HEARTBREAKING

Columbine Shooting Survivor Austin Eubanks Found Dead at 37

He “lost the battle with the very disease he fought so hard to help others face,” his family said.

Austin Eubanks, a survivor of the 1999 Columbine shooting, was found dead at his home in Colorado on Saturday. He was 37. Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg confirmed Eubanks’ death, saying there were no signs of foul play and an autopsy would be performed on Monday to determine cause of death. Eubanks’ family said in a statement that he’d “lost the battle with the very disease he fought so hard to help others face.” Eubanks, then 17, was shot in the hand and knee when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire at Columbine High School in 1999, and his best friend died at the scene. He spent years after the shooting battling opioid addiction after being prescribed pain medication to deal with his injuries, and went on to devote the final years of his life to public speaking in order to raise awareness about addiction. “Helping to build a community of support is what meant the most to Austin, and we plan to continue his work,” his family said.