While Columbine High School shooting survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter’s life was shaped by tragedy, the tenacious woman worked hard to ensure it was not defined by it.

The parents of a Columbine shooting victim who was killed shared their story of how survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter -- who died this week -- helped them and became very close with their family.

Anne Marie Hochhalter, who was shot in the back during the 1999 Columbine shooting, was found dead in her home Sunday, according to the Denver Post. Sue Townsend, whose stepdaughter Lauren was killed in the shooting,