[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 52 (Monday, April 13, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL WARTELL COMMUNITY SERVANT, ARMY VETERAN AND GOOD 
                               SAMARITAN

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 13, 2015

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I have taken to this floor many times 
to mourn the tragic deaths caused by senseless death acts of gun 
violence that have too frequently plagued our communities in recent 
years.
  I rise today to remember Michael Wartell of Houston, Texas, a 
constituent of mine who died last Thursday, March 26, 2015, when he was 
caught in the crossfire of a gun fight and struck by a stray bullet.
  Mr. Speaker, Michael Wartell lost his life doing what he lived for, 
helping others.
  The reason he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time on 
that fateful day is because he was there to do the right thing for the 
right reason.
  As the Houston Chronicle reported, ``the 62-year-old Army veteran 
made a habit of going out of his way to protect the people he cared 
about, to make sure they were safe[, including] out for the owners of a 
tiny laundromat less than half a block from his Fifth Ward home.''
  After a robbery there, Michael Wartell often would go to the 
laundromat to see to it that the owners made it safely to their cars at 
the end of the day; once he broke up a fight at the laundromat, 
persuading a gunman to put away his weapon.
  Born and raised in Houston, after high school Michael Wartell 
enlisted in the United States Army, serving two tours of duty.
  After his service in the military, he worked as a truck driver 
driving across the country in his 18-wheeler for over twenty years, 
before retiring to move back home so he could care for his aging 
mother, Earline.
  Michael Wartell loved to read, particularly books about history and 
cooking and he loved to cook, spend time with his dog, and lend a 
helping hand to people in his neighborhood.
  Unfortunately, last Thursday Wartell was caught in the crossfire, 
struck by a stray bullet as he tried to run to safety.
  Mr. Speaker, this terrible tragedy is simply the latest reminder that 
action is needed, and needed now, to prevent gun violence.
  As a member of the House Democratic Task Force on Gun Violence 
Prevention and the Ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee's 
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and 
Investigations, I understand that changing the pervasive culture of gun 
violence will not happen overnight.
  This tragedy is another powerful reminder of the urgent need to enact 
sensible policies to reduce the incidence of gun violence, beginning 
with the adoption of universal background checks which are supported by 
nearly 90% of the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, the death of Michael Wartell is a tragedy for his family 
and loved ones, for the Houston community, and for the nation he served 
with honor and distinction as a member of the Armed Forces.
  He will be deeply missed and I ask that a moment of silence be 
observed in his memory.

                          ____________________