[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6420]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING THE COLUMBINE TRAGEDY

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam President, fifteen years ago, Colorado 
communities were shaken by a horrific act of violence at Columbine High 
School where 12 students and a teacher tragically lost their lives and 
many others were injured. In the wake of this violence, Coloradans came 
together to be there for their friends and neighbors and stood united 
as one community.
  The strength of this community is embodied no more clearly than by 
Columbine High School principal Frank DeAngelis. Principal DeAngelis is 
retiring at the end of the school year, capping 34 years of dedication 
to education, community service, resilience, and leadership.
  Principal DeAngelis has spent the past 18 years leading the school, 
fulfilling the promise he made after the attack that he would remain as 
principal until all the students in Columbine feeder schools at the 
time had graduated.
  It is this enduring spirit and the strength of so many in the 
community that have allowed us to heal and reflect. On this somber 
anniversary, let's remember the victims, honor the resilience of the 
survivors, and collaborate to find ways to reduce these types of 
senseless tragedies.
  Mr. BENNET. Madam President, April 20 marked the 15th anniversary of 
the tragic shooting at Columbine High School. I come to the floor to 
honor the memories of the 12 young, innocent students, and beloved 
teacher we lost, and to recognize the bravery that so many educators 
and first responders showed on that horrific day.
  On the day of the anniversary, Coloradans gathered at Clement Park in 
Littleton to remember the victims and recommit to preventing these acts 
of senseless violence from ever happening again. Coni Sanders, the 
daughter of Coach Dave Sanders who was killed that day, spoke at the 
gathering. If I could just share a few of her words, I think they ring 
very true.
  She said,

       Fifteen years ago, Columbine was a massacre. Columbine was 
     a tragedy. Columbine was synonymous with death. Today, we 
     recognize that Columbine is a community and that even the 
     most violent of hate could not shake us.

  Coni's words express the pain we have all been left with in the wake 
of too many similar tragedies in Colorado and across the country. But 
her words also remind us of the enduring strength of our communities 
and the need to do more to combat gun violence in the United States.

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