Cassie Bernall

Cassie René Bernall was a student killed in the Columbine High School massacre at age 17. It was initially reported that Bernall had been asked whether or not she believed in God before being shot during the massacre, though further examinations of witness testimony revealed that Bernall was not asked anything before she was shot. In September 2000, Bernall's mother, Misty, released the book She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall. In it, Misty describes her daughter's turbulent teenage life, spiritual conversion and Christian faith. Biography: Cassie was born to Misty and Brad Bernall on November 6, 1981. Along with her brother Chris, she was brought up in a Christian home. According to her parents, Cassie rebelled as a young teenager and began using drugs and alcohol. Her parents state that at one point Cassie became suicidal. Her mother found letters in Cassie's bedroom discussing her thoughts of killing her parents, and they decided to send her to a new school, Columbine High School, for a new start. A year and a half before her death, Cassie decided to go on a weekend church retreat and restored her faith. Cassie's father Brad said "When she came back from that retreat, she was an entirely different person. We had gotten our daughter back." Death: Cassie was killed by Eric Harris during the Columbine massacre on April 20, 1999. According to witness Emily Wyant, who was hiding under the same table as Bernall, Harris slammed his hand down on the table above them and said "peek-a-boo" before fatally shooting Bernall. Cassie's family wasn't informed of her death until two days after the massacre. Controversy surrounding martrydom claims: Craig Scott, a student who was also in the library during the massacre, told investigators that he had heard one of the shooters ask a victim whether or not they believed in God during the shooting, and the victim answer "Yes." Scott said that he recognized the voice as Cassie's, however he did not see the exchange happen as he was hiding under the table at the time. Investigators later took Scott back into the library and asked him to point to where he had heard the exchange come from. He did not point to where Cassie had been in the library, but rather pointed to where Valeen Schnurr, another student that had been shot in the massacre, had been hiding. Valeen Schnurr had been shot and was on the floor of the library when one of the shooters, Dylan Klebold approached her. She said, "Oh, my God, oh, my God, don't let me die." Klebold asked her if she believed in God. She said yes, and he asked why. She responded "Because I believe and my parents brought me up that way." Klebold reloaded but did not shoot her again, and Schnurr ultimately survived the massacre. Some media publicized the story of Cassie being asked about her belief in God before her death. The story persisted even decades later. In 2015, Rick Santorum brought up the myth during a Republican presidential debate, saying "16 years ago this country was tremendously inspired by a young woman who faced a gunman in Columbine and was challenged about her faith, and refused to deny God." She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall: In October 1999, Cassie's mother Misty Bernall authored a book She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall. The book reached No. 8 on The New York Times best-sellers list. In the book, Misty Bernall reaffirmed the story that her daughter was asked if she believed in God before she died, despite being told by investigators that the question had not been asked. Cassie's friend Emily Wyant, who was next to Cassie in the library when she was shot, also told the family that the question had not been asked. Among doubt, the Bernalls issued a statement standing behind the accuracy of their book, saying they had spoken to 4 witnesses who had told them that Cassie had defended her faith before being killed. However, the book ultimately leaves it up to the audience to make up their own mind about what happened. Legacy: Bernall’s presentation as a Christian martyr has led to her serving as the inspiration for several songs, including Flyleaf's "Cassie" and Michael W. Smith's "This Is Your Time". The video for "This Is Your Time" includes a short clip at its beginning of Bernall talking about her beliefs.