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08 29 2007, 4:18 pm / Other
**CASSIE BERNALL**(1981-1999)I read this story and felt i had to put it up. Tears came to my eyes reading about the faith and bravery a girl my age had when it came to her belief in Christ.I hope all of you can see the same *Cassie Bernall was killed in the Columbine High School shooting massacre in Littleton, Colorado on April 20th, 1999. Twelve other victims perished with her on that dark day. While the two killers were shooting innocent students, Cassie was hiding under a table in the school library. When the two gunmen entered ( who happened to be fellow students at the high school), they targeted Cassie immediately, because she was visibly praying. "I couldn't see anything when those guys came up to Cassie, but I could still recognize her voice. I could hear everything like it was right next to me. One of them asked her if she believed in God. She paused, like she didn't know what she was going to answer, and then she said yes. She must have been scared but her voice was strong. Then they asked her why, though they didn't give her time to respond. They just blew her away"-Josh, a fellow student and witness. Cassie Burnall died with bravery, faith, and honor. However, Cassie was also a teenager, a real girl, who had battled self injury in her past. In a letter she wrote on January 2nd, 1999, she said, "I cannot explain in words how much I hurt. I didn't know how to deal with this hurt so I physically hurt myself. Maybe it was my way of expressing my sadness, anger, and depression...I would lock myself in the bathroom and hit my head on the counters. I also did this on the walls in my bedroom. I'd scratch my hands until they bled. Then I went numb. Afterwards, it stung very badly, which I thought I deserved anyway." Of this period in her life Cassie wrote, "No words can accurately express the blackness I feel inside." Cassie attended a Christian youth retreat and had a deep and spiritual experience there. Coming home from the camp she told her mother, "Mom, I've changed." According to Cassie's mother, Misty, this is true. Misty said, "Cassie was suddenly a different person with Christ in her life. Her eyes had light in them again, and she smiled like she hadn't in years." Cassie overcame her self injury. Her new belief in God helped her, and gave her hope and strength. Cassie was a 17 year old girl with her whole life ahead of her. Her life was stolen from her on April 20th 1999 when she was asked, "Do you believe in God"...and she said, "YES." Cassie's story has been immortalized by the Christian rock band Flyleaf with their song, "Cassie".* "All of us should live life so as to be able to face eternity at any time."- Cassie Burnall
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