William David Sanders

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For other persons named William Sanders, see William Sanders (disambiguation).
William Sanders

Born October 22, 1951
Eldorado, Illinois, U.S.
Died April 20, 1999 (aged 47)
Columbine, Colorado, U.S.

William David "Dave" Sanders (October 22, 1951 - April 20, 1999) was a computer and business teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, USA. He was also the coach of the girls basketball and softball teams, though he is best known as one of the persons killed in the Columbine High School massacre.

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[edit] Early life and education

A native of Eldorado, Illinois, Sanders was raised Veedersburg, Indiana where he attended Fountain Central High School. In 1973, he graduated from Chadron State College. He then joined the Columbine High School faculty in 1974.

[edit] The day of the shooting

Sanders rushes upstairs to alert students during the early stages of the shooting
Sanders rushes upstairs to alert students during the early stages of the shooting
See also: Columbine High School massacre

On the day of the shooting, while the assault on the school was occurring, Sanders ran to the school cafeteria and alerted students of the incurring shooting. He, along with two of the school's janitors, helped get more than 100 students to safety.

By the time the gunmen arrived, the cafeteria was nearly empty. Sanders then made his way upstairs to the hall, trying to get students to safety by hiding them in classrooms when he was shot from behind by Dylan Klebold. He was hit in the torso, head and neck. He managed to get into a science lab where he bled to death waiting for help.

Dave's daughter Angela said at his funeral: "What you did in that school on Tuesday was an amazing act of heroism. Even after you were hurt, you continued to be the brave, selfless man we all know you are."[citation needed]

Dave was buried in Littleton's Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Since his death, Coach Dave Sanders has had a softball field at Columbine and a scholarship named after him, to honor his memory, and posthumously received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The Fountain Central High School basketball court was named after him in his honor.

[edit] References

[edit] Futher reading

  • Saltzman, Marilyn and Linda Lou Sanders. Dave Sanders: Columbine Teacher, Coach, Hero. Xlibris Corporation, 2004. ISBN 1-413-45222-1.