Michael Davis, the father of 17-year-old Claire Davis who was fatally shot at her suburban Denver high school, said on Wednesday that he and his wife forgive the killer, and he has asked that others do the same.
Davis spoke at a memorial service for his daughter saying that the killer, Karl Pierson, was someone blinded by anger who did not know what he was doing. Pierson was also a student at the high school, and one of Claire’s classmates.
“My wife and I forgive Karl Pierson for what he did,” Davis said. “We would ask all of you here and all of you watching to forgive Karl Pierson. He didn’t know what he was doing.”
Sheriff’s investigators say that on December 13, Pierson shot Claire Davis at Arapahoe County High School. Davis died of her injuries eight days later.
Investigators say Pierson’s target was a speech coach who had disciplined him. Though Davis was not a target, she became a random victim.
Davis said Pierson “allowed himself to become filled with anger, rage and hatred. … The fact is that Karl was so blinded by his emotions he didn’t know what he was doing.”
It was reported that Davis said his daughter’s last words were in asking Pierson, “Oh my gosh, Karl, what are you doing?” Davis said it was her way of trying to break through the darkness that was surrounding Pierson in that moment.
According to investigators, Pierson carried a shotgun with more than 125 shotgun shells, a machete and three homemade firebombs into the school.
Pierson shot himself as authorities moved in once the school went into lockdown.