[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 195 (Tuesday, December 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S7436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 720--EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE SENATE AND 
 HONORING THE MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF THE SHOOTING AT MERCY HOSPITAL 
     AND MEDICAL CENTER IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ON NOVEMBER 19, 2018

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Duckworth) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 720

       Whereas on November 19, 2018, a gunman opened fire in the 
     parking lot and lobby of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in 
     Chicago, Illinois;
       Whereas the gunman took the lives of 3 individuals who had 
     dedicated themselves to serving others as members of the law 
     enforcement and medical communities;
       Whereas Chicago Police Officer Samuel Jimenez, age 28, of 
     the Second Police District, responded to the emergency call 
     with bravery and made the ultimate sacrifice in an effort to 
     protect the lives of others;
       Whereas Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said 
     that--
       (1) Officer Jimenez and the other officers who responded to 
     the shooting ``did what heroic officers always do--they ran 
     toward the gunfire''; and
       (2) the actions of Officer Jimenez and the other officers 
     who responded to the shooting ``saved a lot of lives'';
       Whereas Officer Jimenez was--
       (1) a dedicated law enforcement officer;
       (2) a loving husband; and
       (3) a loving father of 3 young children;
       Whereas Officer Jimenez was the second police officer of 
     the Chicago Police Department to be fatally shot in the line 
     of duty in 2018, after Commander Paul R. Bauer, the commander 
     of the 18th Police District, was fatally shot while 
     attempting to apprehend an armed suspect on February 13;
       Whereas Dr. Tamara O'Neal, age 38, a physician at Mercy 
     Hospital and Medical Center, was fatally shot by the gunman 
     in the hospital parking lot;
       Whereas Dr. O'Neal, a graduate of the University of 
     Illinois College of Medicine, had worked in the emergency 
     department at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center treating 
     others and was devoted to her church and to charitable 
     causes;
       Whereas Dr. O'Neal was described by the director of the 
     emergency department at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center as 
     a ``wonderful individual'' who was ``dedicated to caring for 
     her community'';
       Whereas Dayna Less, age 24, a pharmacist at Mercy Hospital 
     and Medical Center, was fatally shot by the gunman;
       Whereas Ms. Less, a graduate of Purdue University, had 
     overcome health challenges as a youth and had decided to 
     become a pharmacist to help serve the health needs of others;
       Whereas Ms. Less, who was engaged to be married to her 
     childhood sweetheart, was described by her father as ``the 
     strongest person I know'';
       Whereas the city of Chicago suffers from our nation's 
     epidemic of gun violence, with nearly 2,700 people killed or 
     injured by gunfire in Chicago in 2018;
       Whereas the medical community in the United States works 
     tirelessly every day to provide professional and dedicated 
     care to individuals affected by gun violence across the 
     nation;
       Whereas the law enforcement community in the United States 
     works tirelessly every day to respond to incidents of gun 
     violence and protect others from harm at the risk of their 
     own safety; and
       Whereas the nation owes a debt of gratitude to members of 
     the law enforcement and medical communities in Chicago and 
     across the United States for the service they provide in 
     helping others, including in the response to the shooting at 
     Mercy Hospital and Medical Center on November 19, 2018: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses sincere condolences to the families, friends, 
     and loved ones of Officer Samuel Jimenez, Dr. Tamara O'Neal, 
     and Dayna Less, the victims of the tragic shooting on 
     November 19, 2018, at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in 
     Chicago, Illinois;
       (2) honors the lives and memory of the victims, with 
     gratitude for the service the victims provided as members of 
     the law enforcement and medical communities;
       (3) extends support to the individuals subjected to the 
     trauma of the shooting;
       (4) thanks the law enforcement officers, medical personnel, 
     emergency responders, and Mercy Hospital and Medical Center 
     workers who responded to the shooting with professionalism, 
     dedication, and bravery; and
       (5) stands in solidarity with the victims of senseless gun 
     violence in Chicago and in communities across the United 
     States.

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