Team,

Today marks 25 years since the Columbine High School shooting.

A quarter-century has passed since the massacre, yet our communities continue to face the threat of gun violence. From Columbine to Littleton to the Aurora theater, Colorado’s 6th District knows this pain far too well.

But this issue isn’t unique to only Colorado: gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens across America.

It’s wrong. We cannot continue on this path.

I invited Heather Martin to the State of the Union this year to elevate the issue of gun violence.

Heather was a Senior at Littleton’s Columbine High School when two students opened fire on April 20, 1999, killing 13, physically injuring 21 others, and leaving many marked for life in the deadliest school shooting in US history at the time. While Heather survived physically unharmed, she faced challenges completing her college education in the years following due to the lasting trauma.

Ten years later, Heather earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and today serves as an Aurora Public Schools educator. Heather and a group of Columbine survivors founded The Rebels Project in the wake of the Aurora theater shooting.

These survivors wanted to offer their support to the Aurora community after they experienced similar trauma. Since then, they’ve helped offer a safe environment for survivors of mass tragedy and trauma.

I am in awe of the work Coloradans like Heather do to support our Colorado community members. The fight isn’t over, and I’ll continue working to legislate and bring an end to the gun violence epidemic.

Thank you,

— Jason Crow