Daniel Mauser was a 15-year-old male student at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. A sophomore, he was known for being a gentle and mild-mannered boy who excelled in his studies, particularly in math and science. Despite his shy nature, he challenged himself by joining the school's debate team to overcome his fear of public speaking. Just two weeks before his death, he had a conversation with his father about his concern over loopholes in the Brady Bill, a federal gun control law.
On the morning of April 20, 1999, Daniel was in the school library studying when two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, began a planned assault on the school. After shooting students outside and in other parts of the building, the pair made their way to the library, where many students were hiding. Daniel took cover under a table as the gunmen entered the room and began shooting their classmates.
During the rampage in the library, one of the shooters, Eric Harris, targeted Daniel under the table. After being shot once, Daniel pushed a chair toward his attacker. In response, Harris shot Daniel again, this time fatally in the face. He was one of twelve students and one teacher murdered by Harris and Klebold during the massacre. The two perpetrators then died by suicide in the library, ending the siege.
In the aftermath of the attack, an investigation revealed that Harris and Klebold had used firearms obtained with the help of others. This led to the arrests of two men, Mark Manes and Philip Duran. Manes was sentenced to six years in prison for selling a handgun to Harris and for providing ammunition, while Duran also received a prison sentence for introducing the shooters to Manes.
