>>>
>>> AND
>>> AND EVENING OF REMEMBRANCE AND HELP.
AND HELP.
AND HELP. THE COLUMBINE COMMUNITY BEGINS
SEVERAL DAYS OF TRIBUTE TO THE
LIVES THE WERE FOREVER CHANGED
TWO DECADES AGO.
SATURDAY MARKS 20 YEARS SINCE
THE SHOOTING.
THE SHOOTING. >> Reporter: WHEN THEY HAVE
BEEN LOOKING BACK ON THE PAST
20 YEARS AFTER WHAT HAPPENED IN
1999.
1999.
1999. THINGS WERE LOOKING SO FORWARD
TO THE FUTURE AND HOW THE
EVENTS BACK THEN HAVE SHAPED
WHAT IS GOING ON NOW AND SO
MANY EMOTIONS JUST HAPPENED
INSIDE THE CHURCH SERVICE IT
LOOKS LIKE IT JUST ABOUT ENDED.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT NONE OF
THOSE EMOTIONS WERE NEGATIVE.
WE HEARD SO MUCH POSITIVITY AND
MESSAGES OF HOPE AND STRENGTH
AND EVEN MESSAGES OF
FORGIVENESS.
FORGIVENESS. WE HURT THEM FROM TWO PEOPLE.
THEY WERE PATRICK IRELAND AND
CRYSTAL WOODLANDS AND ALSO THE
PRINCIPLE OF AT THAT TIME FRANK
DeANGELIS.
DeANGELIS. THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW THAT
DARKEST MOMENT IN THEIR LIVES
ALSO BIRTHED A FOUNDATION OF
THE HOPE THAT IS TO COME AND
HOW THAT HAS REALLY SHAPED A
VERY POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR HERE
GOING FORWARD.
GOING FORWARD. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS
INSTILLED IN THE COMMUNITY
BECAUSE WE SAW SOME REALLY HARD
TIMES THIS WEEK BUT THAT HOPE
THAT IS REALLY FIRMLY PLANTED
IN THIS COMMUNITY WHICH IS
SOMETHING THAT WE HEARD MORE
ABOUT FROM A STUDENT WHO IS
CURRENTLY AT COLUMBINE NOW.
>> HELLO.
>> HELLO.
>> HELLO. I AM A STUDENT AT COLUMBINE
HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2019.
ONCE YOU WALK IN TO COLUMBINE
YOU FEEL A GREAT SENSE OF
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. IT'S AN EVERYDAY HIGH SCHOOL
WITH FOOTBALL GAMES AND CLASSES
AND PLAYERS.
AND PLAYERS. WALKING IN AND SAYING HI TAKE
HIS SECURITY IS NORMAL TO ME.
WHEN THIS TIME OF YEAR COMES
AROUND IT GETS A BIT MORE
SERIOUS.
SERIOUS.
SERIOUS. YOU CAN REALLY TELL WHEN YOU
ARE GOING TO CLASS WITH THE
TEACHERS THAT THIS MONTH IS A
LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE.
WHEN THE LOCKDOWN HAPPENS IT'S
LIKE GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. HERE IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND
IT'S JUST GOING THROUGH THE
MOTIONS.
MOTIONS.
MOTIONS. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT A PART OF
IT HAVE BECOME A PART OF THIS
COMMUNITY THAT SHARES THE
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. YOU INSTANTLY GET LABELED.
WHENEVER PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT
HIGH SCHOOL DO YOU GO TO AND I
SAY I GO TO COLUMBINE THERE IS
A GUT REACTION OF OH YOU GO TO
THAT SCHOOL.
THAT SCHOOL. YES I DO BUT IT'S NOT WHAT THEY
ALWAYS THINK.
ALWAYS THINK. I WOULD LIKE COLUMBINE TO
CHANGE FROM A PLACE WHERE
TRAGEDY HAPPENED TO A PLACE OF
HOPE.
HOPE.
HOPE. GOING TO COLUMBINE HAS GIVEN MY
LIFE AS A STUDENT A BIT MORE
PURPOSE THEN MAYBE A TYPICAL
STUDENT WOULD FEEL.
I AM GIVEN MORE OF A CHANCE AND
OPPORTUNITY TO GET BACK TO THE
COMMUNITY AND PARTICIPATE IN
COMMUNITY EVENTS.
COMMUNITY EVENTS. I AM PROUD TO BE A COLUMBINE
REBEL AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT
WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF ME.
>> Reporter: THAT'S A SENTIMENT
WE HEARD A LOT INSIDE THE
CHURCH AS WELL.
THESE PEOPLE ARE PROUD OF WHERE
THEY COME FROM.
THEY ARE PROUD OF COLUMBINE.
UNFORTUNATELY IT DOES CARRY THE
WEIGHT OF WHAT HAPPENED 20
YEARS AGO THAT THEY WILL USE
THE AND TRANSFORM THAT AND THEY
ARE HOPING THAT THAT WILL
TRANSFORM THE COMMUNITY FOR
YEARS TO COME.
WE SAW THAT THIS WEEK WHEN WE
HAD THAT SCARE WHEN MORE THAN
HALF 1 MILLION STUDENTS WERE
OUT OF SCHOOL.
A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY SAID
THAT WAS SCARY BUT WE ARE
RESILIENT AND WE ARE COMING
BACK FROM THIS.
>> CERTAINLY KNOW SCHOOL IS
MORE PREPARED FOR THE SITUATION
THAT WE SAW THIS WEEK THAN
COLUMBINE.
COLUMBINE. IT IS SO INTERESTING TO HEAR
FROM NOT JUST THOSE STUDENTS
>> SOMETHING THAT SHE AND I
TALKED ABOUT WAS LOCKED AND
SECURE GRILL DRILLS.
THOSE ARE NORMAL FOR STUDENTS
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. THEY
NOW. THEY WERE NOT NORMAL BEFORE
COLUMBINE.
COLUMBINE. I ASKED HER DO YOU FEEL SAFE AT
YOUR SCHOOL AND SHE SAID
THERE'S NO SAFER PLACE TO BE.
THAT CHANGED SCHOOL SAFETY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY WAY BACK
WHEN.
WHEN.
WHEN. I
WHEN. I KNOW THAT IT IS