YOU.
>> THANKS.
JON: ANOTHER LOOK NOW AT THE
VIGIL UNDERWAY IN LITTLETON,
COLORADO AS THE COMMUNITY MARKS
20 YEARS SINCE THE MASSACRE AT
COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL.
SHEPHERD SMITH HAS A LOOK BACK
AT HOW THAT TERRIBLE DAY
UNFOLDED, TOLD BY THE PEOPLE
THAT LIVED IT.
>> IT STARTED LIKE ANY OTHER
DAY.
>> I WENT TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARY,
STUDY FOR A TEST.
>> WE WALKED THROUGH THE LIE
BEAR
LIAR
LIER
LIBRARY, GOING TO THE
BACKPACKERRING LOT.
>> I LETTERED
>> I HETTERED
>> I HEATERED
>> I HEARDRED
>> I HEARD PD
>> I HEARD POPPING NOISES.
I THOUGHT THEY WERE FIRE
CRACKERS AND SENIORS WERE
PULLING A PRANK.
A TEACHER RAN INTO THE ROOM, SHE
WAS COMPLETELY FRANTIC.
SHE STARTED YELLING AT ALL OF US
TO HIDE.
>> WE GOT UNDER A TABLE WITH TWO
STUDENTS WHO WE DIDN'T KNOW AND
WE WAITED.
>> I RAN MAYBE 10 FEET IN FRONT
OF ME AND HID, PULLED A CHAIR IN
NEXT TO ME AND THOUGHT YOU I HAD
A GREAT HIDING SPOT.
>> IMMEDIATELY THEY WERE
SHOOTING OFF THEIR GUNS.
THEY WERE TAUNTING, MAKING FUN
OF STUDENTS BEFORE THEY SHOT OR
KILLED THEM.
>> I TURNED AROUND TO SEE ONE OF
THE SHOOTERS LEANING DOWN BEHIND
ME AND KNEW THAT MY TURN WAS
COMING AND IT DID.
>> EACH OF THEM FIRED MULTIPLE
SHOTS UNDER OUR TABLE.
I WAS HIT TWICE AND CORY WAS
KILLED INSTANTLY.
>> THEY SHOT AND KILLED ISAIAH,
THEN SHOT AND KILLED MATT.
>> THE L SCHOOL
>> THE S SCHOOL
>> THE SCHCHOOL
>> THE SCHOOOOL
>> THE SCHOOLOL
>> THE SCHOOL IS IN A PANIC.
I'M IN THE LIBRARY.
HEADS UNDER THE TABLES!
KIDS ARE SCREAMING.
TEACHERS ARE TRYING TO A TAKE
CONTROL.
>> REPORTER: THE S.W.A.T. TEAM
IS STILL RESCUING STUDENTS FROM
INSIDE THAT HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS IS COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL,
LITTLETON, SUBURB OF DENVER.
>> PEOPLE ARE GETTING SHOT ALL
AROUND ME.
>> WHEN THEY'RE SHOOTING IN THE
LIBRARY, WE HEARD THEM SCREAMING
AFTER THEY WOULD SHOOT UP
SOMETHING THEY WOULD GO WOO!
>> REPORTER: EXCITE INNOCENT THE
HALLWAY AS THEY GUN DOWN
CLASSMATES, THAT'S THE REALITY
TONIGHT.
>>
LOOK AT
.OOK AT
.>>K AT
.>> LAT
.>> LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE.
WE'RE IN THE BURBS.
THIS WAS A SAFE PLACE.
>> REPORTER: MANY AGENCIES,
FEDERAL AND STATE AS WELL AS
LOCAL, ALL OUT THERE.
BEFORE THEY PUT THE
INVESTIGATORS IN TO FIGURE OUT
HOW THIS HAPPENED, AND TO GET
THE VICTIMS OUT OF THERE, THEY
WANTED TO GET ALL THESE BOMBS
FIRST.
>> THEY WERE SHOOTING PEOPLE
LEFT AND RIGHT.
>> REPORTER: SCENES WHICH PEOPLE
IN COMBAT DON'T WITNESS, THE
GUNNING DOWN OF THEIR
CLASSMATES, COMPLETELY OUT OF
THE BLUE, WONDERING NOW EXACTLY
WHAT WENT WRONG, COULD SOMEBODY
HAVE STOPPED IT AND WHAT IN THE
WORLD DO WE DO NEXT.
>> HOW COULD SOMEBODY DO THAT?
I MEAN, WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD
PROBLEMS OR THEY WERE ANGRY,
THEY TOOK OTHER KIDS' LIVES.
>> REPORTER: ONE PICTURE THAT
CERTAINLY SPOKE A THOUSAND WORDS
TODAY WAS THIS, A BOY TRYING TO
RUN FROM TWO OF HIS CLASSMATES
WHO WERE GOING ON A RAMPAGE
INSIDE.
>> THE FIRST THING I SAW WAS A
YOUNG BOY AND ALL COY SEE WAS
HIS LEGS COVERED IN BLOOD AND
BEING A NURSE I KNEW THAT IT WAS
MY RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP.
>> REPORTER: POLICE HERE,
SHERIFF'S OFFICIALS TELLING US,
QUOTE, THIS WAS A WELL-PLANNED
MISSION, A SUICIDE MISSION,
WHICH ENDED EXACTLY AS THE
STUDENTS HAD EXPECTED.
WE'RE A FEW HUNDRED YARDS FROM
THE SCHOOL WHERE WE'VE BEEN
REPORTING ALL DAY.
KIDS HAVE BEEN COMING IN WITH
FLOWERS.
THEY SET UP A MAKESHIFT
MEMORIAL.
NOW, 20 YEARS LATER, NOT FAR
FROM THAT SPOT, A PERMANENT
MEMORIAL STANDS.
A PLACE TO REFLECT AND REMEMBER
THOSE WHO DIED.
>> WHAT I MOST WANT PEOPLE TO
KNOW ABOUT DANIEL, BESIDES HIS
KIND NATURE AND HIS
INTELLIGENCE, WAS THAT HE WAS
SOMEONE WHO TOOK ON HIS
WEAKNESSES.
>> RACHEL HAD A FUN, BUBBLY SIDE
TO HER.
SHE WAS VERY OUTGOING.
SHE ALSO HAD A DEEP SOBER SIDE
THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T SEE.
>> HE WAS A VERY SILENT FORCE.
HE WAS A MAN OF FEW WORDS UNLESS
HE WAS ON THE FIELD.
AND I THINK THAT WE JUST ALWAYS
WANTED TO MAKE HIM PROUD.
>> REPORTER: COLUMBINE ALSO
FORCED CHANGES IN THE RESPONSE
TO ACTIVE SHOOTERS.
>> THE PROTOCOL WAS LET'S SECURE
THE PERIMETER AND WE HAD A
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER THAT WAS
EXCHANGING GUNFIRE ON THE
OUTSIDE AND BEING TOLD HE COULD
NOT GO IN UNTIL S.W.A.T.
ARRIVED.
I CAN ATTEST TO THIS BECAUSE I
WAS ON THE STREET WITH THE
OFFICERS AND THEY WERE READY TO
BREAK RANK TO GO INTO THAT
BUILDING BECAUSE THEY KNEW THERE
WERE KIDS' LIVES IN DANGER.
>> REPORTER: THE STUDENTS HE
COULDN'T PROTECT ARE NEVER FAR
FROM HIS MIND.
>> I STILL HAVE THAT SURVIVOR'S
GUILT AND I'M TRYING TO DO
EVERYTHING I CAN THAT
UNFORTUNATELY THOSE KIDS LOST
THEIR LIVES.
I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO DIE IN
VEIN.
EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND
RECITE THEIR NAMES AND
MR. SANDERS' NAME.
>> REPORTER: AFTER THE SHOOTING,
AUSTIN EUBANKS ABUSED DRUGS TO
COPE WITH HIS GRIEF.
HE IS CLEAN NOW AND DEVOTED TO
HELPING OTHERS.
>> I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT
MEANS TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH
ORGANIZATIONS OR WITH
INDIVIDUALS AND HAVE MY PERSONAL
STORY OR MY EXPERTISE BE ABLE TO
CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THEIR
LIVES.
>> REPORTER: GREG SCOTT SAYS HE
USES HIS STORY AND HIS SISTER'S
LEGACY TO MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE
KIDS.
>> MY HOPE IS THAT ON THE 20th
ANNIVERSARY THAT PEOPLE WOULD
STOP IF THEY WANT TO DO ANYTHING
IN REMEMBRANCE OF WHAT HAPPENED
AT COLUMBINE, DO THIS.
TELL YOUR FAMILY YOU LOVE THEM
THAT DAY.
>> REPORTER: FOR CASEY JOHNSON,
AN AUTHOR AND MOTHER, FINDING A
WAY TO TELL HER STORY TOOK SOME
TIME BUT SHE NOW SAYS SHE'S
USING HER PAST FOR GOOD THINGS.
>> I ALMOST L FEEL
>> I ALMOST F FEEL
>> I ALMOST FEEEEL
>> I ALMOST FEELEL
>> I ALMOST FEEL THIS
RESPONSIBILITY AS A SURVIVOR OF
COLUMBINE TO WALK THE ROAD WITH
THE OTHER VICTIMS OF THESE
EVENTS AND KIND OF CHEERLEAD
THEM ALONG THE WAY AND LET THEM
HE KNOW THERE IS HOPE AND THERE
IS GOODNESS STILL TO COME AND
IT'S ALL WORTH THE JOURNEY.
JON: SHEPHERD SMITH REPORTING
AS WE MARK 20 YEARS SINCE THE
SHOOTING AT COLUMBINE HIGH
SCHOOL.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
>> A LOVING GESTURE.
DO IT FOR THEM.
I PROMISE YOU'LL FEEL AMAZING.