[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7059]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         CONDOLENCES EXTENDED TO PEOPLE OF LITTLETON, COLORADO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I am profoundly shocked and saddened by 
yesterday's school tragedy in Littleton, Colorado, where two students 
opened fire on their classmates and then turned their guns on 
themselves.
  The most common question we ask ourselves in a situation like this is 
``why?'' Well, we do not know yet all the ``hows'' or ``whys'' of this 
tragedy, and we may never understand it. What we can do, without 
question and hesitation, is extend our thoughts and prayers to the 
families who have lost their loved ones, to the parents who have lost 
their beloved children, to the wounded children and their families, and 
to the people of the community of Littleton, Colorado.
  Mr. Speaker, I can empathize with what the people of Littleton are 
going through. There was an incident of senseless school violence in my 
own south Texas congressional district a little over 1 year ago. On 
January 13, 1998, two masked gunmen, armed with automatic assault 
rifles, stormed into a building at South Texas Community College and 
opened fire where students were registering for class. Two students 
were seriously wounded and one security guard died in that shooting.
  In McAllen, Texas, this was certainly not something that we ever 
imagined possible on a community college campus. Shock and grief swept 
across our community in the immediate aftermath of the violent 
incident. To this day, it remains a shock and a horror.
  In the days ahead, it is important that we do all we can to hammer 
home to our children and to young adults that violence is wrong. As a 
member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, school 
safety is an issue that I take very seriously. In fact, it is the 
number one educational concern of hundreds of my constituents I 
surveyed earlier this year.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, as we struggle to understand this tragedy, our 
hearts go out to the people of Littleton, Colorado. On behalf of every 
man, woman and child of Texas's 15th Congressional District, please 
accept our deep condolences and sympathy.

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