The Columbine Memorial is a memorial in

Columbine, Colorado Columbine is census-designated place (CDP) in and governed by Jefferson and Arapahoe counties in Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located primarily in Jefferson Coun ...

, that honors the deceased and injured victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the

Columbine High School massacre On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. ...

on April 20, 1999. The memorial is located in

Clement Park Clement Park is located in Unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado. It is part of the Foothills Park and Recreation District. The park contains the Columbine Memorial (dedicated to the victims of the massacre at nearby Columbine High School), ...

, which is behind

Columbine High School Columbine High School (CHS) is a public high school in Columbine, Colorado, United States, in the Denver metropolitan area. It is part of the Jefferson County Public Schools district. In 1999, it became the scene of an infamous mass shooti ...

, the site of the massacre. It is operated by a non-profit institution whose mission is to operate the memorial and its upkeeping. The memorial began planning in June 1999, approximately two months after the shooting, for victims, survivors, those involved in rescue and recovery operations and everyone touched by the shooting. Designing took three and a half years. Designing was accepted on a four-level diagram: the first was the people most affected by the shootings, the victims' families; the second was injured victims and their families; the third was past and present students and staff of the high school; and the final was the community and general public. The Foothills Foundation and the Columbine Memorial Committee raised over $1.5 million in donations over eight years of planning.

Groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are o ...

of the memorial occurred in June 2006. The Memorial was opened to the public on September 21, 2007.

Background

On April 20, 1999, Columbine High School seniors

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold Eric David Harris (April 9, 1981 – April 20, 1999) and Dylan Bennet Klebold (; September 11, 1981 – April 20, 1999) were an American mass murder duo who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Harris and Klebold ...

murdered 12 students and one teacher and injured 24 others. Harris and Klebold then committed suicide. It was at the time, the deadliest shooting at a high school in American history. Many impromptu

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

s were created shortly after the massacre, including

Rachel Scott Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was an American student who was the first fatality of the Columbine High School massacre, in which 11 other students and a teacher were also murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who th ...

's car and John Tomlin's truck. With planning of a permanent memorial beginning in June 1999. Fifteen wooden crosses were also erected on top of a hill by Columbine High School, 13 for the victims and two for the shooters. This led to some controversy over whether or not Harris and Klebold should be memorialized. Some argued that it glorified murderers, while others argued that Harris and Klebold were victims as well. Brian Rohrbough, father of victim Daniel Rohrbough, took down the crosses, stating it was not appropriate to honor the shooters in the same place as their victims. Sometime between the dates of November 13–15, 2020, a

donation box A donation box or collecting box is a receptacle for receiving donations. These are typically found in public places, as a means of generating additional revenue in small increments. Churches, libraries, museums, and many non-profit organizations ...

setup to fund the maintenance and upkeep costs of the memorial was stolen.

Design

Ring of Remembrance

The main feature of the Columbine memorial is the Ring of Remembrance, set in the middle of the memorial. Victim's families provided personal statements, which were then engraved in stone as a tribute to the 13 victims. A “Never Forgotten” ribbon designed by victim Kyle Velasquez’s parents, Al and Phyllis, is in the center of the ring.

Wall of Healing

Surrounding most of the memorial, is the Wall of Healing. Designed to "honor all those who were injured, the first responders and all those who were touched by the events of April 20, 1999."

References

{{reflist Monuments and memorials in Colorado Columbine High School massacre 2007 establishments in Colorado