Columbine 10 years later
Hundreds attended a sunset candlelight vigil on Sunday to honor the 13 victims of the Columbine High School massacre on the eve of its 10th anniversary.
Flags were flying at half-staff over the Colorado Capitol and other government buildings Monday, the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting massacre. State lawmakers planned to pass a resolution titled “Triumph Over Tragedy” to mark the occasion. But plans for Gov. Bill Ritter to address the Legislature in the state House of Representatives chamber were canceled at the last minute because the governor didn’t have the required permission of House Speaker Terrance Carroll. “Traditionally, the governor doesn’t come on the floor unless it’s the State of the State speech, and I’m not inclined to change that precedent,” said Carroll. Both Carroll and Ritter are Democrats. – from FoxNews
The teenage gunman pumped three bullets into Val Schnurr’s chest, abdomen and arm during the 45-minute rampage at the suburban Colorado high school. Schnurr left the hospital six days later and spent a month learning to walk again. Then she crossed a stage to claim her Columbine High School diploma. Ten years later, Schnurr’s physical recovery is complete. She’s a social worker for abused and neglected children; she skis and hikes and has a great boyfriend. Yet emotionally, Schnurr says, she is still trying to heal. “When you go through a tragedy, the way you look at life changes,” she says. “I don’t plan anymore. It’s hard for me to look forward to the future.” Monday marks the 10-year anniversary of the April 20, 1999, shooting rampage by Schnurr’s classmates Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17. They shattered a community and shocked a nation when they killed 12 students and one teacher and injured 23 other classmates. A decade later, the Columbine community strives for normalcy. For the Class of 1999, the tragedy changed their lives forever. – from USAToday
Where were their parents? That was the thought I couldn’t shake ten years ago as news broke from Littleton, Colo., and all cameras were aimed at Columbine High School. It was my first national tragedy as a parent, and my perspective took me by surprise. A few years earlier I would have put myself in the shoes of the terrified students, huddled in classrooms, hiding under tables in the library. But on April 20, 1999, I felt for the parents. Racing toward the school building, stopped by police tape and SWAT teams, learning their kids were safe — or not. – from NYTimes
Crystal Woodman Miller had gone to the Columbine library on her lunch hour to study for a test, when she heard popping sounds. The 16-year-old saw a friend holding her shoulder, blood soaking through her T-shirt. She crawled underneath a table, where Seth Houy wrapped his arms around her and said: “Crystal, I promise I would take a bullet for you.” – Read more about Columbine survivors from AP
