Rachel Scott
Encyclopedia
Rachel Joy Scott was the first victim of the Columbine High School massacre
, which claimed the lives of 12 students, one teacher and the two perpetrators, in one of the deadliest high school shootings in United States history.
She has since been the subject of several books and is the inspiration for Rachel's Challenge
, a nationwide school outreach program for the prevention of teen violence, based on her life and writings. The program's speakers include her father, Darrell Scott, and brothers, Craig and Mike Scott. Her mother, Beth Nimmo, has also authored books and is the speaker for Rachel Joy Scott Ministries, to perpetuate her daughter's legacy.
, but left the ministry when the marriage ended in divorce in 1989. The following year, Beth and the children moved to the Littleton, Colorado
area, where she remarried in 1995. Darrell Scott became a sales manager for a food company in the Denver area and had joint custody
of the children with their mother. As a child, Rachel attended Governor's Ranch Elementary School, and subsequently Ken Caryl Middle School. Coincidentally, she knew Dylan Klebold
since kindergarten, and Rachel remained in the same classes with Klebold until their deaths. They were both members of Columbine's theater production club.
At the time of her death, the 17-year old Columbine High School
junior was an aspiring writer and actress. She had the leading role in a student-written play. Described as a devout Christian
by her mother, she was active as a youth group leader at Orchard Road Christian Center Church near Littleton and was known for her friendliness and compassionate nature. Rachel left behind six diaries and several essays about her belief in God and how she wanted to change the world through small acts of kindness. Shortly before her death, Rachel wrote an essay for school stating, “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.” Similarities have been noted between the journal Rachel kept and Anne Frank
's famous diary. Both girls preached compassion and care, and were victims of terror.
, on the lawn outside the school's library. She was killed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
with multiple gunshot wounds to her head, chest, arm, and leg. After the killings, her car was turned into a flower-bedecked memorial in the school's parking lot by grieving students. Rachel's younger brother, Craig, was also at the school at the time. He was in the library where most of the carnage took place. He survived unharmed.
Early news reports said that one of the gunmen, after having first shot Rachel in her leg, picked her up by her hair and asked the wounded girl if she still believed in God, and that she had answered "You know I do". Her response provoked a second, fatal shot to her head at point-blank range
. Some accounts attributed this version of events to Castaldo, who was severely wounded in the attack. Although his mother told a Dateline NBC
interviewer about the exchange, Castaldo denied telling this story in a December 1999 Time magazine
interview. The FBI later concluded that the exchange did not take place. Despite the controversy surrounding this issue, Rachel’s parents contend in their book, Rachel’s Tears: the Spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott, that their daughter was targeted by the killers and died as a martyr for her Christian faith. This was based on videotapes made by the teenage perpetrators in which they are said to mock Rachel by name for her beliefs.
up to that point, surpassing even the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales
. Roger Rosenblatt
of Time magazine
wrote in his commentary that her funeral was "... ineradicable because of the photograph of your bright and witty face, now sadly familiar to the country, and because of the loving and admiring testimonies of your family."
In June, 2009, Darrell Scott was selected in a nationwide vote of more than 750,000 baseball fans as the Colorado Rockies
"All-Stars Among Us" winner, based on individual public service for his efforts in starting the Rachel's Challenge campaign. He was honored along with the other 29 winners representing all major league baseball teams as part of the pregame ceremonies at the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
in St. Louis, Missouri
, on July 14, 2009.
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
, which claimed the lives of 12 students, one teacher and the two perpetrators, in one of the deadliest high school shootings in United States history.
She has since been the subject of several books and is the inspiration for Rachel's Challenge
Rachel's Challenge
Rachel's Challenge is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political organization. It is led by Rachel Scott's father, Darrell, along with Rachel Scott's step-mom, Sandy.-Darrell Scott and Rachel's Challenge:...
, a nationwide school outreach program for the prevention of teen violence, based on her life and writings. The program's speakers include her father, Darrell Scott, and brothers, Craig and Mike Scott. Her mother, Beth Nimmo, has also authored books and is the speaker for Rachel Joy Scott Ministries, to perpetuate her daughter's legacy.
Background
Rachel Joy Scott was born on August 5, 1981, the third of five children of Darrell Scott (born 1949) and Beth Nimmo. Her older sisters are Bethanee (born 1975) and Dana (born 1976) and her two younger brothers are Craig (born 1983) and Mike (born 1984). Her father had formerly pastored a church in Lakewood, ColoradoLakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in April 1, 2010...
, but left the ministry when the marriage ended in divorce in 1989. The following year, Beth and the children moved to the Littleton, Colorado
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
area, where she remarried in 1995. Darrell Scott became a sales manager for a food company in the Denver area and had joint custody
Joint custody
Joint custody is a court order whereby custody of a child is awarded to both parties. In joint custody both parents are custodial parents and neither parent is a non-custodial parent, or, in other words, the child has two custodial parents. In the United States, many states recognize two forms of...
of the children with their mother. As a child, Rachel attended Governor's Ranch Elementary School, and subsequently Ken Caryl Middle School. Coincidentally, she knew Dylan Klebold
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who committed the Columbine High School massacre. They killed 13 people—including teacher Dave Sanders—and injured 24 others, three of whom were injured as they escaped the attack...
since kindergarten, and Rachel remained in the same classes with Klebold until their deaths. They were both members of Columbine's theater production club.
At the time of her death, the 17-year old Columbine High School
Columbine High School
Columbine High School or CHS is a high school in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado, United States.- History :Columbine High School opened in the fall of 1973. There was no senior class in its first year. The school's first graduating class was the class of 1975...
junior was an aspiring writer and actress. She had the leading role in a student-written play. Described as a devout Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
by her mother, she was active as a youth group leader at Orchard Road Christian Center Church near Littleton and was known for her friendliness and compassionate nature. Rachel left behind six diaries and several essays about her belief in God and how she wanted to change the world through small acts of kindness. Shortly before her death, Rachel wrote an essay for school stating, “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.” Similarities have been noted between the journal Rachel kept and Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
's famous diary. Both girls preached compassion and care, and were victims of terror.
Death
Rachel was shot while eating lunch with a friend, Richard CastaldoRichard Castaldo
Richard Castaldo is a high-school student who was critically injured during the Columbine High School Massacre. He was a friend of Rachel Scott and was eating lunch with her on the day she was killed. Castaldo was shot eight times in the arm, chest, back, and abdomen, becoming permanently paralyzed...
, on the lawn outside the school's library. She was killed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who committed the Columbine High School massacre. They killed 13 people—including teacher Dave Sanders—and injured 24 others, three of whom were injured as they escaped the attack...
with multiple gunshot wounds to her head, chest, arm, and leg. After the killings, her car was turned into a flower-bedecked memorial in the school's parking lot by grieving students. Rachel's younger brother, Craig, was also at the school at the time. He was in the library where most of the carnage took place. He survived unharmed.
Early news reports said that one of the gunmen, after having first shot Rachel in her leg, picked her up by her hair and asked the wounded girl if she still believed in God, and that she had answered "You know I do". Her response provoked a second, fatal shot to her head at point-blank range
Point-blank range
In external ballistics, point-blank range is the distance between a firearm and a target of a given size such that the bullet in flight is expected to strike the target without adjusting the elevation of the firearm. The point-blank range will vary with the firearm and its particular ballistic...
. Some accounts attributed this version of events to Castaldo, who was severely wounded in the attack. Although his mother told a Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
interviewer about the exchange, Castaldo denied telling this story in a December 1999 Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
interview. The FBI later concluded that the exchange did not take place. Despite the controversy surrounding this issue, Rachel’s parents contend in their book, Rachel’s Tears: the Spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott, that their daughter was targeted by the killers and died as a martyr for her Christian faith. This was based on videotapes made by the teenage perpetrators in which they are said to mock Rachel by name for her beliefs.
Funeral
Rachel Scott's funeral on April 24, 1999, was attended by more than 2,000 people and was televised throughout the nation. It was the most watched event on CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
up to that point, surpassing even the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales
Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales
The public funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales started on September 6, 1997 at 9:08 am in London, when the tenor bell sounded to signal the departure of the cortege from Kensington Palace. The coffin was carried from the palace on a gun carriage, along Hyde Park to St. James' Palace, where...
. Roger Rosenblatt
Roger Rosenblatt
Roger Rosenblatt is an American journalist, author, playwright and teacher. He was a long-time columnist for Time magazine.-Career:...
of Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
wrote in his commentary that her funeral was "... ineradicable because of the photograph of your bright and witty face, now sadly familiar to the country, and because of the loving and admiring testimonies of your family."
Awards
-
- Rachel Joy Scott was posthumously awarded the 2001 National Kindness Award for Student of the Year by the Acts of Kindness Association. In 2006, the National Education Association (NEA) of New YorkNational Education AssociationThe National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
awarded Darrell Scott and Rachel’s Challenge the Friend of Education Award.
- Rachel Joy Scott was posthumously awarded the 2001 National Kindness Award for Student of the Year by the Acts of Kindness Association. In 2006, the National Education Association (NEA) of New York
In June, 2009, Darrell Scott was selected in a nationwide vote of more than 750,000 baseball fans as the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
"All-Stars Among Us" winner, based on individual public service for his efforts in starting the Rachel's Challenge campaign. He was honored along with the other 29 winners representing all major league baseball teams as part of the pregame ceremonies at the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, on July 14, 2009.
Further reading
- Beth Nimmo, The Journals of Rachel Joy Scott: A Journey of Faith at Columbine High. 2001 (ISBN 0-8499-7594-8).
- Darrell Scott, Chain Reaction: A Call To Compassionate Revolution. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2001 (ISBN 0-7852-6680-1).
- Darrell Scott, Rachel Smiles : The Spiritual Legacy of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott. 2002 (ISBN 0-7852-6472-8).
- Vision Video, Untold Stories Of Columbine. 2000 (ISBN 1-56364-365-0). Recounts Rachel Scott's life and Darrell Scott's teaching
External links
- Rachel's Challenge (official website)
- RachelJoyScott.com, (official website of Rachel Joy Scott Ministries and Memorial Fund, by Beth Nimmo, mother of Rachel Scott)
- Transcript of Darrell Scott's testimony, Subcommittee on Crime, U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, May 27, 1999.
- Darrell Scott Presentation, WVCY-TVWVCY-TVWVCY-TV is a conservative Christian television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It broadcasts digitally on Channel 22, but maps on a virtual channel via PSIP to their former analog channel position, Channel 30.-Sister Stations:...
broadcast, December 11, 1999 - Columbine victims -Rachel Joy Scott
- "Columbine redemption - Rachel Scott" website
- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5742890Rachel Joy Scott at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
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