that she was the girl in the library who one of the shooters asked at gunpoint: "Do you believe in God?". It was thought that he shot her because she said "Yes". The idea was inspiring to many, including her mother Misty Bernall, who went on to write a book about her daughter titled She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall (published Sept. 1, 1999).

It came out later that the conversation occurred between gunman Eric Harris and surviving victim Valeen Schnurr, something that Val and others present have verified. Emily Wyant, who was hiding beside Cassie during the shootings, told the FBI and Rocky Mountain News the real story. RMN and the Denver Post sat on the revelation as unconfirmed until September 24, 1999, preferring to run the story of Cassie as martyr. It wasn't until Dave Cullen, a reporter for Salon.com broke the story on the 23rd that the news outlets ran the true version of what happened. Two weeks before, the Post had been using the martyr story to promote Misty Bernall's book.

When it was still believed that Cassie was the "girl who said yes", she became a martyr to the cause of Christianity. Her mother said she couldn't think of a more honorable way to die. But: "I keep thinking about the things I need to do for Cassie," Cassie's mom told the Oprah show in 1999. "And then I catch myself... I don't need to do that. The Lord is taking care of those mom things I used to do."

Cassie was buried in a white coffin that attendees at her funeral could sign. Her mom wrote on it: "Bunny Rabbit, my friend, my buddy, my daughter, my mentor. I will love you and miss you forever. I promise to take good care of your kitty. I know that Jesus is elated to have you in His presence... Your courage and commitment to Christ have gained you a special place in heaven, and I am proud to call you my daughter. I love you so much, Mom."

Despite the fact that she didn't say anything to either of the gunmen, the story of the girl who said "yes" still inspires people all over the world. Her family prefers to think of her as that girl. Cassie was laid to rest in Golden Cemetery in Golden, Colorado.

In Memoriam: William "Dave" Sanders

From aColumbineSite:

Born October 22, 1951

47 years old

William "Dave" Sanders was a computer and business teacher at Columbine for 25 years, and coach of the girls' basketball and softball teams. He left behind his wife, four children and five grandchildren.

His students said he was a teacher, a friend, a mentor and an inspiration. When the gunmen started firing outside the school he ran to the cafeteria and sounded the alarm. He, along with two of the school's janitors, helped get more than 100 students out of the path of danger by herding them away from the shooters. He saved untold numbers of lives that day.

By the time the gunmen arrived, the cafeteria was nearly empty thanks to him. He was in the upstairs hall trying to get students safely hidden in classrooms when he was shot by Eric Harris. He was hit in the torso, head, and neck. With assistance from teacher Rich Long, he managed to get to a science lab (listed as UA24 in the Columbine Report, and SCI-3 on blueprint maps of the school) where he bled to death waiting for help that 911 dispatchers told students who were helping him was coming, but never arrived.

Trying to get help up to Coach Sanders, teacher Doug Johnson wrote a sign that student Deidra Kucera posted in the window: "1 BLEEDING TO DEATH". The sign was ignored. Despite their attempts to save him, Dave Sanders died nearly three hours later from blood loss. His last words were reported to be: "Tell my family I love them."

Dave's daughter Angela said at his funeral: "What you did in that school on Tuesday was an amazing act of heroism. Even after you were hurt, you continued to be the brave, selfless man we all know you are."

Dave was buried in Littleton's Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Since his death, Coach Dave Sanders has had a softball field at Columbine and a scholarship named after him to honor his memory and posthumously received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. A highway also bears his name.

In Memoriam: John Robert Tomlin

From aColumbineSite:

Born September 1, 1982

16 years old

John Tomlin was a sophomore at Columbine when he was killed in the library. A native of Wisconsin, his family moved to Littleton in 1995 when his father, John Michael, got a job there with a heating firm. John found the move difficult at first. He was shy and lonely. But he soon made friends with Jacob Youngblood and Brandon Sokol, both of whom later spoke at his funeral.

John attended the Foothills Bible Church and belonged to the Riverside Baptist Church South youth group where he met his girlfriend of seven months, Michelle Oetter. His sister Ashley said the pair were nearly inseperable.

"He treated me like the queen of the world," Michelle said of John.

He loved church and Chevrolet trucks. He had recently got his driver's license and had just bought an old Chevy pickup that he had been working for since he was 14. He enjoyed off-roading Rocky Mountains. He once drove all the way to Mexico to help build a house for a poor family. He enjoyed four-wheeling in his truck and lifting weights.

He was gentle and kind. Family and friends remember his energy and the warmth of his smile. "He had such a sense of humor. He was always making goofy faces," his mother said.

He worked after school and on weekends at Arapahoe Acres Nursery hauling trees and driving tractors 30 hours a week. According to friends, he always wore the same thing to work: Carpenter pants, mud-caked boots, a blue cap, and a jacket featuring his favorite team, the Green Bay Packers. He planned to join the army when he graduated.

His truck, like Rachel Scott's car, became a standing memorial in the parking lot. Thursday following the shootings, his family gathered around the truck despite the fact that it was raining. His bible was still sitting on the dashboard, where he always left it in the hope that someone would see something there that would bring them closer to God. His grandfather, John Francis, his father, and other family members took turns sitting in the truck.

"He was as close to a perfect son as you could get," his father, John Michael Tomlin, said. "He was just good. You'd ask him to wash a car, and he'd wash both cars."

John spent his lunch hour in the library every day, studying. He was there when the gunmen stormed the school. Hiding under a table, he welcomed a girl he didn't know (victim Nicole Nowlen) into his hiding place when she grew scared where she was hiding. He held her hand to comfort her when the killers started shooting people in the library. When he heard Dylan Klebold harassing Valeen Schnurr after she'd been shot, John confronted the gunman. Eric Harris opened fire on John and Nicole, injuring them both with blasts from his shotgun. Then Klebold came around the table and shot John at point-blank range in the head, killing him almost instantly.

The first of the funerals for the victims killed at Columbine, his was held at Foothills Bible Church where he had attended church. He was buried in his hometown of Waterford, Wisconsin, in Saint Peters Cemetery. He was buried in a satin-lined coffin of green and gold, the colors of his favorite team, embroidered with Chevy trucks.

In Memoriam: Steven Robert Curnow

From aColumbineSite:

Born August 28, 1984

14 years old

Steve Curnow was a freshman at Columbine who dreamed of being a Navy top gun pilot and was very close with his mom Susan and father Robert (Bob) despite the fact that they were divorced. Weeks before the shooting, he told his father that he forgave him for the mistakes made that led to the breakup. Steve loved soccer. When he discovered his soccer skills weren't strong enough to make the team at Columbine, he continued to referee part-time and play on the team dad Bob coached, the Colorado Rush. Steve liked the color green, because it was the color of the field.

His favorite classes were Spanish, technology, and gym because he got to play sports. He dreamed of becoming an aviator after discovering the joy of flight during a family vacation to England.

Remembered as a huge fan of the Star Wars series, he watched the films so many times, he could recite the dialogue along with the actors. Science fiction fans nationwide put together a "Go to Star Wars" memorial day in his honor when Star Wars I: the Phantom Menace premiered in theaters May 19th, 1999. He had been anxiously awaiting its release.

Steve was hiding under one of the small computer tables in the library, near surviving victim Kacey Ruegsegger, when the shooting began. Eric Harris shot Steve in neck with a sawed-off shotgun. Steve died in the library. At 14 years old, he was the youngest victim of the Columbine massacre.

His funeral was held at Trinity Christian Center, the fourth funeral of a Columbine victim held there in five days. Members of his soccer team were among the mourners at his funeral. "Every time we'd play, he'd have a huge smile on his face," Justin Norman said at the funeral, a former teammate who was among a dozen friends who offered eulogies for Steve.

His sister Nancy said at the funeral that she was going to miss fighting with Steve over whose turn it was to take out the garbage, and whose turn it was to use the computer. She wondered who would tell stories to her own children about what she was like growing up. She'd been counting on her little brother for that.

His mom wrote a note to Steve that was read at his funeral: "Thank you for that special moment two weeks ago when you said, 'Mom, I bet there aren't many guys who can discuss things with their moms like we do.'"

Steve was buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

In Memoriam: Rachel Joy Scott

 From aColumbineSite:

Born August 5, 1981

17 years old

Rachel Scott was a vibrant and straight-forward individual. A junior at Columbine, she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in, no matter what. She played the lead in a student-written school play, The Smoke in the Room (co-starring friends Nick Baumgart, Lauren Beachem, and others), and was writing a play for her senior year. She also liked photography and was active in the Celebration Christian Fellowship church. She was "made for the camera," according to her father, Darrell, and was an aspiring writer and actress. "There's nothing I can add or take away from what she gave us," her mom, Beth Nimmo, said. "In those short 17 years, it was complete."

She quit smoking at the request of friend Nick Baumgart who later took her to the prom. If she hadn't quit, it's quite possible she would've been at "Smoker's Pit" during lunch instead of in the line of fire. As it was, she was eating lunch on the grass with friend Richard Castaldo when the shooters opened fire on the west entrance near where she was seated on the grass. According to witnesses, she was hit and fell to the ground where, moments later, one of the shooters (Eric Harris) came down the hill and shot her at point-blank range when she tried to get up. She died from gunshot wounds to the head, chest, arm and leg, and was one of the first victims of what would soon become one of the nation's most deadly mass shootings.

One of the shooters, Dylan Klebold, had known Rachel since kindergarten and had even been the sound tech for a talent show she performed in, in 1998. Ironically, when the sound broke down, it was Dylan who saved the performance by hooking up a reserve tape deck. Rachel had been performing a mime dance Watch the Lamb which portrayed Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus' cross along part of the Via Dolorosa. That same mime dance was later performed behind her coffin during her funeral.

Rachel's family didn't know for certain that she was dead until Thursday when her name was on the list of confirmed deceased, but they all knew in their hearts that the worst was coming. Their prayers for her to turn up safely went unanswered during those long hours between the shootings and news of her death. Rachel had always been close with her brother Craig (who had been in the library during the shootings and miraculously survived uninjured despite being next to Isaiah Shoels and Matt Kechter were shot and killed) but had experienced difficulty connecting with her father. That last week before her death, Rachel and her dad had a long and bonding discussion, something that left both of them feeling incredibly happy. For Darrell that moment would later give him comfort when dealing with Rachel's death.

Throughout her life Rachel was an incredibly spiritual person who often wrote to God in her diaries about wanting to "reach the unreached". She begged Him for the chance to show others the way, to let her life have some purpose in spreading His word. In 1998 she drew a collage of images that included a rose growing up out of a columbine, with several dark drops spiralling it (you can see this picture on the video Untold Stories Of Columbine). On the morning of the shootings, she doodled a reprise of the picture: a pair of eyes crying thirteen teardrops onto that same rose -- the same number of victims the shooters would kill during the massacre just hours later.

After her death, Rachel's car was turned into a makeshift memorial by her friends where it sat in the parking lot. "In my eyes, she was just one of those kinds of people you know you won't ever meet again," Rachel's friend Lauren Beachem said of her. "She was the kind of person only born once."

Rachel was buried at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in the Columbine Memorial Garden in Littleton, Colorado.

In Memoriam: Isaiah Eamon Shoels

From aColumbineSite:

Born August 4, 1980

18 years old

Isaiah Shoels was a senior at Columbine. He wanted to be a comedian, dreamed of becoming a music executive. After graduating he wanted to attend an arts college. Friends nicknamed him "Bushwick". Born with a heart defect, his parents said he was a fighter who overcame his disability and went on to play football and wrestle. He had played cornerback the previous year on the football team but his father claimed he quit "possibly because of racial intimidation".

Isaiah also played keyboards and wanted to become a record producer, like his father Michael who was the president of Notorious Records and Ft. Knox Entertainment - a firm Michael started to promote black musicians in the Denver area. After graduation Isaiah had planned to attend the Denver Institute of the Arts.

Isaiah was a popular boy; Columbine principal Frank DeAngelis said his classmates would compete to work on school projects with him. "Isaiah Shoels, thank you for having such a positive impact on our school and on our family. You will be greatly missed, and I love you, my dear child," he said at Isaiah's funeral.

"He's smiling down on us," classmate and friend Nick Foss said. "I know he is."

Isaiah was in the library with his friends Matt Kechter and Craig Scott when the shooters entered the room. The three boys hid under the same table, listening to the sounds of the gunmen destroying the library and shooting other people. Isaiah was a well-known athlete and someone whom the shooters had problems with before. When Dylan Klebold saw him hiding beneath the table, he called Eric Harris over. They flanked the table on either side then Klebold made a racist comment toward Isaiah, and tried to pull him out from under the table. When that failed, Harris opened fire, killing Isaiah. Klebold then shot and killed Matt. Craig was amazingly left uninjured though he played dead, covered in the blood of his dying friends.

Isaiah died from a gunshot wound to the chest. Witness reports of the shooters' racist remarks led Isaiah's parents to later claim that the whole massacre was race-motivated, however Isaiah was the only black person killed during the shootings. In fact, no other black people were even injured during the assault.

His brother Anthony was a freshman at Columbine and was outside with a friend when the shooting started. He was able to get to safety by running through the school and out the other side.

The last of the Columbine victims to be buried, Isaiah was laid to rest in Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. Martin Luther King III, son of Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke at Isaiah's funeral at the Heritage Christian Center.

In Memoriam: Daniel Connor Mauser

From aColumbineSite:

Born June 25, 1983

15 years old

Daniel Mauser was a sophomore who excelled in math and science, and got straight 'A's on his last report card. His dad, Tom Mauser, remembered his son as a smart young man who wasn't afraid of challenges and who wasn't ashamed to hug his parents. He attended Ken Caryl Middle School, the same school the shooters went to, but there's no record of them knowing each other.

Daniel was shy but he didn't let that stop him from joining the debate team and though he wasn't a natural athlete, he still joined the cross-country team. He liked to ski, camp and recently returned from a two-week trip to Paris with the French club. He had received straight 'A's in his classes for the last two grading periods and won the "Stretch for Excellence" award for being named the top biology student of the Sophomore class at Columbine High School. Sadly, he died before he could learn that he'd been selected for that honor. Daniel was also posthumously accepted for membership into the National Honor Society in September of 1999. He had applied for membership weeks before the shootings.

Daniel is described by his family as a shy, gentle soul; lovable and loving. He was close friends with his sister Christine. Daniel liked pepperoni pizza, playing video and computer games, and watching shows like the Simpsons and the X-Files. Daniel was fond of trivia and knowledge games, as well as swimming and hiking. His father had hoped that in the summer of 1999 to take Daniel on his first 14,000 mountain hike.

Daniel volunteered at the Swedish Hospital and he was preparing for Confirmation in the Catholic Church. He would have been Confirmed at St. Frances Cabrini Church two weeks after the date of his death. His class put a plaque in the teen program room in Daniel's honor. Daniel was hoping to get his driver's license in 2000. He was concerned with gun safety in America -- just two weeks before he was killed Daniel had asked his father if he knew that there were loopholes in the Brady Bill. Tom Mauser was motivated by what he interpreted as a sign for action: Daniel was shot with a gun that was purchased through one of the very loopholes he had pointed out. Tom is now an active protester of the NRA and continues to campaign for stricter gun laws in the wake of his son's tragic death.

Daniel was in the library when he was shot in the face by Eric Harris while hiding under one of the tables. Daniel died under the table where he had hidden. His funeral was held jointly with Kelly Fleming's at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemeteryin Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

Not long after the shootings, Daniel's family along with several other families of the shooting victims learned that the school district was planning to reopen the library where Daniel and the others had died. The plan was to make cosmetic changes such as removing the carpet, repainting, replacing bullet-riddled shelves. Upset by the notion, the Mausers along with several other parents and volunteers founded HOPE (Healing of People Everywhere) and together they convinced the district to tear out the old library and replace it.

Photos from:

http://www.acolumbinesite.com/victim/danm.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7036133/daniel-conner-mauser