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Original Story

A steady stream of mourners pay their respects at a memorial outside Arapahoe High School in Centennial as news spread that Claire Davis died.

Claire Davis, the 17-year-old who was shot in the head during the Dec. 13 shooting at Arapahoe High School, died Saturday afternoon with her family at her side. The high school senior died at 4:29 p.m. at Littleton Adventist Hospital after eight days on life support. As the news of her death spread, the memorial at the school glowed from freshly lit candles, and more and more visitors gathered in subfreezing temperatures and light snow to say goodbye to Claire.

Allison Bruhn, a junior at Arapahoe, arrived Saturday evening just as she had the previous eight days. This time, she carried a poster from the school’s dance team, expressing the members’ love for Claire. Tears welled up in her eyes as she lit candles and hugged friends.

"I’ve been coming every night and praying for an hour, praying that Claire would be OK, that she would get better," she said. "Our school loves Claire. She was such a nice and giving person."

Shannon Wilhelm, her husband and her 5-year-old son, Deagan, placed flowers at the foot of the fence as snow flurries covered its crush of poster boards, photographs, and written messages left by the community. The Wilhelms did not know Claire, but Shannon cried and held her son tightly in her arms. […]