Columbine survivor paralyzed after shooting, in tragedy – the country dies 25 years later
Anne Marie Hochhalter, partially paralyzed in the shooting at Columbine High School, discovered the power of forgiveness and healing her soul after being combined with another family destroyed by tragedy, he Dead. She is 43 years old.
Hochhalter was found on Sunday at her home in a suburban Denver suburb. Her family suspected her death in the natural cause of the injury in the 1999 shooting, with 12 students and one teacher killed.
Coroner Adams and the coroner's office in Bloomfield County said the investigation into how she died has been transferred to the office where the Columbine autopsy was conducted.
Hochhalter wrote a letter to one of the gunman's mothers in 2016, saying: “Bloody tastes like swallowing poison,” and offered her forgiveness. Last year, after skipping a similar event five years ago and participating in the tragedy’s 25th anniversary, she said memories of her childhood were flooded and hoped that those killed would be their way of life instead of Their deaths are famous.
Hochhalter has struggled with gunshot wounds over the past 25 years. However, her brother said she worked tirelessly to help others – from people with disabilities to rescue dogs and family.
“She has helped many people. Her brother, Nathan Hochhalter, said Tuesday.
Her own tragedy became more complicated six months after the shooting, when her mother, Carla Hochhalter, entered a local store and asked to see the gun in front of the gun.
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After her mother's death, Anne Marie Hochhalter is embraced by another family that lost her daughter in Columbine.
Sue Townsend's stepdaughter Lauren Townsend was killed and he reached out to help Hochhalter to relieve his pain. At first Townsend brought Hochhalter to the doctor’s appointment and physical therapy, but when they had lunch and shop together, their bond quickly deepened and eventually began sharing the family. Dinner and holidays.
Townsend and her husband Rick called Hochhalter their “acquisition of daughters.”
She said that on a trip to Hawaii, Hochhalter, who used a wheelchair, was able to float in the lagoon.
“If it weren't for Columbine, this relationship would never have happened. So, I'm trying to focus on the gift Columbine gave at Anne Marie, not the gift it took away.” Townsend said .
In 2016, the mother of Sue Klebold, one of Columbine gunmen, released a memoir exploring the causes of her son’s violence and ways to prevent future aggression through mental health awareness. Hochhalter said she was grateful to Klebold for donating the book to help people with mental illnesses. Hochhalter said her mother suffered from depression and did not believe the shooting was directly attributed to her death.
She said she was sure Klebold was suffering from what she could have done, just as she thought of ways that could not stop her beloved mother from dying.
“A good friend once told me, 'Bit tastes like swallowing poison and expecting another person to die.” It only hurts itself. I forgive you, just hope you all goes well. “She also includes a photo of Sue, whom Tom Klebold sent her when he recovered in the hospital after the shooting.
Hochhalter attended a 25th anniversary vigil with her brother in April, who was trapped in a classroom during the shooting. She said in a social media post last year that she did not attend the 20th anniversary due to PTSD.
“I’ve been able to really heal my soul since a bad day in 1999,” she wrote.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
