Anne Marie Hochhalter, who survived the 1999 Columbine High School shooting but was left partially paralyzed, has died at the age of 43, The Associated Press reports.
Hochhalter, known for her resilience, forgiveness, and advocacy for others, was found in her suburban Denver home on Sunday. Her family suspects she died of natural causes related to the injuries she sustained in the tragic shooting that claimed the lives of 12 students and a teacher.
The coroner’s office for Adams and Broomfield counties, the same office that conducted autopsies for the Columbine victims, has taken over the investigation into Hochhalter’s death.
Hochhalter’s life was forever altered on April 20, 1999, when she was shot during the massacre. Despite the physical and emotional challenges she faced, she became a symbol of hope and healing.
In 2016, Hochhalter demonstrated remarkable compassion by writing a letter to Sue Klebold, the mother of one of the Columbine gunmen, offering forgiveness.
“Bitterness is like swallowing a poison pill,” she wrote.
Last year, Hochhalter attended the 25th anniversary vigil of the tragedy. She had previously skipped the 20th anniversary event due to post-traumatic stress disorder. This time, however, she shared that she was flooded with happy memories from her childhood and wanted the victims to be remembered for how they lived, not how they died.
Hochhalter battled intense pain stemming from her gunshot wounds for the past 25 years. Despite her own struggles, her brother said she dedicated herself tirelessly to helping others, including people with disabilities, rescue dogs, and members of her family.
Following her mother’s death, Hochhalter found solace and support in an unexpected place – the Townsend family, who lost their daughter, Lauren Townsend, in the Columbine shooting. Sue Townsend reached out to Hochhalter as a way to cope with her own grief. Their initial connection, which involved accompanying Hochhalter to doctor’s appointments and physical therapy, blossomed into a deep friendship. They began sharing lunches, shopping trips, family dinners, and even vacations. The Townsends, Sue and Rick, embraced Hochhalter as their “acquired daughter.
Hochhalter recalled a particularly meaningful experience on a trip to Hawaii with the Townsends, where she was able to float pain-free in a lagoon, a rare moment of physical relief.
Hochhalter also publicly expressed gratitude when Sue Klebold released a memoir in 2016 exploring the causes of her son’s violence and promoting mental health awareness. She noted her appreciation that Klebold was donating the book’s proceeds to mental health initiatives. Hochhalter, whose own mother suffered from depression, said she didn’t believe the shootings were directly to blame for her mother’s death, but that she was sure Klebold had agonized over what she could have done differently, just as she had considered ways she could have prevented the death of her own mother.
In April, Hochhalter attended the 25th anniversary vigil with her brother, who was trapped in a classroom during the shooting, marking a significant step in her healing journe.
