VIDEO CNN's Martin Savidge reports on the new security measures at Columbine Windows Media 28K 80K CNN's Anne McDermott talks with shooting victim Lance Kirklin Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K  IN-DEPTH SPECIAL: Are U.S. schools safe? INTERACTIVE Recent school shootings MESSAGE BOARD: Keeping schools safe

August 13, 1999
Web posted at: 12:04 p.m. EDT (1604 GMT)

In this story: 'I can only prevail and go forward' Library closed Security improvements Liquid chicken RELATED STORIES, SITES

LITTLETON, Colorado (CNN) -- On the mend from his injuries, Columbine High School student Lance Kirklin can munch French fries again. He was among the first to be shot in the April 20 massacre, but Kirklin, who'll be a junior as classes resume on Monday, says he's not angry, not bitter.

His wounds slowly healing, the teen's mood has lifted. And he's able to eat solid food again.

The story of Kirklin's mental and physical recovery -- and the trauma that gripped his classmates, their community and the nation -- began four months ago as the first shots were fired outside the suburban Denver high school.

After taking 9 mm bullets to his chest, legs and left foot, Lance pleaded for his life. The reply came from the barrel of a shotgun. Blasts blew away a large part of Kirklin's face.

RELATED AUDIO Click here to listen to students describe how they feel about a new school year at Columbine

"Yeah, it sucks that it happened to me," he says in teen-talk that also reveals a determination to prevent his severe injuries from becoming the defining point of his life. "It sucks that it happened to anybody, but I can't change it. I can only prevail and go forward."

That seems to be Anne Marie Hochhalter's attitude, too.

The 17-year-old Columbine student took a direct hit in her spinal cord, paralyzing her from the waist down.

After her release from a hospital on Thursday, Hochhalter said in a written statement, " I still have many obstacles to overcome, but I know that I can do it, and God will give me strength along the way."

She plans to return to Columbine for her senior year.

Richard Castaldo, 17, who was also paralyzed in the shootings, is now the only Columbine victim still in the hospital.

A sure sign of recovery: Lance Kirklin devours French fries. Although the teen is making a remarkable recovery, Lance recalls the day he was gravely injured. Click below to listen. 70K/07 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

Seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire in the school, killing 13 people and wounding 23 before taking their own lives.

All evidence of the carnage caused by bullets and bombs has been cleaned, patched or replaced. "You can't really tell at all," said Michael Sheehan, 17, Columbine student body president.

But architects still haven't decided what to do with the library, where most of the victims died. It has remained closed since the shootings. For now, a new locker-lined wall covers the entrance.

A trailer outside the school, complete with computers that have Internet access and about 1,000 books, will act as a temporary library until a more permanent solution is found.

"It's a new face on the whole school," Sheehan told CNN on Friday.

Also new are security improvements, including:

• 16 color video cameras that will watch over the school inside and out.

• A reduction in the number of outside entrances.
  
  
• A third uniformed guard to join a roving patrol, which includes an armed sheriff's deputy.
  
  
• Identity badges to be worn by all students and faculty.

• Tip boxes in schools for anonymous reports of suspicious behavior.
  
  
• A stricter dress code.
  
  
• A state law allowing parents to look at school and public library records to see what their children are reading.

Columbine students have taken their own steps to feel more secure, establishing an off-campus teen center. Open four days a week, it's a gathering place for young people, a refuge from the outside world.

"It's just a place where you feel loved," says student Kara Barnstable.

The staff includes two "cool mentors," counselors in their 20s with a background in social work who act as chaperones and offer a shoulder to lean on.

The center, including recreation, an art room and even a small recording studio, is funded by donations that flowed in from a stunned nation after the shootings.

Anna Dawn, mother of slain student Lauren Townsend, says she and other parents want the school's library, where most of the killings occurred, to be removed from the school 458K/32 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

To care for his wounded son, Kirklin's divorced father, Mike, a tree trimmer, had to stop working. Because Lance couldn't chew, his dad would puree his favorite fast-food -- chicken nuggets -- in a blender.

The days of liquid chicken are over, although Lance faces more surgery.

A school pep rally is planned before classes begin on Monday. Like his Columbine classmates, Lance is excited about returning.

And, also like them, he's getting better day by day.

Correspondents Martin Savidge, Ann McDermott and The Associated Press contributed to this report, written by Jim Morris.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.