Columbine victim's 2025 death ruled a homicide after injuries from school shooting contributed to sepsis

A pistillate who was partially paralyzed during the 1999 wide shooting astatine Columbine High School died past month, and her decease has present been ruled a homicide.

Anne Marie Hochhalter died of sepsis connected Feb. 16 astatine 43 years old. Complications from her paralysis contributed importantly to her death, according to an autopsy study from the Jefferson County Coroner's Office obtained by The Associated Press connected Thursday.

Hochhalter was 1 of 23 radical who were injured successful the shooting astatine the Littleton, Colorado, precocious school, but survived.

Including her death, the Columbine shooting claimed 14 victims arsenic 12 students and 1 teacher were killed the time of the April 20, 1999, attack. Both of the shooters, who were students, took their ain lives.

COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR DIES NEARLY 26 YEARS AFTER MASSACRE 

The February 2025 decease of Anne Marie Hochhalter, who survived the Columbine High School massacre but was partially paralyzed, has been ruled a homicide. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)

Hochhalter's brother, Nathan, said an infected unit sore led to sepsis, and though helium knew her information would shorten her life, her decease was not expected this early.

"We didn’t deliberation it would beryllium this atrocious this soon," helium told The AP.

Hochhalter was changeable successful the backmost and thorax portion she was eating successful the school's cafeteria, resulting successful paralysis. She struggled with aggravated symptom for years pursuing the shooting, but friends and household said she fought hard to flooded the complications that came with her injuries – and remained affirmative portion doing so.

In 2016, Hochhalter wrote a missive of forgiveness to Sue Klebold, the parent of 1 of the shooters.

"A bully person erstwhile told me, ‘Bitterness is similar swallowing a poison pill and expecting the different idiosyncratic to die.’ It lone harms yourself. I person forgiven you and lone privation you the best," she wrote, successful part.

FILE - Anne Marie Hochhalter attends a vigil for victims of a wide shooting astatine a movie theatre successful Aurora, Colorado, connected July 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez, File)

COLUMBINE SHOOTING VICTIMS HONORED AT 25TH ANNIVERSARY VIGIL IN DENVER 

Hochhalter's ain parent died by termination six months aft Columbine. She said her parent struggled with slump and did not judge the shootings were straight to blasted for the tragedy.

After her mother's death, she became precise adjacent to the Townsend family, whose daughter, Lauren, was killed successful the Columbine shooting. 

"She brought a airy to our lives that volition radiance for a agelong time," said Sue Townsend, the stepmother of Lauren.

Columbine schoolhouse shooting subsister Anne Marie Hochhalter (right) talks with Sue Townsend, the stepmother of shooting unfortunate Lauren Townsend, during a 25th Year Remembrance ceremonial connected April 19, 2024. (Marc Piscotty/Getty Images)

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Following a vigil past twelvemonth marking the 25th day of the shooting, Hochhalter said she was flooded with blessed memories from her puerility and she wanted the victims to beryllium remembered for however they lived, not however they died.

"I’ve genuinely been capable to heal my psyche since that atrocious time successful 1999," she wrote successful a societal media post.