The shooter looked under the table at cassie, said peekaboo and shot her. It is only now, when the world knows cassie bernall as one of the columbine high students killed by two rampaging schoolmates, that the. According to witness emily wyant, who was hiding under the same table as bernall, harris slammed his hand. Cassie bernall, valeen schnurr, and one of columbines. This is the story of the 17year old high school student who was killed when she answered yes when asked if she believed in god. Initial reports suggested that one of the assailants, either eric harris or dylan klebold, asked bernall if she believed in god moments before fatally shooting her. Emily wyant watched in disbelief as the story mushroomed. Joshua lapp, a junior, was one of the first students to report bernalls testimonial of faith. A matter of belief the last words of littleton victim cassie bernall test a survivors faithand charity. Emily wyant was under the table with cassie bernall in the library, and witnessed cassies tragicbut silentdeath. The original story said cassie responded to one of the killers question if she believed in god, then was shot dead when she said yes. Columbine characters from litcharts the creators of. One key source is emily wyant, cassies best friend, who was crouched right beside her, and the only eyewitness to her shooting. As cassie s story continues to mushroom and brad and misty are hailed as blessed parents of the martyr, another student, emily wyant, knows the truth of cassies story.
She said yes leapt onto the new york times bestseller list in its first week. Stories last week questioned the premise of the book, she said yes. The unlikely martyrdom of cassie bernall wikipedia. At that point, it seems, the bernalls realized the truth. Cassie was under a table in the library with emily wyant. She said klebold slammed the top of their table, said peekaboo, looked under the table at both girls, and shot miss bernall. My name is rebecca crossman i made this page so everyone can remember cassie.
Her mother misty wrote a book she said yes about cassie being a martyr on april 20, 1999. The book details the life of cassie bernall and her familys grieving process in. According to witness emily wyant, who was hiding under the same table as bernall, harris said peekaboo before shooting cassie, while cassie. Cassie bernall, a 17yearold killed in the massacre, was an international sensation for about five months. Cassie bernall was 17 when eric harris and dylan klebold gunned her down during the massacre at columbine high. I keep thinking about the things i need to do for cassie, cassies mom told the oprah show in 1999. Bombs failure apparently changed columbine killers plans. The book contains details of cassies life, including her rebellion during her teenage years, her spiritual side, and her faith in christianity. It also narrates the grieving process of her family in the aftermath of her death. One key source is emily wyant, cassies best friend, who was crouched right.
The book details the life of cassie bernall and her familys grieving process in the aftermath of her death. Wyant is the only living person who actually witnessed bernalls death. I read she said yes a couple years back when i was around thirteen, and thought it was one of the most moving books ive ever read. Kate battan suggested misty take the story of cassie s martyrdom out of the manuscript, but continue with the account of cassies life and transformation. A girl who was sitting next to cassie as she died and witnessed that cassie never professed her faith to. She said yes is an intense and fascinating memoir publishers weekly of an ordinary teenager growing up in suburban colorado, and faced as all teenagers are with difficult choices and pressures. Cassie bernall was supposedly killed for refusing to renounce god, but she. The unbelievable martyrdom of cassie bernall fake history. Emily wyant, hiding under the same table as bernall, reported that harris said peekaboo and shot bernall as she prayed aloud. As the studious daughter of a religious mother, misty bernall, the young woman became a sort of martyr when a student witness named emily wyant claimed that bernall had refused to reject god during the shootings, causing klebold to. But i think i felt a real sensitivity to misty bernall, cassies mom, who wrote the book and you know, by god, she meant every word of. Cassies mother, misty bernall, has written a bestselling book about her daughters life, tracing cassies path from troubled wild child to follower of jesus, and this 25minute video valentine is clearly meant to be a companion piece to the book. Wyant, who survived the columbine massacre april 20, told the fbi months ago that the famous unlikely martyrdom of cassie bernall, immortalized in a bestselling book by cassies mom, misty. The rough mountain news, by this point, knows about emilys story.
Emily wyant, who had been sitting with bernall in the library as the shootings began, asserted that the exchange did not take place. Emily wyant was hiding under a desk with cassie bernall, and her story is very different, according to salon. Conflicted about whether or not to come forward with the truth after the story of cassies valiant martyrdom mushroomed, wyant eventually decided to tell her story to the rocky mountain news. Emily had been in the library during the attack, under the same table as cassie. According to her account bernall exclaimed, dear god, dear god. Emily wyant, the little girl under the table with cassie when it happened, came. Rage against the dying of the light emily wyant interview. The person asking the question was one of the two troubled classmates who entered columbine with. This of course occurred during the april 1999 tragedy at columbine high school in littleton, colorado.
The truth about the myths of columbine 18 years later. The books title is a reference to bernall s final moments in the wake of the shooting. The resulting book, she said yes, is based on the authors own reminiscences, on letters and notes that have turned up since her. In the book, misty bernall repeated 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. Wyant stated that she and bernall were studying together when the gunmen broke in. She was crouched beneath a table less than two feet from cassie bernall when dylan klebold shot her. A girl who was sitting next to cassie as she died and witnessed that cassie never professed her faith to god. Wyant, who survived the columbine massacre april 20, told the fbi months ago that the famous unlikely martyrdom of cassie bernall, immortalized in a bestselling book by cassies mom, misty, never happened. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Ask if shed consider writing a book, and she balks. Why does the columbine myth about martyr cassie bernall. Ten years later, i sorted through the confusion again in my book, columbine. Initial reports suggested that one of the assailants, either eric harris or dylan klebold, asked bernall if she believed in god moments before shooting her. Although investigators and cassies friend emily wyant, who was hiding along with her under the same table in the library when she was killed, told cassies family that the question was not asked to cassie, her mother, misty bernall, included the story in the memoir she. In addition, columbine student emily wyant, who was hiding beneath a table. We were surprised at emilys recount of events, the bernalls statement read, because when we met with her and her parents, at that time she remembered only praying. The book, which incorporates comments from bernalls husband, brad, cassies friends and others, relays additional details on her final moments, including this account from a student who was. She was hiding beneath a table right beside cassie when it happened.
A victim of columbine who allegedly professed her faith right before being shot to death. It has since been reissued in two paperback formats, a library edition, an an audiobook. Though wyant had recalled the real story to the bernalls shortly after the shooting, misty bernall, cassies mom, released a curiously titled book about cassie in 2000. The editor of misty bernalls book, chris zimmerman, says that cassie s mother was candid in the book about the fact that there were differing accounts of what was said in the library and that the crux of the book is the true story of a troubled american teenager who encountered god and experienced a dramatic change that gave her the confidence to face both her life and her death. The guardians of bernall hit an arrangement with furrow distributing to distribute a book about cassie, entitled she said yes. Val schnurr s family and emily wyant s family both separately attend dinner with the bernalls, and both families recognize that the book is mistys way of healing. Cassie rene bernall columbine high school massacre. It comes from the book of interviews stand by me by julie towers which is available here, or here on.
Emily was right there next to her, and in fact, she. Not even when presented with evidence that refuted the story. Why does the columbine myth about martyr cassie bernall persist. Is columbine victim cassie bernall a christian martyr. The last words of littleton victim cassie bernall test a survivors faithand charity. Once she started hearing all that, wyants mother told a reporter.
Eric harris had asked bernall if she believed in god and when she responded with yes, harris shot and killed her. But i just finished reading columbine by dave cullen, and he disputes that with a lot of facts. The unlikely martyrdom of cassie bernall, written by misty bernall. Cassie bernall cassie bernall 1981 april 20, 1999 was a student killed in the columbine high school massacre. E so dont be mad if it looks shite because i hate r.
In september her mother went on a national book tour. Cassie bernall, a 17yearold killed in the massacre, was an. Research columbine online who was shot for believing in god. Cassie bernall biograohy facts, childhood, family, death. The publisher went after emily, trying to discredit her. Cullen says in his book that according to emily wyant and bree pasquale. Emily wyant, 16, was two feet from cassie that morning, hiding under a.
Columbine student emily wyant, for example, who was said to be hiding near where bernall was gunned down, was interviewed for misty bernalls book and never disputed the original accounts of. Fbi reports and eyewitness accounts show that it is also false. The unlikely martyrdom of cassie bernall from the worlds largest community of readers. In september 2000, bernalls mother, misty, released the book she said yes.
Cassie bernall, valeen schnurr, and one of columbines biggest. After the gunmen rushed in, the girls crouched beneath a table together, and cassie began praying aloud. Cassie and chris parents who were religious and eventually wrote a book about cassies death. Cassies friend emily wyant, who was next to her in the library when she was shot, also told the family that the question had not been asked. In cassie bernall, the religious right had an answer to matthew shepard and they werent about to let go of her. According to journalist, dave cullen, the wyant and bernall families had dinner together shortly after the massacre.
After the book was released in september 1999, the rocky, came out with a story debunking the myth and emily wyant allowed her story to be used. Some authorities are questioning the famed last words of columbine high school shooting victim cassie bernall. It features testimonials from cassies friends and fellow church members, a peppy rock soundtrack. In the meantime, the myth gained so much traction that outlets like salon and rocky mountain news as well as misty bernalls. In reality, however, cassie bernall was killed without any such prologue which wyant only finally revealed more than 10 years later.
Wyant was sitting next to cassie when harris killed her. Most examinations of witness testimony state that bernall was not asked anything before she was shot. Cassie bernall said yes when asked about her faith by a. She told misty and brad bernall, cassies parents, the same account, and she also told the rocky mountain news. According to witness emily wyant, who was hiding under the same table as bernall, eric harris said peekaboo before shooting cassie, while cassie continued to pray silently. Wyant knew cassie was never asked if she believed in god.
U can use it if u wish i dont need it anymore but mention. Cassie rene bernall november 6, 1981 april 20, 1999 was a student killed in the. Myths from columbine, part two what did she really say. Then, back in april, i found out that cassies martyrdom was all a lie, and i wanted to read the book again to mind myself of exactly what bernall lied about. One key source is emily wyant, cassies best friend, who was. Here is an interview with columbine survivor emily wyant, a sophomore who was under the table in the library with cassie bernall. She watched as cassie was shot without saying a word to her killer. Cullen reexamines the case of cassie bernall, the columbine student who was portrayed as a religious martyr. Of all the tragic stories arising from the april 20 massacre at colorados columbine high school, perhaps the most heartrending was that of cassie bernall, 17.