CHRISTIAN MARTYR OF THE 1999 COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL MASSACRE: CASSIE BERNALL (NOVEMBER 6, 1981 TO APRIL 20, 1999)

            Unit 1012 will remember and honor Cassie Bernall every year on April 20. She was one of the murder victims of the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre. Since she was a Christian, we will make her one of the 26 Christian Martyrs of Unit 1012. We will post information about her from Wikipedia.

Cassie Bernall [PHOTO SOURCE: http://acolumbinesite.com/victim/cassie.html]

Cassie René Bernall
Born	November 6, 1981 Wheat Ridge, Colorado, United States
Died	April 20, 1999 (aged 17) Columbine, Colorado, United States
Cause of death	Gunshot by Eric Harris
Resting place	Columbine Memorial Gardens
Occupation	Student
Known for	Murder victim

Cassie René Bernall (November 6, 1981 - April 20, 1999) was a student killed in the Columbine High School massacre, at age 17.

Initial reports suggested that Eric Harris asked if Bernall believed in God moments before she was fatally shot. She was reported to have answered "Yes". This story led to Bernall being presented as a martyr by some Christians, and served as the inspiration for several songs, including Michael W. Smith's "This Is Your Time"^[2] and Flyleaf's "Cassie."

In the months following Bernall's death, her mother, Misty Bernall, released the book She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall. In this book Misty describes her daughter's turbulent teenage life, spiritual conversion and martyrdom.

Most examinations of witness testimony state that Bernall was not asked anything before she was shot. According to witness Emily Wyant, who was hiding under the same table as Bernall, Eric Harris said "peek-a-boo" before shooting Cassie, while Cassie continued to pray silently.

It has been documented that a similar exchange took place between Klebold and Valeen Schnurr, another student who was wounded in the library that day. Some have speculated that this exchange was mistakenly attributed to Bernall. Richard Castaldo was also quoted in the press as attributing a similar exchange to Rachel Scott just before she was shot, but Castaldo subsequently denied that Rachel had had a similar exchange with her killer. He also denied saying anything suggesting such a conversation.