The story of Bernall's martyrdom became more muddled, however, in September 1999, when an article in the on-line magazine Salon challenged several of the widely reported—and believed—reports about the Columbine massacre, including her conversation with Harris and Klebold. According to the story by Dave Cullen, "an alternate scenario is far more likely: The killers asked another girl, Valeen Schnurr, a similar question, then shot her, and she lived to tell about it. Schnurr's story was then apparently misattributed to Cassie." While some witnesses, in the confusion and terror of the moment, were uncertain whether the words attributed to Bernall were spoken by her, by Schnurr, or both, others insist that they heard the killer's question and Bernall's response.

Sources:

Misty Bernall, She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall (Nashville: Word Publishers, 1999).

Dave Cullen, "Inside the Columbine High Investigation: Everything You...