Over My Shoulder: A Columbine Survivor's Story of Resilience, Hope, and a Life Reclaimed

On April 20, 1999, Kacey Ruegsegger Johnson was a newly transferred junior at Columbine High School. As she sat down to read a magazine in the school library, she had no idea she was about to find herself at the center of an American tragedy, an event that would forever change the course of her life and many others. Moments later, two student gunmen entered the building to continue the massacre they had already begun outside. A now famous photograph shows Kacey lying on the ground in the aftermath of the attack, in danger of bleeding to death and losing an arm. Columbine quickly captured the soul of a nation and left it deeply scarred. The devastating injuries Kacey sustained in the Columbine shooting followed a year of adolescent struggles - a year in which she suffered through the sudden deaths of four friends, a deep depression, and a plan for her suicide. In this story of courage and resilience, Kacey recounts how she overcame the physical, emotional and mental suffering of these events to build a life, a family, and a loving home. Through sharing her story, she has discovered a surprising path to helping and encouraging others.