20: Columbine Victims

Injuries and deaths in initial incident:

1. Rachel Scott, 17. Killed by shots to the head, torso, and leg alongside the west entrance of the school. Scott's funeral on April 24, 1999, was attended by more than 2,000 people and was televised throughout the nation. It was the most-watched event on CNN up to that point, surpassing even the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

2. Richard Castaldo, 17. Shot in the arm, chest, back, and abdomen alongside the west entrance to the school. He played dead until police came to pick him up and was brought to Swedish Medical Center. On June 1, 1999 he was moved to Craig Hospital where he had to stay until August 21, 1999. Since the shooting he has to use a wheelchair. After the shooting he got his driver's license and a car designed to be used by people in wheelchairs.

3. Daniel Rohrbough, 15. Fatally injured by shots to the abdomen, upper chest, and leg near the west staircase. He bled to death on the sidewalk outside the school where he lay for nearly 2 days before paramedics were allowed to move him.  The Rohrboughs were kept in the dark about what had happened to their son; law enforcement told them they didn't know for certain that the body on the sidewalk was Dan Rohrbough and wouldn't let the family in to check for themselves. It wasn't till the morning after the shootings that the Rohrboughs found out for certain what they already knew in their hearts: Danny was indeed the dead boy outside and they learned this news because it was splashed all over the morning news and not because the family was told directly by officials. Dan Rohrbough's funeral was held at Grace Presbyterian Church and he was buried in Littleton Cemetery in Littleton, Colorado.

4. Sean Graves, 15. Shot in the back, foot, and abdomen near the west staircase. His back/spine injury was deemed an 'incomplete spinal injury' by doctors, meaning that he was paralyzed below the injury level but retained some feeling and movement. He was later moved to Craig Hospital for spinal cord rehabilitation. On June 20th, 1999 he took his first steps. He was released from Craig July 7th, 1999. Sean graduated from Columbine in 2002, using only a crutch to walk across the stage to receive his diploma.

5. Lance Kirklin, 16. Critically injured by shots to the leg, neck, and jaw near the west staircase. Lance suffered from a total of five gunshot wounds. His jaw and face were rebuilt with bone and tissue from his leg as well as titanium alloy to replace lost bone in his thigh and jaw. The process took 9 operations. He was released from the hospital on May 15, 1999.

6. Michael Johnson, 15. Shot in the face, arm, and leg to the west of the staircase. The next thing he remembered after that he was being removed from the shed area by law enforcement who then transported him to paramedics. Michael was in intensive care for 8 days during which time doctors had to wire his jaw shut and repair a ruptured blood vessel in his leg. He was released April 28, 1999.

7. Mark Taylor, 16. Shot in the chest, arms, and leg to the west of the staircase. Eventually an officer showed up and dragged Mark to safety behind the nearby shed. Four of the eight bullets were left in him: Two near his aorta and two in his spine. He was released April 30, 1999. He was later re-admitted to Littleton Adventist for treatment of a staph infection in the wounds in his lungs. He was in and out of the hospital three times. He never returned to Columbine, enrolling in Dove Christian School instead.

8. Anne-Marie Hochhalter, 17. Shot in the chest, arm, abdomen, back, and left leg near the cafeteria's entrance. Paralyzed by a bullet that severed her spinal cord and went through her diaphragm (it was later found lodged in her liver), she collapsed, unable to move. Anne Marie was later moved from Swedish Hospital to Craig Hospital for spinal cord rehabilitation. She spent a total of four months in the hospital. At Craig Hospital she underwent rehabilitative therapy with fellow survivor Patrick Ireland. She resumed school September 9, 1999 and took one Physics class with him. Her family bought a house with wheelchair ramps and lifts with the help of Colorado Homebuilders Foundation. On October 22, 1999 Anne Marie’s mother, Carla, committed suicide. Her mother's suicide had set back her rehabilitation. She later earned her business degree from the University of Colorado.

9. Brian Anderson, 17. Injured near the west entrance by flying glass. Brian was treated for injuries sustained from bullet fragments bouncing off a shattering window when Eric shot through the double-paned west-entrance doors. He was released April 20, 1999. He graduated from Columbine May 20, 2000.

10. Patti Nielson, 35. Hit in the shoulder by shrapnel near the west entrance. Patti was an Art teacher and on hall monitor duty. She was able to escape the school, escorted by police. She ran south to Pierce St. where she was treated for her injuries, including a grazing wound to the shoulder from a bullet. She was then taken to the hospital where she was treated and released April 20, 1999.

11. Stephanie Munson, 17. Shot in the ankle inside the North Hallway. Stephanie had just started attending Columbine four months prior to the shootings. An ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital where she was treated and released April 20, 1999.

12. William David Sanders, 47. Died of blood loss after being shot in the neck and back inside the South Hallway. William "Dave" Sanders was a computer and business teacher at Columbine for 25 years, and coach of the girls' basketball and softball teams. 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 from behind by both shooters. He was hit in his head. He managed to get himself into a science lab where he bled to death waiting for help that 911 dispatchers told students who were helping him was coming, but never arrived. Two teachers and one student were in a room with Sanders as they tried to revive him.  Despite their attempts to save him, Dave Sanders died from blood loss. He left behind his wife, four children and five grandchildren. 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.

Injuries and deaths in the library:

13. Evan Todd, 15. Sustained minor injuries from the splintering of a desk he was hiding under. Evan was never taken to the hospital but he did go to a nearby clinic where he was treated for abrasions to the eye and back from the splintering counter. He was released the same day. Evan Todd was the last of the survivors to be identified; he was listed in Littleton papers as 'Unnamed Boy'. He returned to Columbine when he was well enough and went on to play for the Columbine Rebels' state championship football team. He also held a 27-10 wrestling record on the varsity squad and made Eagle Scout in 2000.

14. Kyle Velasquez, 16. Killed by gunshot wounds to the head and back. When Kyle was just a baby he suffered a stroke that left him mentally disabled. Kyle had only been attending Columbine for three months. Kyle was buried with military honors in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado, since his father was a Navy veteran. His parents were given the flags from his coffin and the one that was flown at half-mast in Kyle's honor at the state Capitol.

15. Patrick Ireland, 17. Shot in the head and foot. After being shot in the library he crawled towards a window and managed to pull himself up. He wanted to jump out in case nobody was there to help him but luckily members of the SWAT team saw him and parked their car right under the table to pull Patrick out. He leaned out the window. He has no memory of being caught by the SWAT team members who were waiting below. His next recollection was that of being treated by emergency workers. If Pat had waited in the library for help he would likely have died. He was treated for two gunshot wounds to the head and one to the right foot as well as a laceration to his right inner elbow. He was later moved to Craig Hospital for spinal and cerebral rehabilitation. He returned to Columbine that fall, using a cane to help support his weight as he walked. On September 25, 1999 he was elected Columbine's homecoming king. He graduated from Columbine May 20, 2000 as a co-valedictorian.  In 2009 Pat was doing well for himself: He was working as a financial rep and had married sweetheart Kacie. By 2012, he had 2 daughters and moved up to managing director for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. He is still living with a bullet in his brain from the Columbine shooting.

16. Daniel Steepleton, 17. Shot in the thigh.  He was treated for a shotgun blast to the leg; he took five pellets to the knee and one to the chin. He was released before April 24, 1999. Daniel graduated Columbine on May 20, 2000.

17. Makai Hall, 19. Shot in the knee. He was treated for a shotgun wound to the right knee and shrapnel in the cheek. Underwent surgery and spent 3 days in the hospital. He was released April 23, 1999. He graduated Columbine May 20, 2000.

18. Steven Curnow, 14. Killed by a shot to the neck. 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. Steve was buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

19. Kacey Ruegsegger, 17. Shot in the shoulder, hand and neck. She suffered multiple injuries including a gunshot wound to the right shoulder, a through-and-through injury to her right hand that medical officials pulled a metal washer out of, and a gunshot graze on her neck. They pulled a shotgun wad out of her shoulder. A steel plate was put in her arm and she went through lengthy physical therapy. She was released from the hospital on May 1, 1999. She went on to attend Colorado State University.

20. Cassie Bernall, 17. Killed by a shotgun wound to the head. Cassie was laid to rest in Golden Cemetery in Golden, Colorado.

21. Isaiah Shoels, 18. Killed by a shot to the chest. Isaiah died from a gunshot wound to the chest. 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.

22. Matthew Kechter, 16. Killed by a shot to the chest. Matt was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. In September of 1999, Matt Kechter was posthumously accepted into the National Honor Society.

23. Lisa Kreutz, 18. Shot in the shoulder, hand, arms and thigh. She lay bleeding in the library for 2.5 hours, unable to move due to the severity of her injuries, before she was rescued by officials. She was the last survivor to be pulled from the library. Lisa was released from the hospital April 28, 1999. She graduated from Columbine High on May 23, 1999, and went on to the University of Colorado.

24. Valeen Schnurr, 18. Injured with wounds to the chest, arms and abdomen. Val suffered nine soft tissue wounds to her left arm, chest, and abdomen from shrapnel and through-and-through bullet wounds. She was released from Swedish Medical Center April 27^th. She graduated from Columbine May 23, 1999 despite her injuries.

25. Mark Kintgen, 17. Shot in the head and shoulder. The bullet in Mark's head was surgically removed. He was released from Denver Health April 23 with a bullet still lodged in his shoulder. Mark suffers from cerebral palsy. He has a twin brother named Mike. Mark graduated from Columbine High School on May 20, 2000, and was planning to attend Arapahoe Community College.

26. Lauren Townsend, 18. Killed by multiple gunshot wounds to the head, chest and lower body. Her funeral was held at Foothills Bible Church. She was buried in Littleton Cemetery in Littleton, Colorado.

27. Nicole Nowlen, 16. Shot in the abdomen. Nicole had been attending Columbine for only six weeks before the shooting. Nicole was taken by officers on scene to the cul-de-sac where triage had been set up and from there was transported to the hospital. Nicole was hit with nine pieces of buckshot. Three were through-and-through; doctors were able to remove only one of the remaining six. The other five are still in her midsection. She was released April 21, 1999. Her father had attended Columbine and when she moved to Littleton to live with him, she chose to attend the school he had gone to. She went back to Columbine after she recovered.

28. John Tomlin, 16. Killed by multiple shots to the head and neck. 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 embroidered with Chevy trucks.

29. Kelly Fleming, 16. Killed by a shotgun wound to the back. Kelly's funeral was held at the same time as Daniel Mauser's at the St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church. She was buried with two teddy bears in her arms. Her grave is located at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

30. Jeanna Park, 18. Shot in the knee, shoulder and foot. She was released from the hospital April 26, 1999. Jeanna returned to Columbine when she was well enough and graduated with honors May 23, 1999.

31. Daniel Mauser, 15. Killed by a single shot to the face. Daniel's funeral was held jointly with Kelly Fleming's at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. 

32. Jennifer Doyle, 17. Shot in the hand, leg and shoulder. After lunch Jennifer went to the library, passing by the tech lab on her way. Jennifer was hit with three shotgun pellets in her right hand: One crushed her ring finger, another entered her wrist, and another entered the back of her hand, resulting in seven broken bones. Released from the hospital April 24, 1999. Jennifer now has a metal plate and screws holding her ring finger together. She graduated from Columbine High School on May 20, 2000. She went on to University of Colorado in the fall.

33. Austin Eubanks, 17. Shot in the hand and knee. Austin was treated for a gunshot wounds to the hand and a bullet grazed knee. He was released from the hospital the same day and graduated from Columbine High School on May 20, 2000.

34. Corey DePooter, 17. Killed by shots to the chest and neck. His funeral was held at Trinity Christian Center. Soon after his death his grandmother, Fern Hamilton, contacted the Marine Corps about holding some sort of ceremony for Corey because he'd always wanted to become a Marine. On May 3, 2000, Corey was granted that dream during a ceremony at his gravesite in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Littleton, Colorado, where he was made an honorary Marine.

http://www.acolumbinesite.com/victim/index.php