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.