William David Sanders
Encyclopedia
William David "Dave" Sanders (October 22, 1951 - April 20, 1999) was a computer and business teacher at Columbine High School
in Littleton, Colorado
, USA
. He was also the coach of the girls basketball
and softball
teams, though he is best known for his heroic efforts in helping to evacuate over 100 students during the Columbine High School massacre
. Sanders was killed in his efforts. He was 47 years old.
Sanders was a native of Eldorado, Illinois
, and was raised Veedersburg, Indiana
, where he attended Fountain Central High School. In 1973, he graduated from Chadron State College
. He then joined the Columbine High School
faculty in 1974.
When the assault on the school began, Sanders ran to the school cafeteria and alerted students. Along with two of the school's custodians, he helped get more than 100 students to safety.
By the time the gunmen arrived, the cafeteria
was nearly full. Sanders then made his way upstairs to the hall, where he was believed to have been trying to get students to safety by hiding them in classrooms when he was shot from behind by Harris and Klebold
. He was hit in the torso, both shoulders, head and neck. He crawled out of the hallway and into a science lab where he lay on the ground and bled to death waiting for help, though some of the students and teachers inside tried to save him. SWAT teams did not reach Sanders until three hours after Harris and Klebold had committed suicide, by which time he was dead. He was the only teacher who died in the attack. Two other teachers were injured but survived.
Sanders was buried in Littleton's Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. A softball field at Columbine and a scholarship was named after him. Sanders also posthumously received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award
. The Fountain Central High School basketball court was named after him in his honor.
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...
in 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...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was also the coach of the girls basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
teams, though he is best known for his heroic efforts in helping to evacuate over 100 students during the Columbine High School massacre
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...
. Sanders was killed in his efforts. He was 47 years old.
Sanders was a native of Eldorado, Illinois
Eldorado, Illinois
Eldorado is a city in Saline County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,122 at the 2010 census, with a 1925 peak of 8,000. Although the city's name is spelled as if it were Spanish, the name was originally "Elder-Reado" -- a combination of the last names of the town's two founders,...
, and was raised Veedersburg, Indiana
Veedersburg, Indiana
Veedersburg is a town in Van Buren Township, Fountain County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,180 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Veedersburg is located at on U.S. Route 136 just west of its intersection with U.S...
, where he attended Fountain Central High School. In 1973, he graduated from Chadron State College
Chadron State College
Chadron State College is a four-year public college in the Nebraska State College System in Chadron, Nebraska. The college is located in the northern part of the Nebraska Panhandle, in the Pine Ridge area....
. He then joined the 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...
faculty in 1974.
By the time the gunmen arrived, the cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
was nearly full. Sanders then made his way upstairs to the hall, where he was believed to have been trying to get students to safety by hiding them in classrooms when he was shot from behind by Harris and 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...
. He was hit in the torso, both shoulders, head and neck. He crawled out of the hallway and into a science lab where he lay on the ground and bled to death waiting for help, though some of the students and teachers inside tried to save him. SWAT teams did not reach Sanders until three hours after Harris and Klebold had committed suicide, by which time he was dead. He was the only teacher who died in the attack. Two other teachers were injured but survived.
Sanders was buried in Littleton's Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. A softball field at Columbine and a scholarship was named after him. Sanders also posthumously received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award
Arthur Ashe Courage Award
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is an award that is part of the ESPY Awards. Although it is a sport-oriented award, it is not limited to sports-related people or actions.-List of recipients:-External links:***...
. The Fountain Central High School basketball court was named after him in his honor.