The death of a survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting who was paralyzed from the waist down, has been officially ruled a homicide, with the injuries she sustained in the shooting contributing to her death.
On April 20, 1999, two students opened fire at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, killing 13 people and injuring 21 others, the New York Times reported. Anne Marie Hochhalter, a 17-year-old student at the time, was paralyzed after being shot twice in the chest and back.
Though she lived for another 26 years, Hochhalter's life was marked by ongoing medical complications stemming from her injuries.
Hochhalter died in February 2025 from sepsis which was later officially linked to her injuries from the shooting, with a coroner ruling her death a homicide. Hochhalter had endured numerous health challenges due to her spinal cord injury and spent much of her life advocating against gun violence.
Despite her struggles, she maintained a high degree of independence, living alone, driving, and attending school.
The Hochhalter family, particularly Anne's brother Nathan, has expressed mixed feelings about the classification of her death. While Nathan acknowledged the difficult years Anne faced, he pointed out that she had lived over two decades longer after the shooting.
