SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS COMES AT A SENSITIVE TIME FOR COLORADO
FAMILIES--ESPECIALLY
COLORADO FAMILIES--ESPECIALLY IN JEFFERSON
COUNTY.
>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE RECENT THREAT MADE TO COLORADO SCHOOLS COMES AT A
SENSITIVE TIME FOR COLORADO
FAMILY, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN
JEFFERSON COUNTY IN.
THREE DAY,
THREE DAY, THE COLORADO HIGH SCHOOL
COMMUNITY WILL BE MARKING
EXACTLY 20 YEARS SINCE THE
HORRIFIC SHOOTING THAT LEFT 13
VICTIMS DEAD.
VICTIMS DEAD. >> THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES SAY
TIME HAS UNLOCKED PERSPECTIVES
THEY NEVER EXPECTED.
NELSON
NELSON
NELSON GARCIA SHOWS US THE EVOLUTION OF
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY. >> Reporter: THE PASSAGE OF TIME
HAS AN IMPACT ON ALL THINGS.
ESPECIALLY TRAGEDY.
ESPECIALLY TRAGEDY. >> I WAS A SOPHOMORE HERE AT
COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL ON APRIL
20TH, 1999, WHEN THE SHOOTING
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. >> CONNIE SANDERS.
I AM ONE OF
THE DAUGHTERS OF TEACHER SANDERS
WHO WAS MURDERED AT COLUMBINE
HIGH SCHOOL IN
>>
>> I
>> I WAS
>> I WAS IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY WHERE MOST OF THE SHOOTING
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. AND WATCHED 2 FRIENDS
NEXT TO ME.
LATER THAT SAME DAY,
I LEARNED THAT MY SISTER WAS THE
FIRST ONE
>>
>> COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL ON APRIL 20TH, 1999.
>> Reporter: THROUGH ALL OF THE
TIME THAT HAS PASSED.
>> THERE'S TIMES IT SEEMS LIKE
IT WAS YESTERDAY, AND OTHER
TIMES IT SEEMS LIKE IN THE FAR
DISTANCE.
DISTANCE.
DISTANCE. >> Reporter: GRIEF EVOLVES.
>> I KNOW MYSELF IN.
MY PROCESS
MY PROCESS AFTER COLUMBINE, THAT THERE WERE
TIMES I WAS VERY ANGRY, VERY
DEPRESSED AND SAD.
>> WE DON'T REALLY CARE MUCH
ABOUT THE ANNIVERSARY.
IT'S A
IT'S A
IT'S A TOUGH DAY FOR US.
>> Reporter: 20 YEARS LATER,
TOM MOUZER WEARS THE SHOES HIS
SON WAS WEARING WHEN HE WAS
KILLED.
KILLED.
KILLED. >> THE LIVES THAT WERE LEFT,
BEFORE AND AFTER THE TRACK
DEFAULT IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT
LIFE FOR YOU.
YOU MEASURE THINGS
BY WHETHER IT HAPPENED BEFORE OR
AFTER THAT DAY.
>> Reporter: A DAY THAT STOPPED
TIME FOR THE VICTIMS.
>> I CAN THINK OF THE KIDS WHO
LOST THEIR LIVES.
AND WHO
AND WHO
AND WHO THEY'LL BE TODAY.
WHO THEY WOULD
BE LIKE TODAY.
AND I THINK
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT REMAINS
WITH ME FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
>> ANY TIME I SEE ANY OF THE
OTHER FAMILIES, IT'S JUST -- IT
FEELS LIKE IT'S GOOD TO SEE
>>
>> FOR
>> FOR A
>> FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, HIS BEST FRIENDS WOULD COME ONCE OR
TWICE A YEAR TO VISIT US.
AND I
AND I
AND I HAD
AND I HAD A REAL, REAL PROBLEM WITH.
THAT MY WIFE WAS VERY
ACCOMMODATING.
ACCOMMODATING. AND WELCOMED HIM.
I HAD A TOUGH TIME WITH IT.
IT WAS TOUGH MOVING ALONG.
IT
IT
IT TOOK
IT TOOK AT LEAST A GOOD TEN YEARS
FOR ME TO GET OVER THAT.
>> Reporter: APRIL 20TH IS A DAY
THEY WILL FOREVER BE TIED TO.
>>
>> I
>> I THINK WHAT WAS THE CHANGING POINT FOR ME WAS SOMETHING THAT
THE PRIEST HAD ASKED ME TO DO.
HE SAID FRANK, UNDER HAVE DIED
THAT DAY, BUT YOU SURVIVED AND
GOD'S GOT A PLAN.
AND YOU NEED
TO REBUILD THAT COMMUNITY.
>> COLUMBINE DEFINITELY HAD A
BIG IMPACT ON MY IDENTITY.
AND
AND
AND ACTUALLY FOR A WHILE, BECAUSE A
LOT OF THE WORLD SAW ME AS BEING
A COLUMBINE SURVIVOR, OH, HE
LOST A SISTER, OH, HE SAW THAT.
THAT'S A PART OF MY STORY, BUT
IT'S NOT WHO I AM.
>> MY OLDER DAUGHTER, FOR MANY,
MANY YEARS, SHE WOULD SAY
GRANDPA WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE
AT THE WRONG TIME.
AND TEN YEARS
AGO, SHE SAID WITHOUT PROMPTING,
SHE SAID HE WAS IN THE RIGHT
PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
AND I
AND I
AND I THINK THAT WAS REALLY AN
IMPORTANT SHIFT FOR OUR ENTIRE
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
FAMILY. >> Reporter: AT THE COLISEUM
MEMORIAL ONE DAY, SANDERS MET
ONE OF THE DOZENS OF STUDENTS
HER DAD FACED DURING THE
SHOOTING.
SHOOTING.
SHOOTING. THE FORMER STUDENT NOW
HAD A CHILD.
>> I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE THE
FEELING THAT THAT CREATES WHEN
YOU'RE STANDING THERE HOLDING A
CHILD, KNOWING THAT, YES, HE
DIED, BUT HE SAVED SO MANY
LIVES.
LIVES.
LIVES. AND NOW THOSE PEOPLE HAVE
FAMILIES, AND THEIR FAMILIES
WILL HAVE FAMILIES.
AND IT
AND IT
AND IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE HE SAVED A
PIECE OF THE GENERATION.
>> Reporter: IMPACTS THAT ONLY
TIME CAN REVEAL.
>> THE SHOOTERS AT COLUMBINE HAD
A TOTAL DISRESPECT AND DISREGARD
FOR LIFE THAT DAY.
AND TREATED
AND TREATED IT LIKE IT WAS A GAME WHEN THEY
WERE IN THE LIBRARY.
>> TWO SHOOTERS FROM COLUMBINE
ACTUALLY WERE ON DIVERSION.
THEY
THEY
THEY WERE
THEY WERE IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW.
AND I NOW RUN PART OF THE
PROGRAM THAT THEY WENT THROUGH.
SO IN MY MIND, I'M KIND OF
REVERSING TIME AND SAYING LET ME
HELP PEOPLE THAT MAY BE HEADED
DOWN A PATH WHERE MAYBE THEIR
FUTURE WOULD HAVE INCLUDED
SOMETHING HORRIFIC.
SOMETHING HORRIFIC. >> Reporter: 20 YEARS LATER, 20
YEARS STRONGER.
YEARS STRONGER. >> I THINK THE REASON THAT WE'RE
SO STRONG TODAY IS BECAUSE WE
WERE UP THERE.
WE'RE COLUMBINE.
WE'RE COLUMBINE. >> I THINK OTHERS FEEL THAT THE
UNITY AND BOND, YEAH, IT'S A
CHALLENGE.
CHALLENGE. BUT THERE'S A DEEPER
BOND BECAUSE OF WHAT WE
EXPERIENCED