Rachel Scott

Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was an American student who was the first victim of the Columbine High School massacre, in which twelve other students and one teacher were killed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who then committed suicide. During the time of the massacre, Scott was eating lunch with her friend Richard Castaldo outside the school, when Eric Harris shot them multiple times with a Hi-Point 995. Castaldo survived, but Scott died from her injuries. Her body was left outside and was not retrieved until the following morning. Born in Colorado, Scott was a sociable girl, who often displayed concern for the well-being of others if they were in need. She converted to Christianity in March 1993 after visiting the church her aunt and uncle attended, because of her faith, she was occasionally a victim of mockery and bullying by several of her peers. Scott struggled with self-esteem issues growing up, being described as "blind to her own beauty". At an early age, she developed an interest for photography and poetry. Before enrolling in Columbine High School in the ninth grade, Scott previously attended Ken Caryl Middle School, and Dutch Creek Elementary School. On the day after the shooting, Scott's car was turned into a makeshift memorial, with a chain-link fence around the vehicle for mourners to leave their tokens of grief. Her funeral was the most watched broadcast in CNN history at the time. Scott has been revered by groups of evangelical Christians as a Christian martyr, although the circumstances surrounding her death and martyrdom have been disputed. She posthumously was the subject and co-writer of several books, and also was the inspiration for and namesake of Rachel's Challenge, an international school outreach program and the most popular school assembly program in...