On a spring day that would forever be etched in the nation's memory, 17-year-old Corey Tyler DePooter, a junior at Columbine High School, was in the library, a place of quiet study that was about to become a scene of unimaginable horror. It was April 20, 1999, and Corey, a young man with a passion for the outdoors and a dream of becoming a U.S. Marine, would be the final victim in a devastating school shooting that claimed the lives of 12 students and one teacher.
Corey was known for his
love of fishing, hunting, and golf. He was a dedicated student who had recently taken a maintenance job at a golf club to save money for a fishing boat he planned to buy with a friend. His patriotism was well-known, and he had recently spoken to a neighbor about his aspirations to join the Marines. Friends and family remembered him as a respectful and good-natured person who always gave everyone a chance.
Inside the library that day, as two of his schoolmates, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, carried out their deadly assault, Corey sought shelter under a table with his friends. Even in the face of terror, he remained calm, reportedly telling his best friend, 'Stay tight... The cops will come.' He was trying to keep his friends calm and reportedly shielded two of them. It was under that table that Klebold fatally shot him. The two assailants later took their own lives in the same library.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, an investigation revealed the shooters had meticulously planned their attack for a year, intending to detonate bombs in the cafeteria before opening fire on fleeing survivors. When the bombs failed, they proceeded with their shooting rampage. While the two main perpetrators were dead, law enforcement did make arrests in connection with the weapons they used. Mark Edward Manes, a 22-year-old graduate of Columbine, was charged with providing a handgun to one of the underage shooters. Another man, Philip Duran, who had introduced the shooters to Manes, also faced prison time. An 18-year-old friend of Klebold's, Robyn Anderson, had legally purchased two shotguns and a rifle for the pair but was not charged, as it was legal at the time for an 18-year-old to provide long guns to minors. In a posthumous ceremony on May 3, 2000, Corey DePooter's lifelong dream was realized when he was made an honorary U.S. Marine.
