The death of a woman who was partially paralyzed in the Columbine High School shooting has been ruled a homicide, bringing the death toll from the 1999 attack to 14.
Anne Marie Hochhalter died Feb. 16 of sepsis — a reaction to an infection — and complications from her paralysis were a “significant contributing factor,” according to an autopsy report obtained Thursday from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. She was 43.
At the time, her family and friends believed her death was due to natural causes, related to injuries sustained during the shooting that immediately killed 12 students and one teacher.
Two armed students committed suicide after an incident at a Colorado school on April 20, 1999.
Because of concerns that paralysis may have contributed to her death, the case was referred to the office that also investigated school shooting deaths.
Ms Hochhalter's brother, Nathan Hochhalter, said pressure sores, a common problem in people with paralysis, led to sepsis.
He noted that he knew his sister's life would likely be shortened by paralysis, but her early death came as a surprise.
“We didn't think it would get this bad so quickly,” he said.
Ms. Hochhalter suffered from severe pain from her gunshot wounds for years after the shooting, but fought hard to overcome the effects of her injuries and remain optimistic, family and friends said.
They noted that she was tireless in her efforts to help others, including people with disabilities and her family, and loved dogs.
Ms. Hochhalter made the decision to forgive the mother of one of the shooters, writing in a 2016 letter to Sue Klebold: “A good friend once told me, ‘Bitterness is like swallowing a poison pill and expecting the other person to die.’ It only hurts you. I have forgiven you and wish you nothing but the best.”
Ms. Hochhalter's tragedy was compounded six months after the shooting, when her mother, Carla Hochhalter, committed suicide.
Ms Hochhalter claimed her mother suffered from depression and did not believe the shooting was the direct cause of her death.
After her mother's death, she became the “acquired daughter” of another family that lost a child in the Columbine High School shooting, Lauren Townsend.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
