“From early on, I had this belief that God had a plan and a purpose for the worst tragedy in my life.” And inspirational speaker Craig Scott has lived that belief out to the fullest.
Scott is a survivor of the Columbine High School shooting, one of the worst school massacres in American history.
His sister, Rachel Joy Scott, was killed during the tragic ordeal after two gunmen entered their school on April 20, 1999, and killed 12 students and a teacher before turning their weapons on themselves.
Listen to them on the latest episode of “Quick Start” 👇
“I’ve dedicated a lot of my life to sharing my sister’s story, my story, and traveling around and speaking,” Scott told CBN News in a recent interview leading up to the 25th anniversary of the shooting.
Scott’s family’s speaking program, Rachel’s Challenge, has been deployed in schools and churches across America. He also has his own independent speaking programs and an upcoming podcast. All of these projects are intended to help individuals, families, and communities thrive and remain peaceful.
Focusing on Rachel’s story has made each endeavor incredibly impactful. Scott explained why he believes his sister’s “life and legacy” have “impacted millions of people.”
Rachel, who was 17 when she was killed, was a strong Christian who kept her thoughts documented through powerful journals that the Scott family has since shared.
These writings have left behind inspirational and faith-inspired messages and have inspired books as well as a feature film, “I’m Not Ashamed.” But it was Rachel’s death that also captured attention, as she was reportedly taunted by the killers for her Christian faith and yet stood firm in it before the end.
Scott, too, has his own harrowing journey from April 20. He was in the school library where most of the carnage took place. As his two friends were killed next to him, he fully expected he would be next.
Watch Scott tell his harrowing story:
“I watched as the shooters went around the room, taunting students and treated it like it was a game,” Scott said. “And they came over to where I was. I saw my friend, Isaiah, they call them racial slurs. They tried to pull him out from underneath the table. They killed him, then they killed my friend, Matt.”
He continued, “They left me underneath that table. I thought I was going to die.”
What happened next, though, was quite shocking. Scott said he heard the Lord deliver a message to him in the midst of shock and chaos.
“I heard God speak to me,” he said. “And I am careful even with that phrase, ‘God told me to do something.’ … But I felt very strongly [that He] told me to, ‘Get out of there.'”
At that point, Scott had no idea where the shooters were, but he stood up, looked around the room, and yelled for his peers to also stand up, repeating what that voice had said.
“Let’s get out of here,” Scott said.
Everyone still able ran out of the room and outside the school to safety. Tragically, 10 kids were killed inside that library.
Scott has spent the past two and a half decades sharing what unfolded to help others discover hope amid the chaos of their own lives. He said the feeling he always had that God would use tragedy in his life for good has deeply inspired him to push forward.
“[It] has been one of the biggest, helpful things in my journey the last 25 years, this belief that God has a plan and a purpose for even the worst stuff,” he said.
Through sharing his and Rachel’s stories, Scott said his family has been able to help prevent shootings and suicides.
Watch Craig explain how he has navigated faith, hope, and forgiveness in the wake of tragedy.
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