DENVER — Saturday marks the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.
A vigil was held Friday night, according to The Associated Press. There were 13 chairs left empty with small candles on them to honor the 13 people who were killed at the Colorado school on April 20, 1999. Biographies of the victims were read.
Columbine, in Littleton, Colorado, was the worst school shooting in the country at the time, according to USA Today. Two students, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, gunned down a teacher and their classmates. They left multiple injured as well.
Those killed included Rachel Scott, Kyle Velasquez, Corey DePooter, Steven Curnow, Cassie Bernall, Kelly Fleming, Matt Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Dan Rohrbaugh, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin and Lauren Townsend, according to the AP. A teacher, Dave Sanders, 47, was also killed.
Mauser’s father spoke at the vigil, according to the AP.
“And most importantly we ask you to never forget, never forget the victims of Columbine. The slain, the injured, the traumatized and their families. And especially never forget those who lost their lives,” said Mauser, according to the AP. At the vigil, Mauser was wearing the sneakers his son was wearing when he was killed, according to KDVR.
“And it took a little while, but it started occurring to me, well, that’s very symbolic. I wear his shoes, I’m walking in Daniel’s shoes. This is how I honor him. Especially when I got these shoes, the ones he was wearing on April 20. To me it was inspiring, it was enabling. It was a spiritual thing, you know,” Mauser told the news outlet.
Former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords also spoke at the vigil about her recovery from another shooting, where she was almost killed in 2011 after being shot in the head after a rally in Tucson, the AP reported.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight and we can’t do it alone. Join me. Let’s move ahead together,” she said.
Staff, students and alumni of Columbine High School are planning a day of service on Saturday to honor as well as remember the victims killed in the shooting, KDVR reported.
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