Steve Curnow was born on August 28, 1984 to parents Robert and Susan Curnow. He has one sister named Nancy. Steve dreamed of being a Navy top gun pilot and was very close with his mom Susan and father Bob. He loved soccer and worked part-time as a referee and his dad Bob coached the soccer team (Blue Devils of the Colorado Rush) he played on. Steve liked the color green, because it was the color of the field. His favorite classes were Spanish, technology, and gym because he got to play sports. He loved Star Wars and His Favorite character was Han Solo. Remembered as a huge fan, he watched the Star Wars movies so many times he could recite the dialogue along with the actors. Science fiction fans nationwide put together a go-to-Star-Wars memorial day in his honor when Star Wars I: the Phantom Menace premiered in theaters May 19th, 1999; he had been anxiously awaiting its release.

Steve Curnow was hiding under one of the small computer tables in the library, near surviving victim Kacey Ruegsegger, when the shooting began. Eric Harris shot Steve in neck with a sawed-off shotgun. Steve died in the library, the youngest victim of the Columbine massacre. His funeral was held at Trinity Christian Center, the fourth funeral of a Columbine victim held there in five days. Members of his soccer team were among the mourners at his funeral. “Every time we’d play, he’d have a huge smile on his face,” Justin Norman said at the funeral, a former teammate who was among a dozen friends who offered eulogies for Steve. His sister Nancy said at the funeral that she was going to miss fighting with Steve over whose turn it was to take out the garbage, and whose turn it was to use the computer. She wondered who would tell stories to her own children about what she was like growing up. She’d been counting on her little brother for that. His mom wrote a note to Steve Curnow that was read at his funeral: “Thank you for that special moment two weeks ago when you said, ‘Mom, I bet there aren’t many guys who can discuss things with their moms like we do.'” His dad said that he cried about Steve for 19 days, and so did Steve’s sister. Steve was buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.