America's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell was moved by an audition from a school shooting survivor, telling the teenager it was one of the auditions he'll never forget.
Hopeful Ava Swiss, who is a singer and high-school student from Oxford, Michigan, chose to sing the song 'Remember' by Lauren Daigle for her audition.
Explaining the reason behind her song choice, Swiss told Cowell and fellow judges Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel that she and her brother had been caught up in a shooting at their school in November 2021, which resulted in the deaths of four students and seven people being injured.
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"I chose this song because back on November 30, my brother and I were part of the Oxford school shooting and we lost four of our students and seven others were injured," she said.
"How are you coping with everything, with life itself after that?" Cowell asked, to which the singer replied: "It’s been hard.
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"I remember my brother and I, we were talking to each other and we said there's no way we're ever stepping foot back in the school, but we've actually been in person in school for about two months now. So things are getting better."
She continued: "I remember my community, my family, just the love, and I remember that it's all there for me and it'll help me get to where I need to be. So that's why I'm so grateful I'm able to be here today and I can share it with more people than I ever thought I could."
Clearly moved by the story, Cowell told Ava before her performance: "We're rooting for you. Good luck."
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Swiss received a standing ovation from the judges and crowd for her powerful performance.
"It took my breath away. You sound beautiful and I thought the song that you picked was perfect. You were not just singing you were showing us your feelings and it gave me goosebumps," Vergara told the teenager.
"For me, this is one of those auditions I'll never forget. I really have so much respect for you. And on top of that, you’ve got a great voice," Simon added.
"That's the one thing over the years on this show – we've just met the most extraordinary people every single year, and now we've just met you. Amazing."
America’s Got Talent airs on NBC in the US.
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Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career.
Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.
