First Regular Session
Sixty-second General Assembly
LLS NO. R990977.01 Julie
Hoerner
STATE OF COLORADO
BY REPRESENTATIVES Lee, Coleman, Fairbank, Keller, McKay, Paschall, Pfiffner, Scott, Stengel, S. Williams, Windels, and Witwer;
also SENATOR Anderson.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 99-1058
CONCERNING THE TRAGEDY AT COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL.
WHEREAS, On April 20, 1999, tragedy struck Colorado
and the nation with the senseless and violent shootings and destruction
of property at Columbine High School; and
WHEREAS, Thirteen individuals were slain and 24 were
wounded when two students with weapons and explosives took Columbine
High School captive; and
WHEREAS, Reasons for such violence and anger elude
the community and the nation, leaving Colorado and the nation
spinning with questions and grief; and
WHEREAS, Families have been torn apart and lives
forever changed by the shootings at Columbine High School; and
WHEREAS, The victims include not only the dead and
physically wounded, but all of those who endured indescribable
horror and the loss of security and innocence; and
WHEREAS, State agencies and volunteers from throughout
Colorado have provided support to the victims of this crisis and
their families; and
WHEREAS, Law enforcement officials responded bravely
to the shootings and continue to search for answers to the questions
of how and why this tragedy occurred; and
WHEREAS, The faculty and staff of Columbine High
School courageously protected their students and responded to
the severity of the situation with leadership and bravery that
helped save many lives; and
WHEREAS, Hidden within the tragedy surrounding the
shootings at Columbine High School is the call to find ways to
prevent this violence from robbing our community again; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives
of the Sixtysecond General Assembly of the State of Colorado,
the Senate concurring herein:
(1) That heartfelt condolences be sent
to the families and friends of the victims from the shooting and
that words are hardly sufficient to tell them that our sympathies,
thoughts, and prayers are with them in this time of grief;
(2) That sincerest thanks be sent to the
law enforcement agencies, volunteers, and faculty of Columbine
High School for their efforts to protect the students, comfort
them, and search for the answers to why this tragedy occurred;
(3) That our sympathy and support are
extended to all who must live with the memories and emotional
scars from this tragedy; and
(4) That we, the citizens of Colorado,
must join together to search for answers to prevent tragedies
such as this from happening again. We must commit to beginning
the dialogue to prevent violence in schools, to become more aware
of the signs that our children may be headed for trouble, and
to reach out to our children every day and let them know they
are loved and that violence is not the answer to their problems.
Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to the families of Cassie Bernall, Steve Curnow, Corey DePooter, Kelly Fleming, Matthew Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel Rohrbough, Dave Sanders, Rachel Scott, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend, Kyle Velazquez, Valeen Schnurr, Anne Marie Hochhalter, Sean Graves, Richard Castaldo, Brian Anderson, Nicole Nowlen, Mark Taylor, Mark Kintgen, Lance Kirklin, Lisa Kreutz, Jeanna Park, Stephanie Munson, Adam Kyler, Jennifer Doyle, Stephen Austin Eubanks, Nick Foss, Dan Steepleton, Joyce Jankowski, Pat Nielson, Michael Johnson, Makai Hall, Patrick Ireland, and Kasey Ruegsegger, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, the Jefferson County School District Communications Office, and the principal and faculty of Columbine High School.