Remembering Columbine: 1 year later. 
Remembering Columbine: 1 year later.  |
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A father fell to his knees and kissed the grass on his son's grave. A mother watched 13 white balloons soar into a brilliant blue sky over the cemetery where her son now rests.
And at 11:21am - the precise moment two teenagers opened fired inside their high school on April 20, 1999 - Coloradans quietly reflected as a church bell tolled 13 times in memory of the victims of the Columbine High School massacre.
At private ceremonies and public remembrances all day and into the night Thursday, students, staff, survivor and strangers came together to mark the first anniversary of the nation's deadliest school shooting.
"Today is about the angels who are watching and helping us to remember," Gov. Bill Owens told a crowd at the state Capitol in Denver. There was little mention of the gunmen Thursday - the bell tolling 13 times, 13 crosses erected were meant to recall the victims and not the killers.
In Littleton, families and friends of slain student: Rachel Scott, Corey DePooter, and teacher Dave Sanders embraced and wept during a memorial at the cemetery where all three are buried.
A fishing vest and lures adorned the grave of DePooter, who loved fly fishing. Behind the grave markers stood 13 wooden crosses to honor the victims. An angel windsock hung from Scott's cross, blowing gently in the breeze.
When the service was over, 13 white balloons drifted into the sky as a symbol of letting go. For several minutes, DePooter's mother, Patricia, refused to leave her son's grave.
"It's hard just remembering it, the good times, and then remembering how it all ended." said Cherry Creek High School student Sam Mamtherne, 17, who was friends with Scott.
At Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, the family of victim Isaiah Shoels was joined by Martain Luther King III in remembering the 18-year-old boy who dreamed of becoming a music executive and talent scout like his father. After the service, Michael Shoels knelt and kissed the grass over his son's grave. "He always said, 'I kiss the ground you walk on' so I owe it to him," Shoels said.
After sunset, hundred of people marched with lighted candles from nearby chruches to attend a vigil at Clement Park next to Columbine.
John and Doreen Tomlin, parents of slain student John Tomlin, carried a lighted torch and lead a procession in their son's gold Chevrolet pickup. "It's looking forward. The people who are following this truck, a lot of them are teenagers," John Tomlin said.
Earlier, 1,000 students, including alumni, and about 175 staff members attended a private assembly inside the Columbine gymnasium, where a representative for each victim spoke. About 500 parents met in the auditorium. Classes were canceled, and the building was closed to the public.
