", Rachel Scotts younger brother Craig, a 16-year-old Columbine High School sophomore at the time of the shootings, was physically unharmed but witnessed several classmates being killed in the school library as he huddled under a table with two friends, Isaiah Shoels and Matthew Kechterboth of whom were among the fatalities. He saw his friends Isaiah Shoels and Matthew Kechter get fatally shot. 2023 Colorado Public Radio. One of the most inspiring real-life stories is that of Darrell Scott, the founder of Rachel's Challenge. [70] Journalist Wendy Murray Zoba argued that the shooters targeted evangelical Christians during the massacre. Free shipping for many products! You've outlawed simple prayer. Foskett, Ken. DeAngelis, the Columbine High School principal that day, waited until 2014 to retire, saying he felt a moral obligation to stay until those who were in elementary school at the time of the shooting graduated. Scott and Nimmo later published two more books inspired by their daughter and her legacy: Rachel Smiles: The Spiritual Legacy of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott, and The Journals of Rachel Joy Scott: A Journey of Faith at Columbine High. As school districts nationwide ramp up security, Darrell Scott offered a message of hope. When Darrell looked back at his daughters murder, he said that years before, God had prepared him. We do not need more religion. We've seen bullying stopped, incidents where a student came up with hit lists or plans to shoot up his school, and told either the speaker or told the teacher about their plans, but had a change of heart. As transcripts of the proceedings demonstrate, Darrell Scott did make the statement attributed to him in the account reproduced above, but virtually everything framing his statement in that account is false. And from that, that's the opposite of that anger and hatred. In addition to losing his sister, two of Scott's friends, Isaiah Shoels and Matthew Kechter, were murdered right next to him, while he played dead to avoid the wrath of the shooters. But my sister is not the only one who believes in kindness, and she's not been the only one in her brave stance against the injustice willing to stand up for the one who gets put down in school, to sit by the student that sits all alone at lunch, and to talk to or reach out to the one who is consistently ignored or made fun of. The 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, is one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. Some of these sites explicitly or implicitly refer to Scott's belief in Christianity and suggest that she was killed because of it. Darrell Scott told Trump during an emotional listening session Wednesday that if people focus on relatedness, they can celebrate diversity and achieve unity. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. Visit Value Up to learn more, or if you're interested in reaching out to Craig, please email him at craig@value-up.org. Scott's mother and her brother Craig toured many schools across the United States years after the shooting to speak about Rachel's life, asserting that she probably died because of her religious beliefs. I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Im thankful because it has made me who I am now, he said. Its the proverbial thoughts and prayers and really nothing else, he said. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Like many of us, I vividly remember the shock as the events unfolded. Its very simple, he said. [60] Scott's mother also asserted that her daughter was on a "target list. On one occasion, this included writing a prayer for one of the future perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre. Legal Statement. On Tuesday, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered Robb Elementary School and opened fire on students, killing 19 children and two teachers. [14] Acting did not initially come easily to her, and she had to devote extra effort to succeed in this activity. [55] Nick Baumgart, who accompanied Rachel to the high school prom as her date three days before her murder, also spoke, saying: "A truer friend, you couldn't find. [102][n 2], Darrell Scott has stated that reliving his daughter's death giving his Rachel's Challenge speeches is painful, but that he and his family consider the opportunity to be a worthwhile experience as they can turn a tragedy into triumph. Both parents have expressed their hope that those who did not know their daughter would find inspiration in the books' description of the principles their daughter had lived during her life. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. As soon as he ran out of the school, he sensed something had happened to his sister. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, It just makes you feel sometimes hopeless.. They also need to create an atmosphere in the school where students share with someone if they ever hear or see a threat. When we view life through the eyes of faith, we can say, Things appear one way, but my God is sovereign, loving, merciful, and kind. He hopes to help them figure out a way to turn their pain into purpose. [72][73] Castaldo was in a coma in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, and thus did not testify to police and his account was not included in the police report on the event. Darrell Scott is the father of the first Columbine victim; Rachel Joy Scott. Darrell Scott is the father of Rachel Scott, one of thirteen victims murdered at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, 20 April 1999 by two sociopaths. A few hours later, two students, 17-year-old Dylan Klebold and 18-year-old Eric Harris, went on a shooting rampage. "My family, in the months to come, started to feel a sense of purpose and mission with telling Rachel's story," Scott said. Scott was able to escape. I can get through what I'm going through.'". I was 15 years old when I was shot. Twenty-four students were injured. Darrells view of God already had a firm place in his heart when Rachel died. We know there have been numerous school shootings prevented because a student saw another student writing that he wanted to kill someone or something like that. [68] Journalist Hanna Rosin framed public remembrance of her death as part of a phenomenon in which teenage Christians began obsessing over Christian-based death. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "If you take the horrible winding road back through every school massacre, school shooting, it leads back to Columbine and eventually leads back to my daughter, who was the first of close to 200 students now that have been killed over the last 23 years," Scott said. He also was one of several activists invited to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump after the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre that claimed 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Tom Mauser, father of Daniel Mauser who was killed in the Columbine High School shooting, gets the crowd fired up at Civic Center Park for the March for Our Lives rally March 24, 2018. Mr. Scott wasn't speaking to national leaders present at a "special session of Congress," people who were "not prepared for what he was to say" and "did not receive it well." She was also an active member of church youth groups; at the Orchard Road Christian Center, she attended a youth group named "Breakthrough", where she displayed a passionate interest in both evangelism and discipleship. [24], According to friends, Scott often chose to wear clothes of a style reflecting her colorful personality, and occasionally wore eccentric hats, fedoras, or even pajamas to amuse her companions. Initially shot in the chest,[40] left arm,[40] and left leg,[40] from a distance of 10 to 15 feet,[41] she sustained a fourth and fatal wound to her left temple. You could be having the worst day of your entire life; all she had to do was smile. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. [88], As a direct result of Rachel's Challenge, numerous child and teenage suicides have been prevented[92] and in seven known cases,[93] planned school shootings have been prevented. I am not a member of the NRA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. His son Craig also attended Columbine and was in the library that day. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA I give to you a sincere challenge. Darrell Scott is the father of Rachel Joy Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999. [83][84][85], Each attendee is asked to pledge to accept the five principles discussed during the presentation before leaving the assembly: to eliminate any form of prejudice from their being, and seek only the best in others; to keep a journal and seek to achieve accomplishments; to choose to accept only positive influences in their lives;[86] to commit to bringing a positive change in their home, school, and community through kind words, and undertaking tasks great and small; and to show care and compassion to those who are vulnerable, ridiculed, or in any form of need. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Rachel's brother Scott was a survivor of the Columbine massacre. Darrell Scott father of Rachel Scott killed in Columbine shooting gives congress the truth on God and gun control. We do not need more restrictive laws. Sean Graves, one of the survivors, has said in previous interviews that he knew the shooters but was not close to either of them. And it has given me a platform to be able to speak now into kids lives and make a difference in the here and now.. I never imagined that we would be where were at right now, where there are so many mass shootings that we cant even keep up its just unfathomable that Columbine wasnt enough.. Twenty-three years after the Columbine High School shooting, Americans are. What has happened to us as a nation? [7] This essay advocates her belief in compassion being "the greatest form of love humans have to offer". The real villain lies within our own hearts. "To me, that would mean a lot more for this anniversary to move forward in a positive vibe than anything else.". By 11:35 a.m., they had taken 13 lives and wounded more than 20. Newsweek reported that he and the organization have "reached out to thousands of schools to deliver a 'chain reaction' of hope through school assemblies, workshops and outreach programs. Mauser wears Daniel's sneakers whenever he speaks publicly about the tragedy that still breaks his heart. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! "GOP Blocks Democratic Bid to Hasten Gun-Curb Vote." Sign up here and we will see you in the morning! Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. Her father, Darrell Scott, promulgated her devout faith in two books of his own Chain Reaction: A Call to a Compassionate Revolution and 2008's Rachel Smiles: The Spiritual Legacy of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott the latter of which used excerpts from her journals. Privacy Policy. "Rachel Scott's Dad Delivers Message of Faith Across U.S." Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [89] The participating school is provided with a curriculum and a training manual to ensure the continuity of the objectives of Rachel's Challenge, and the speaker typically holds a meeting later with parents and community leaders. One of those people was Darrell Scott, whose daughter Rachel Joy Scott was the first person killed at Columbine. "I talk to them about forgiveness and letting go, and how if they don't, it can really imprison their heart," Scott said. His sister, Rachel (left), was killed. "I hope to see her one day again. ", "I used to fantasize what it would be like to get revenge on the shooters," he recalled. Darrell Scott, Father Of A Columbine Victim, Calls For Culture Of Connectedness, Indie 102.3s March Local 303 Meetup feat: Deva Yoder, News That Matters, Delivered To Your Inbox, Capitol 'Lie-In' Staged Ahead Of Defeat Of 3 Bills To Loosen Colorado Gun Laws. The perspectives weve cultivated between now and then will determine our direction. "[12], On April 20, 2009, the tenth anniversary of the Columbine shootings, Darrell Scott told NBC interviewer Natalie Morales on the Today show, "We've seen a lot of lives changed from her story and our program, Rachel's Challenge, has touched literally 13million lives over the last ten years". [57], Prior to her burial, mourners who had known Scott throughout her life were invited to write messages of condolence, grief and thankfulness on her ivory white casket. [91] In addition, many students actively seek to honor Scott's theory of just one person displaying compassion having the potential to spark a chain reaction of the same by spreading her message of kindness, empathy and compassion with their fellow students. She was eating lunch with her friend, Richard Castaldo, on the lawn outside the school when she was killed. When the Scott family began going through Rachel's possessions, they found an essay she had written about her ethics. Please send this out to everyone you can!!! Malkin, Michelle. We've done it with a simple story of a young girl who believed in compassion, Rachel Joy Scott. Here is an amazing story of hope from the horrific massacre at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, where many innocent lives were lost. And youve got people that were emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! [15], When Scott was 11 in March 1993, she visited the church that her aunt and uncle attended in Shreveport, Louisiana, and chose to commit herself to Christianity. Anna's daughter, Lauren Townsend, was killed in the April 20, 1999, attack. "You could ask me a question, and I could just sit there, looking at you, because (I felt like) I'm not even there. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. That was the last time he would see her alive. [53] The funeral service was broadcast by CNN and MSNBC. Kellman, Laurie. [60][61][62] This began during her funeral on April 24, 1999, which was televised. [106] He notes: "I feel that God has really called me to do this. Now gunshots fill our classrooms [71] Castaldo said in his speech at Scott's funeral, "People tell me I said she said she believed in God, and I can't remember it,"[74] and Larkin wrote in 2007 that Castaldo "could not remember Klebold or Harris saying anything."[47]. Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. This material may not be reproduced without permission. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The car was ultimately covered by the objects left upon it by mourners. Market data provided by Factset.
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