Columbine High School Shooting Survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter Dies – Details

A survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting has died, her former principal announced.

Former Columbine High School principal Frank DeAngelis confirmed that Anne Marie Hochhalter passed away on Sunday, February 16. Anne Marie was 43.

"My Columbine Rebel Family. It is with great sadness and sorrow that I share with you that Anne Marie Hochhalter passed away … of natural causes," Frank said in a statement to Fox News.

Anne Marie was one of 23 people injured in the April 20, 1999, attack at Columbine High School. She was shot in the back and chest while eating lunch with friends in the cafeteria. The shooting, carried out by twelfth graders Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, left 12 students and a teacher dead before the gunmen took their own lives.

Despite her injuries, Anne Marie remained active in her community and was admired for her resilience. Frank described her as a "pillar of strength."

"She was an inspiration and exemplified never giving up," Frank added. "Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers. She will be missed but never forgotten. Rebels for Life. We love you Anne Marie Hochhalter."

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Anne Marie's passing comes after she publicly reflected on the 25th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. In an April 2024 Facebook post, she shared how this milestone had been her most healing yet.

"25 years have gone by but it doesn't seem that long," she wrote. Anne Marie, who struggled with PTSD, was unable to attend the 20th-anniversary ceremony in 2019 but was there for the 2024 vigil.

She described how, for the first time, she could focus on positive memories from her teenage years. "No bad memories have affected me this time. It's like my heart has wanted to flood my mind with happiness instead of trauma," she remarked.

She recalled moments before the shooting, such as playing basketball, watching music videos, and spending time with friends. At the vigil, Anne Marie felt connected to those lost in the tragedy, especially when the song "Over the Rainbow" played.

"I looked at the empty chairs and suddenly felt all of them sitting there, with smiles on their faces, wanting us to remember the good times. The happy memories," she explained. "They would want us to remember and laugh at their silly goofy antics when they were alive, instead of focusing on how their lives sadly ended."

In a 2004 interview with People, Anne Marie recounted the tragic moment at her school. She had just stepped outside for fresh air when she heard a popping noise behind her.

Moments later, she was struck by a bullet in the back, initially mistaking the pain for a paintball gun. A second bullet hit, tearing a critical vein. "I was bleeding to death," she said. "It didn't look bad on the outside, but inside it felt wrong."

Quick medical intervention saved her life. The ambulance arrived just in time, and surgeons at the hospital, who had been prepared for an unrelated heart procedure, operated on her immediately. "If the ambulance had come two minutes later — even two minutes — I would have died," she recalled.

Surviving the shooting was only part of her struggle. In October 1999, just six months after the attack, her mother, Carla Hochhalter, who had been battling bipolar disorder, died by suicide.

Anne Marie later reflected on both tragedies, drawing a parallel between her mother's state of mind and that of the Columbine shooters. "I don't think she knew what she was doing...which is kind of like Eric and Dylan — I don't think they knew what they were doing," she said.

Through the years, Anne Marie found support in her faith and meaningful relationships. One of those connections was with Sue Townsend, the stepmother of Columbine victim Lauren Townsend. Their bond provided comfort and healing. "When I look at Anne Marie...I feel Lauren smiling on me," Sue recalled.

Anne Marie also made a public statement of forgiveness in February 2016, when Dylan's mother, Susan Klebold, prepared to release a book and appear on the show "20/20."

In a Facebook post, she expressed appreciation that Susan planned to donate the book's proceeds to mental health causes, a subject that deeply resonated with her after her mother's death.

She also recalled receiving a letter from Susan and her husband in 1999, in which they expressed deep sorrow over their son's actions. "It was genuine and personal," Anne Marie wrote, contrasting it with the brief, impersonal note Eric's parents sent.

The Klebolds' letter to Anne Marie expressed deep sorrow for their son's actions. They acknowledged the immense pain she and her family had gone through and said they had been following her recovery. They were relieved to hear that she had been able to move to a rehabilitation facility.

Although they had never met, they recognized that the tragedy had forever connected their families. They ended by offering a heartfelt apology for Dylan's role in the attack and the suffering it had caused her.

They also expressed their struggle to comprehend their son's role in the tragedy. "It is still terribly difficult for us to believe that the son we knew could play a role in causing harm to you and others. The reality that he shared in the responsibility for this senseless tragedy is beyond our comprehension. We offer our love, support, and service as you and your family work to gain control over your lives," the letter read.

Despite the pain she endured, she chose to let go of resentment. "I have no ill-will towards you. Just as I wouldn't want to be judged by the sins of my family members, I hold you in that same regard," Anne Marie said to Susan.

She ended her letter by emphasizing the importance of forgiveness, recalling a friend's advice that bitterness only harms the person holding onto it. She concluded her post, "I have forgiven you and only wish you the best."

Her story highlights the lasting impact of school shootings. Decades after Columbine, similar incidents continue, including the Antioch school shooting in January 2025, where students recounted their experiences.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.