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Columbine school shooting survivor Austin Eubanks found dead at 37

Austin Eubanks had struggled with prescription drug use following the shooting, but later became an advocate for support and treatment for addiction.

Austin Eubanks was found dead
Austin Eubanks with his girlfriend at a memorial service in 1999. Source: AP

A survivor of the Columbine school shooting, Austin Eubanks, has been found dead at his home in Colorado.

The 37-year old was found dead by officials during a welfare check, according to CNN.

Routt County Coroner Robert Ryg said no foul play was suspected, and an autopsy to determine the cause of his death was scheduled for Monday.

Austin Eubanks
Austin Eubanks with his girlfriend at a Columbine memorial in 1999. Source: AAP

Mr Eubanks had struggled with opioid addiction following the shooting and later became an advocate for support and treatment, working with a number of organisations. 

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Even though the cause of his death has not yet been established, his family told local TV Station Denver 7 he had "lost the battle with the very disease he fought so hard to help others face".

“Helping to build a community of support is what meant the most to Austin, and we plan to continue his work,” they told the station.

Mr Eubanks' death came a month after the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, in which 12 students and a teacher were killed by two other students, who then killed themselves.

He was 17 at the time and was shot in the hand and knee.

The shooting survivor said earlier while his injuries were not very severe, doctors prescribed him pain medication and he became addicted in just a few months.

Austin Eubanks
Austin Eubanks was 17 when he was caught in the Columbine mass shooting in 1999. Source: Twitter/@eubanksaustin

In an interview with Denver 7 in 2016 he said he was too young to understand what was happening.

"I didn’t know any better. I was 17 years old, and I had been given medication to feel better. Immediately I learned that if I took substances, I didn’t have to feel, I didn’t have to feel the emotional pain," Eubanks said at the time.  

He didn't seek help for many years, but once he did, it prompted him to try to help others.

He started working at a drug addiction treatment centre and became an advocate for fighting substance abuse, telling others about his story.

Tributes have been posted on social media.


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