[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12286-12292]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      CONDEMNING THE ATROCITIES THAT OCCURRED IN AURORA, COLORADO

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of 
July 25, 2012, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 134) 
condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the heinous atrocities 
that occurred in Aurora, Colorado, and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 134

       Whereas, on July 20, 2012, an armed gunman opened fire at a 
     movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 and wounding 58 
     others;
       Whereas many individuals at the theater selflessly sought 
     to aid and protect others above their own safety;

[[Page 12287]]

       Whereas the Aurora Police Department and the Aurora Fire 
     Department quickly and bravely acted to prevent the 
     additional loss of life; and
       Whereas local, State, and Federal law enforcement, 
     firefighter, and medical service professionals performed 
     their duties with utmost skill and coordination: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the heinous 
     atrocities that occurred in Aurora, Colorado;
       (2) offers its condolences to the families, friends, and 
     loved ones of those who were killed in the attack and 
     expresses its hope for the rapid and complete recovery of the 
     wounded;
       (3) applauds the hard work and dedication exhibited by the 
     hundreds of local, State, and Federal officials and the 
     others who offered their support and assistance; and
       (4) honors the resilience of the community of the City of 
     Aurora and the State of Colorado in the face of such 
     adversity.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Womack). Pursuant to the order of the 
House of Wednesday, July 25, 2012, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Coffman) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) each will 
control 15 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman).
  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, we can never explain nor fully 
comprehend evil, but last Friday we were reminded of its existence. The 
face of evil emerged when a cold blooded, calculating mass murderer 
trapped unsuspecting movie patrons packed in a darkened theater in my 
hometown of Aurora, Colorado.
  Today, on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, we 
pause to again remember the victims of this horrendous crime and to 
honor the courage of so many who put their own lives at risk to limit 
the carnage.
  The victims who lost their lives in the early morning hours of last 
Friday are: Veronica Moser, age 6; Alex Teves, age 24; Jessica Ghawi, 
age 24; Alex Sullivan, age 27; Matt McQuinn, age 27; Micayla Medek, age 
23; John Larimer, age 27; A.J. Boik, age 18; Rebecca Wingo, age 32; 
John Blunk, age 26; Jesse Childress, age 29; Gordon Cowden, age 51.
  Aurora is a proud suburban community, mostly of working class and 
middle class families, who share basic American values, the values of 
hard work, and of faith in God, and of family.
  My family came to Aurora, Colorado, in 1964 when my father, a career 
soldier, was sent to Fortissimos Army Medical Center for his last 
assignment in the U.S. Army. Back then, Aurora was just a small town 
surrounded by three military bases. In the 1970s, Aurora transitioned 
away from being a military town, although it still has an Air Force 
base. Aurora has grown to become the third-largest city in the State of 
Colorado, with a population of over 300,000 residents. Aurora has also 
grown to become the most racially and ethnically diverse city in the 
State of Colorado.
  Aurora has received the ``All-American City Award'' by the National 
League of Cities in recognition of being a community whose citizens 
work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and for 
having achieved uncommon results. A couple of weeks ago, I was at a 
meeting with the Aurora Board of Realtors where Mayor Steve Hogan was 
speaking. He proudly informed the audience that Aurora was ranked as 
the eighth-safest city of its size in the country.

                              {time}  0920

  No doubt we are still in shock and trying to understand why this 
happened to our community.
  The theater where so many lost their lives and where so many were 
injured lies in the heart of our city. The vacant ground beside the 
theater has been designated by our city's planners to be the future 
site of the City Center.
  Aurora will never be the same after this horrific act of evil that 
occurred last week, but the citizens of Aurora are caring and 
resilient, and a long process of healing has already begun. We will 
stand together and come back stronger than before this attack.
  When I think of all the victims of this tragedy and how much our 
community has suffered, I am reminded by a refrain from a hymn that I 
have often sung in church:

       And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
       Bear you on the breath of dawn,
       Make you to shine like the sun,
       And hold you in the palm of His hand.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity the other 
day for us to have a moment of silence. I know it was important to the 
members of our delegation as well as to the people of our community in 
Aurora, Colorado, and the whole metropolitan area.
  I had a chance to speak on Tuesday. I have a number of things to say, 
but I know each of us in our delegation bears a heavy heart as a result 
of all this, and I would like others to be able to share some of their 
thoughts.
  With that, I yield 2 minutes to my friend from Boulder, Mr. Polis.
  Mr. POLIS. I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Perlmutter from 
Colorado, not only for bringing forward this resolution, but for 
spending time with those affected in the aftermath of this. I'd also 
like to thank President Obama for immediately changing his plans and 
coming to Colorado to express, on behalf of our Nation, grief and 
provide what comfort he could to the victims and their families.
  I think one thing that's important for Americans to understand is 
Aurora is a community just like yours. My district is several miles 
from Aurora, but I've been to movies myself in Aurora. I drive through 
it frequently on the way to the airport.
  This could be anywhere. It's a safe community. It's a community of 
loving families. It's a growing city. And the tragedy that occurred 
could have been at any one of our neighborhood theaters.
  Going to the movie theater, an expression of innocent joy, something 
that people have grown up with for generations, the magic of the silver 
screen and lives torn apart, not only those who lost their lives 
tragically, not only those who were injured, some of whom remain in the 
hospital, but all the others that were terrified, scared in the other 
theater, in the other movie theaters that night, in the community at 
large, this was, in many ways, a crime against innocence and a crime 
against enjoyment and diversion. People turn to movies, turn to 
entertainment for a moment's respite, a moment's entertainment from 
their daily lives, and this tragic end really represents an end of 
innocence for so many people that were affected.
  But so, too, we've seen many great heroes rise to the occasion: the 
courageous responders, the community of Aurora, Mayor Hogan, the 
families of those affected, and our criminal justice system. We all 
come together in difficult times. We all come together, and together 
with the love, respect, and support from American families across the 
country, the victims' families know that they're not alone, and that's 
important.
  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield 4 minutes to 
the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton).
  Mr. TIPTON. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I think that we all struggle to be able to find words to 
be able to address a flash point in time in the city of Aurora to where 
we saw the absolute worst of humanity in the senseless slaughter of 
innocent people. But we also saw the best of humanity as people rose to 
be able to protect their loved ones, as we saw emergency service 
personnel rush to the scene to be able to operate in the hospitals 
where doctors and nurses fought valiantly to be able to preserve life.
  As we look back on that day, we can't help but be reminded that too 
many lives were cut short, and chapters that were yet to be written 
needlessly and mindlessly were cut off.
  The hearts of all Coloradans and, in fact, what we've seen 
demonstrated on this floor I think speaks to the heart of this country, 
as people rose as one to be able to express their empathy and their 
concern. We saw neighbors and strangers reaching out and helping hands 
all praying for that opportunity

[[Page 12288]]

and ability to be able to find the right words, if there could ever be 
such words, to offer some modicum of comfort to those who suffered such 
a tragic loss.
  This is a date that certainly our State and the people of Aurora will 
never forget. It has touched each and every one of our hearts, and you 
can not help but condemn, obviously, the act. But each one of us, I 
think, this day and for days, weeks, months, and years to come, will 
continue to offer up prayers for those who lost their lives, for the 
families that were affected, and our thanks, our thanks for those who 
showed such love and concern, and for all the emergency service 
personnel who were there to defend people who just were out for a good 
evening.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud this resolution and this Colorado delegation's 
standing together today to be able to express this and thank this House 
for the support that they've shown, as well, for the people of 
Colorado.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield 3 minutes to Diana 
DeGette, my friend from Denver, who had a number of constituents in the 
movie theater that evening.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my dear friend and 
colleague, Ed Perlmutter, for yielding to me.
  This is a difficult week for all of us in Colorado.
  There were two movie theaters in the Denver metro area that were 
showing this premiere at midnight last Thursday night. So there were 
people from all over the community in that theater there with their 
families and their friends, almost the entire employees of a restaurant 
in Colorado. They went to have a fun evening on a summer night. And 
tragedy, of course, struck that night unexpectedly to everybody.
  I've been overwhelmed, as we all have in the delegation, by the 
support of the community for all of the victims of the shooting and 
their families.

                              {time}  0930

  The way the communities have come together--Aurora and Denver and 
Inglewood and all of the communities--has been a blessed thing to see 
for all of us.
  No one can make sense of a tragedy like this, and the stories of 
heroism are still coming out every day. The stories of miracles--babies 
born just a day or two after in the same hospital where the father lies 
in a coma. Yet while we hear all of these stories of heroism and while 
we hear all of the stories of first responders rushing to the scene and 
helping within 90 seconds, in our heart we say: How can this happen and 
what can we do?
  I did have a number of constituents in that theater, some who were 
just injured, some who were in the nearby theaters who will be scarred 
psychologically forever by this, a close friend of my daughter, and 
others. I had at least three constituents who were killed by this 
terrible crime. The little girl, Veronica Moser, age 6--whose mother, 
Ashley, lies in critical condition--Jessica Ghawi and Alex Teves. Our 
prayers and thoughts go out to all of them and their families.
  It's wonderful to see my friends from the delegation here, the entire 
House delegation from Colorado. We consider ourselves to be close 
allies, although we often disagree on different issues.
  I just want to say something to all of my colleagues and to everyone 
in this House, Mr. Speaker. We have now had, as of today, 25 moments of 
silence as respects victims of gun violence since the Columbine 
shooting. I was here for that too. We had two moments of silence just 
the other day, one for Aurora and one for the anniversary of the 
Capitol police officer who was killed 10 years ago today.
  So we can have our debates, we can have our discussions, we can mourn 
for the victims, which is appropriate this week; but it is our 
challenge, as leaders of our State and leaders of our country, to go on 
from today and to say: What can we seriously do as a Nation to make 
sure that no tragedy of this scope or horror ever happens in this 
country again?
  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Mike Coffman 
and Representative Ed Perlmutter for leading this time this morning.
  Mr. Speaker, the fact that the entire delegation--bipartisan 
delegation--is here is just a small reflection of how the people of 
Colorado are coming together and the people of Aurora are coming 
together after this senseless tragedy.
  We've heard a lot of stories of bravery, both on the parts of the 
first responders and the parts of everyday citizens. I want to tell a 
story of one of the victims.
  I'd like to share the story of Caleb Medley. Caleb is from the small 
town of Florence, just south of Colorado Springs. Today, Caleb lies in 
a medically induced coma after being shot in the face. In the days 
since that horrific shooting, his wife, Katie, has given birth to their 
first child, Hugo.
  Caleb spent his teen years in Florence; and after graduating from 
high school, he married his high school sweetheart, Katie. He went to 
work at a local grocery store. Like most people, he and Katie have big 
plans and dreams for their lives. From the time he was in eighth grade, 
Caleb has wanted to be a standup comedian. Katie wants to work in 
veterinarian medicine. The young couple moved to the Denver suburb of 
Aurora to pursue their dreams.
  On July 18, just 2 days before the shooting, Caleb appeared at the 
Comedy Works and did well enough to advance to the next round. And he 
and his wife, Katie, were looking forward to their baby's birth a few 
days later. But before little Hugo could be born, Caleb and Katie made 
the fateful decision to go out one last night before becoming parents. 
According to a Web site that Caleb's family has posted, the two stood 
anxiously in line that night. They spent too much on popcorn and soda. 
They endured the movie trailers, and they watched the beginning of the 
movie. That's when evil struck. Evil came to them through a man that 
opened fire in that movie theater.
  Katie and baby Hugo made it out uninjured, but Caleb was struck in 
the face by gunfire. Caleb has lost his right eye, has some brain 
damage, and doctors have put him in a medically induced coma.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I ask that the people of America would be praying 
for Caleb and his family. We are pulling for you, Caleb, and for all 
the victims of this senseless tragedy.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. I thank my friend Doug for describing in detail one 
of these injuries.
  I'd like to introduce, Mr. Speaker, if I could, for the Record some 
brief biographical information of each of the victims who was killed: 
John Blunk, Alexander Jonathan ``AJ'' Boik, Jesse Childress, Gordon 
Cowden, Jessica Ghawi, John Larimer, Micayla Medek, Veronica Moser, 
Alex Sullivan, Alex Teves, and Rebecca Wingo, because I want our Record 
in this Congress to have their names and some information about them. 
And I appreciate you talking about somebody specifically.
  These are hard moments for all of us. These are good people, and some 
very bad things happened to some very good people. But I want to talk 
about some of the positive aspects that came out of this dreadful 
night.
  Thirteen years ago--Diana DeGette mentioned Columbine--on the 
southwest side of my district I have Columbine, on the northeast side 
of my district I have this theater. Colorado is a good place. I mean, 
all of us love where we come from. We've had some violent incidents 
that have taken our innocence, as Mr. Polis has said. We heal from 
these things, but you're never quite the same. You're never quite the 
same. But one of the positive aspects of that terrible incident 13 
years ago at Columbine High School was that our law enforcement, our 
first responders, our police, our firefighters, our medical teams 
learned some real lessons.
  We have, in the Aurora area, a community college called Aurora 
Community College, where we have gone through a number of exercises to 
deal with a mass casualty incident such as this, where the police, the 
fire, law enforcement agencies from across our

[[Page 12289]]

communities--Denver, Adams, Arapahoe Counties--work together with the 
CU Medical School to address these kinds of incidents, and the chief of 
police, Dan Oates, who deserves a higher place in heaven for the way he 
has managed this terrible time on behalf of law enforcement. They've 
prepared and prepared and prepared. Unbelievably, this terrible tragedy 
happened, but because of that preparation, because of what we had gone 
through before and the terrible lessons we learned, lives were saved. 
There's no question about it; lives were saved that otherwise would 
have been lost.
  I want to applaud, again, the Aurora police, the Aurora firefighters, 
the medical teams--casualties were taken to six or seven different 
hospitals in our area--but they all did an outstanding job. The 
dispatchers, can you imagine all the 911 calls that came in that night. 
We want to thank them.
  We want to thank the FBI. Jim Yacone, who is our bureau chief, was 
outstanding on behalf of the Federal response to deal both with the 
shootings that occurred in the theater and the elaborate booby trap 
that was set in this apartment--that I drive by at least once a week--
right across from the University of Colorado. This is something that we 
will heal from, but we will never be the same.
  And I just want to thank the Aurora schools, which provided a place 
of safety for all of these individuals to go at the time of this 
incident.

                              {time}  0940

  I want to thank the ministerial alliance. As Mr. Coffman said, this 
is a community of great faith, and our churches and our synagogues have 
responded in a tremendous fashion to the sorrow that we all feel.
  There are many stories, some beautiful ones. The President shared 
one.
  Before I go further, Mr. Speaker, can I inquire as to the time on 
both sides, because I know I have a couple of other speakers that would 
like to speak.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) 
has 4\1/2\ minutes. The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman) has 4 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. I would just mention the story, and this is one that 
I'm so proud of people from Colorado. There were two young women in the 
back of the theater when the gentleman came in and threw a tear gas 
canister across the theater. And the taller of the two noticed that it 
really was something other than a smoke bomb and a stunt, and she stood 
up to warn people, and she was shot in the neck immediately.
  Blood started to spurt out. Her smaller friend pulled her down, 
compressed that wound, and the older one said something, or the one 
who'd been shot said something like you need to leave, you need to get 
out of here. And her friend said, I'm not leaving without you, and 
continued to press.
  The police responded very quickly, but it probably seemed like an 
eternity. But the young lady who was shot in the neck is on the mend 
and is going to recover fully, and her friend, basically, saved her 
life, and the quick actions of the police and the fire department.
  So despite these terrible losses that we've suffered, and there are 
so many heartbreaking stories, there are some heartwarming stories as 
well.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

             July 20, 2012 Aurora Theater Shooting Victims


                           Rebecca Wingo, 32

       Steve Hernandez wrote, ``I lost my daughter yesterday to a 
     mad man, my grief right now is inconsolable, I hear she died 
     instantly, without pain, however the pain is unbearable.'' 
     Friends said Saturday that Wingo's parents also posted a 
     message about Wingo's death on Wingo's own Facebook page. 
     That page shows a picture of two young girls. A friend, Gail 
     Riffle, brought two teddy bears, one pink and one white, to 
     the memorial site near the movie theater for Wingo's 
     daughters, as well as roses for Wingo's parents. ``Everybody 
     is hurting right now,'' Riffle said. ``She was a gentle, 
     sweet, beautiful soul.'' Rebecca Wingo listed Joe's Crab 
     Shack as her employer on Facebook, and a manager at the 
     restaurant in Aurora confirmed Wingo worked there. He 
     deferred comment to the restaurant's corporate office, which 
     is closed on Saturday. Rebecca Wingo had been enrolled at the 
     Community College of Aurora since fall 2009 and had been 
     working toward an associate of arts degree.


                      Memorial Service Information

       Funeral: Friday, July 27, 2012--TBD.
                                  ____



                             JON BLUNK, 26

       Jon Blunk, 26, was shot to death in the Aurora Theater 
     while trying to protect his girlfriend, Jansen Young. Jon 
     Blunk went to Proctor Hug High School in Reno. After his 2004 
     high school graduation, he enlisted in the Navy and served 
     aboard the USS Nimitz in San Diego. Blunk left the Navy and 
     moved to Colorado in 2009. He had been working at a hardware 
     store at the time of the theater shooting.


                      Memorial Service Information

       Funeral: Friday, August 3, 2012--1:00 pm PDT, Mountain View 
     Mortuary, 425 Stoker Avenue, Reno, NV 89503.
       Note: Full military funeral and burial.
       The viewing which will only be attended by family and not 
     advertised will be on Thursday, August 2nd from ll am-5 pm.
                                  ____



                   Alexander Jonathan ``AJ'' BOIK, 18

       AJ Boik was being remembered Saturday as a talented and 
     kind man who enjoyed baseball, making pottery and music. 
     Boik's plans included attending Rocky Mountain College of Art 
     and Design in the fall. His family said his dream was to 
     become an art teacher and open his own studio. ``AJ Boik was 
     a wonderful, handsome and loving 18-year-old young man with a 
     warm and loving heart,'' the family said in a statement. 
     Survived by mother Theresa Hoover; father Jon Boik; brother 
     Wil Boik; grandparents Bill & Sue Hoover, Cora Lou Tarrant 
     and Emil Boik; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.


                      Memorial Service Information

       Visitation: Thurs., 1:00-5:30 pm, Horan & McConaty Family 
     Chapel, 11150 E. Dartmouth Ave., Aurora.
       Funeral: Friday, July 27, 2012--10 am MDT, Queen of Peace 
     Catholic Church, 13120 E. Kentucky Ave, Aurora.
       Memorial Donations suggested to the A.J. Boik Memorial 
     Fund, c/o Wells Fargo Bank.
       Share condolences at HoranCares.com.
                                  ____



                          Jesse Childress, 29

       Jesse Childress, 29, Air Force Reservist, lived in 
     Thornton, CO. Jesse worked as a cyber systems operator and 
     was on active duty at Buckley Air Force Base. He loved sports 
     and comic books, friends say. Nearly every day of the week, 
     Jesse Childress spent his evenings playing sports with 
     friends. Monday it was softball. Tuesday it was bowling. 
     Another night, it was flag football.
       The base released a statement Saturday: ``This tragic event 
     has affected everybody here at Buckley Air Force Base and our 
     local community friends and neighbors,'' base commander Col. 
     Daniel Dant said in a statement. ``We are deeply saddened by 
     the loss of each and every loved one.'' According to the Air 
     Force Reserve Command, Childress worked as a cyber systems 
     operator and was currently on active duty.


                      Memorial Service Information

       Funeral: Saturday, July 28, 2012--12:00 pm MDT--Base 
     Chapel, Buckley Air Force Base--Aurora, CO.
       Following the funeral, there will be a procession to Ft. 
     Logan where the interment will take place at 3:00 pm MDT. 
     There are also plans in works for a reception back at the 
     base (not sure if at the chapel or LDC at this time) 
     somewhere around 5:00 pm-6:00 pm MDT, no firm plans are in 
     place yet.
                                  ____



                          Gordon W. Cowden, 51

       Gordon Ware Cowden was born on November 17, 1960 in Waco, 
     Texas. Father of Kristian, Weston, Brooke and Cierra; son of 
     George and Mollie; brother of Graves, George (Shirley), 
     Gaylynn (Ken) Kendall. He is also survived by the mother of 
     his children Melisa. Cowden is the son of former Texas State 
     Representative George M. Cowden, according to the Austin 
     Statesman. Cowden had taken his two teenage children to the 
     theater the night of the shooting. The teenagers escaped 
     unharmed.
       Gordon W. Cowden, 51 of Aurora, Colorado, was the oldest of 
     the victims killed.
       His family released this statement: ``Loving father, 
     outdoorsman and small business owner, Cowden was a true Texas 
     gentleman that loved life and his family. A quick witted 
     world traveler with a keen sense of humor, he will be 
     remembered for his devotion to his children and for always 
     trying his best to do the right thing, no matter the 
     obstacle.''


                      Memorial Service Information

       Funeral: Wednesday, July 25, 2012--11 am MDT, Pathways 
     Church, 1595 Pearl Street, Denver, CO.
       Please share memories at HoranCares.com.
                                  ____



                           Jessica Ghawi, 24

       Jessica Ghawi was an up-and-coming sportscaster who loved 
     hockey. Jessica Ghawi, 24, grew up a hockey fan in football-
     crazed Texas. She followed that passion to Colorado to forge 
     a career in sports journalism. It probably took her to 
     Toronto, where she walked out of a shopping-mall

[[Page 12290]]

     food court moments before a gunman shot seven people. Writing 
     as Jessica Redfield in a June 5 blog entry, she described how 
     the experience reminded her ``how blessed I am for each 
     second I am given.''


                      Memorial Service Information

       Funeral: Saturday, July 28, 2012--10 am CDT, Community 
     Bible Forever New Church, 2477 North Loop 1604 East, San 
     Antonio, TX.
       Church staffers said they do not have any information on 
     whether the event will be open to the public. They plan an 
     announcement with more details by Wednesday.
                                  ____



                            John Larimer, 27

       Petty Officer Third Class John Thomas Larimer was among 
     those killed in the attack at an Aurora movie theater. 
     Larimer, 27, joined the Navy in June 2011 and was a 
     cryptology technician third class. For the past year, he had 
     been stationed at the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command station at 
     Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. ``I am incredibly saddened 
     by the loss of Petty Officer John Larimer,'' Cmdr. Jeffrey 
     Jakuboski, Larimer's commanding officer, said in a statement. 
     ``He was an outstanding shipmate. A valued member of our Navy 
     team, he will be missed by all who knew him.'' Larimer was 
     from Crystal Lake, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. He wanted to be 
     deployed for two simple reasons: He wanted to protect his 
     country, and he wanted to save others from danger and harm.


                      Memorial Service Information

       The family of the Navy Intelligence officer is planning a 
     public visitation from 3 to 9 p.m. July 27 at the Davenport 
     Family Funeral Home in Crystal Lake, Ill.
       His funeral and burial will be private.
                                  ____



                            Matt McQuinn, 27

       As a gunman calmly walked up the aisle of the Aurora movie 
     theater Friday firing at moviegoers, McQuinn dove on top of 
     Samantha Yowler. Her brother Nick Yowler, 32, also tried to 
     shield her, said Robert L. Scott, attorney for both the 
     McQuinn and Yowler families. Samantha Yowler, 27, was shot in 
     the knee. Her brother escaped without injury. But McQuinn, 
     from St. Paris, Ohio, was not as fortunate. Matt McQuinn 
     graduated from Vandalia-Butler High School in 2004. He met 
     Yowler while the two were working at a Target store in 
     Springfield, according to the Dayton Daily News. In November, 
     the couple transferred to a Target store in Denver, joining 
     Yowler's brother who had lived in Colorado for the past few 
     years.


                      Memorial Service Information

       Visitation: Friday, July 27, 2012--2-4 pm & 6-8 pm EDT, 
     Maiden Lane Church of God, 1201 Maiden Lane Springfield, OH 
     45504.
       Funeral: Saturday, July 28th--10 am EDT, Maiden Lane Church 
     of God, 1201 Maiden Lane Springfield, OH 45504.
       His burial will be at Lawrenceville Cemetery in Clark 
     County.
                                  ____



                           Micayla Medek, 23

       On her Facebook page, Micayla Medek, 23, identified herself 
     as a Subway sandwich artist. A graduate of William C. Hinkley 
     High School in Aurora, she said she was a member of the class 
     of 2015 of the Community College of Aurora. ``I'm a simple 
     independent girl who's just trying to get her life together 
     while still having fun,'' she wrote. She is survived by her 
     parents, Greg and Rena; brother, Shane; sister, Amanda; 
     grandparents, Laurin and Marlene Knobbe; grandmother, 
     Caroline Medek; and numerous other relatives and friends.


                      Memorial Service Information

       Visitation: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 from 2 pm to 9 pm MDT, 
     Newcomer Funeral Home & Crematory, 190 N. Potomac, Aurora, 
     CO.
       Funeral: Thursday, July 26, 2012--11 am MDT, New Hope 
     Baptist Church, 3701 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO.
                                  ____



                           Veronica Moser, 6

       Veronica Moser will always be six years old. The ``vibrant, 
     excitable'' blond-haired, blue-eyed little girl, who was 
     bragging four days ago about learning how to swim, was one of 
     the 12 people who died in the Aurora theater shooting. Ashley 
     Moser, Veronica's mother, remains in critical condition at 
     Aurora Medical Center. The 25-year-old was shot in the neck, 
     and doctors are unable to remove the bullet. Moser also 
     suffered a gunshot wound in the abdomen. She passes in and 
     out of consciousness, Dalton said, and does not yet know that 
     her daughter has died. Doctors said that Moser, who was 
     recently accepted to medical school, will hopefully recover 
     with some use of her hands, Dalton said.


                      Memorial Service Information

       No details as of 7/25/12.
                                  ____



                           Alex Sullivan, 27

       Alex Sullivan, 27, was celebrating his birthday with co-
     workers from Red Robin restaurant at the midnight showing of 
     ``The Dark Knight'' when he was killed. Sullivan was also 
     about to celebrate his one-year wedding anniversary. ``The 
     Sullivan family lost a cherished member of their family 
     today,'' a release from the family said. ``Alex was smart, 
     funny, and above all loved dearly by his friends and 
     family.''
       Tina Desautels from APWU let us know Alex Sullivan, is the 
     son of a postal worker in Aurora--Tom Sullivan.


                      Memorial Service Information

       Visitation (Public): Thursday, July 26, 2012 from 12 pm to 
     4 pm MDT at The Heartlight Center, 11150 E. Dartmouth Avenue, 
     Aurora, CO.
       Funeral: Friday, July 27, 2012--TBD.
                                  ____



                             Alex Teves, 24

       Shooting victim Alex Teves, 24, recently earned his 
     master's degree in counseling psychology from the University 
     of Denver. A friend, identified only as Caitlin on Twitter, 
     posted messages on the social media network early Friday from 
     the Century 16 theater, and wrote on Twitter early Saturday 
     that Teves was, ``One of the best men I ever knew. The world 
     isn't as good a place without him.'' She also described Teves 
     as a fan of the University of Arizona and Spider-Man. A 
     University of Denver spokeswoman said Teves, from Phoenix, 
     Ariz., graduated in June. An official notice of Teves' death 
     will be sent to the University of Denver community later 
     Saturday. Teves' personal Facebook page lists him as a 2010 
     graduate of the University of Arizona, and a 2006 graduate of 
     Desert Vista High School in Phoenix.


                      Memorial Service Information

       The Teves family is planning to hold memorial services in 
     Arizona and New Jersey, however more specific details have 
     not yet been released.

  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of Mr. 
Perlmutter's comments in relationship to our own Aurora Police 
Department, as well as all the other law enforcement entities that have 
helped in this terrible tragedy.
  I now yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Gardner).
  Mr. GARDNER. I thank the gentleman from Aurora for yielding time to 
share today, and thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) for 
your leadership and your comfort and encouraging words during an 
incredible tragedy.
  And to the President, thank you for sharing your love with Colorado, 
as well as to Governor Hickenlooper for the leadership that he has 
provided throughout this past week.
  This Chamber has seen its incredible days of victories, of 
celebrations, of great triumphs for this country. And today we discuss 
a resolution that talks about one of our Nation's great tragedies. And 
so we join together as a delegation to talk about an event that we, in 
Colorado, know we will not let remain a tragedy, but will turn into 
remembrance of those who are good in our State and our country.
  We oftentimes in Colorado forget because of the great beauty of our 
State that sometimes the hearts of all people don't match that beauty. 
But as we sat at the prayer vigil this past Sunday and looked out as 
the rays of sun broke through the clouds, on the choir, on the many 
people of faith who had gathered, we know that this one dark moment in 
history will be matched by far greater light. And it's our obligation 
to make sure that that indeed happens.
  As a father, I can't imagine the great loss of families and friends, 
the victims of this horrendous crime. And our hearts, our prayers, our 
thoughts go with them as we build a stronger community going forward.
  The many people of faith who have prayed, the people in this body who 
have shared their prayers and thoughts with the community of Colorado 
remind me of a passage in the book of Matthew, where Jesus went out 
onto the lake in the middle of a storm with his disciples, and he 
looked out upon the stormy waters and he said, peace be still. And we 
ask that those who are troubled, those whose hearts are yet to heal, we 
ask for the peace that we all so desperately need.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the leader, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Perlmutter for yielding, and I'm 
very sad to join my colleagues in expressing the deepest sympathies of 
the House of Representatives to the families and loved ones of the 
victims in Aurora, Colorado, and to the entire community as it grapples 
with its grief.
  My colleagues have spoken very movingly from the standpoint of faith; 
and, hopefully, that faith will be a comfort to those who are affected.

[[Page 12291]]

  As you know, Mr. Speaker, when we learned of this tragedy, the 
President ordered flags to be flown at half staff for 1 week to 
commemorate the tragedy that Aurora, these individual families, and our 
country had suffered. That was done as a mark of respect for the 12 
innocent victims of the senseless violence and for all who were 
affected.
  Of the victims who were murdered, and that's just the word that day, 
the vast majority were very young people. The one, Gordon Cowden, was a 
father in his fifties--well, that seems young to me; the others were 
very young--whose last words to his daughters were to tell them he 
loved them.
  Each of them has a story that deserves to be told. Each was beloved. 
Each left home with a different expectation of what would happen that 
evening, and so did the rest of the country.
  Several died protecting their loved ones, including John Blunk, Alex 
Teves and Matt McQuinn. Alex Sullivan was about to celebrate his 1-year 
wedding anniversary, and that was the celebration, going out to the 
movies.
  A.J. Boik had just graduated from high school. Jessica Ghawi dreamed 
of being a sports journalist. Micayla Medek and Rebecca Wingo were 
pursuing their futures at community college.
  Two victims, Jesse Childress and John Larimer, were Active Duty 
military personnel. They signed up to risk their lives for our country 
to protect our freedom. Who could have ever thought that they would 
lose their lives going to the movies?
  And as a child, Veronica Moser will now forever be remembered as the 
6-year-old. What a sad tragedy.
  Most of us here in this body are parents and grandparents, and in 
Steny's case, a great-grandparent, and every person knows the feeling 
of sending a child off to a movie with their friends, the excitement of 
an opening night, and then the worry when the minutes tick by and 
someone hasn't come home.
  It is with heavy hearts that we send our thoughts and prayers to the 
many grieving today, and we continue to pray--thank you for taking us 
down that path; we continue to pray for the healing of those who 
survived, both their physical pain and their emotional scars. That's 
probably the hardest.
  We send our gratitude to our first responders. Within minutes, when 
minutes counted, when seconds counted, they responded with bravery and 
with professionalism.
  In the words of this resolution, the Congress ``honors the resilience 
of the community of the City of Aurora and the State of Colorado in the 
face of such adversity.''
  May you feel the support and love and prayers of our Nation. May 
those tragically taken from us be honored and remembered. May time heal 
our grief.
  I hope it is a comfort to those who are affected by this tragedy, who 
lost loved ones, or have injuries in their families, that so many 
people throughout the world mourn their loss and are praying for them 
at this sad time.

                              {time}  0950


                             General Leave

  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on House Concurrent 
Resolution 134.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I again inquire about the balance of 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) 
has 2\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman from Colorado, who has been so 
involved and so eloquent in expressing the grief that his constituents 
share, as have been all the Members from Colorado on either side of the 
aisle who have come together to share this grief.
  Mr. Speaker, when tragedy of this kind strikes, our hearts go out to 
those whose lives were cut short and to those who lost loved ones. In 
the aftermath of this shooting, we have seen both an outpouring of love 
and support for the victims and their families and a quickness to point 
out what might have been done differently. That is our nature as 
Americans--always seeking answers, searching for corrective action, for 
a measure of logic amid the irrational.
  But the first question we ought to ask and is already being asked is: 
How can we draw closer as a community? Not just the community of 
Aurora, but the community of Americans.
  As President Obama said on Friday:

       If there's anything to take away from this tragedy, it's 
     the reminder that life is very fragile. And what matters at 
     the end of the day is not the small things; ultimately, it's 
     how we choose to treat one another and how we love one 
     another.

  I would add it is also how we commit to live with one another as 
neighbors.
  We may not share the same faith or politics or philosophy, but we do 
share a fundamental belief that our people should feel safe in our 
theaters and malls and schools, in their homes and on the streets--
wherever they go. And, today, we share the pain of the people of 
Aurora.
  But we also share in the hope that the city whose name is the 
``dawn'' will find in our sympathy and prayers the comfort it needs 
during this dark hour to begin the process of healing and to believe 
again in a brighter tomorrow.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. I would just like to end, Mr. Speaker, by thanking my 
friends--and they are my friends--and colleagues from Colorado.
  From all of us, Aurora and everybody who has been so affected by this 
senseless act, we are praying for you. We love you.
  This act actually affected people from one coast to the other. A lot 
of people from all over the Nation were there. In fact, at the time, 
from a nearby military base, there were 53 members of our military--
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines--who were in that theater that 
night. This is something that touches us all, something that we will 
all remember. We will heal. Let's hope and pray something like this 
doesn't happen again.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

                        The Sense To Find . . .

                       (By Albert Carey Caswell)

     The . . .
     The sense to find . . .
     As now we so ask why?
     So ask why?
     All in our hearts and minds . . .
     Hearts and minds!
     As the tears we find . . .
     We find!
     All because of this most evil crime . . .
     For all of those most precious lost lives . . .
     Lost lives!
     And for all of those injured who must now so rebuild their 
           lives!
     The tears we find!
     As all of those smiles so come to mind . . .
     And all of that pain these families must now so carry until 
           the end of time!
     Of all of those lost loved ones and their most precious lost 
           lives!
     Precious lives!
     As it's here we so ask why?
     Ask why?
     For where does the answer lie?
     So lie!
     All in that old age question, that rhyme!
     Of Good versus Evil, as old as mankind!
     Goodness . . . Evil . . . Darkness . . . Light!
     This battle, this endless fight!
     To bring the light!
     As we so ask why?
     Ask why?
     All in your hearts this night!
     Take these words of hope to but bring the light!
     That still, the darkness is but no match for The Light!
     For The Light!
     For hope and love, will ever so rise above all of this 
           blight!
     This blight!
     Let not all in your pain and heartache, let not escape!
     The strength to so find!
     For hate is hard!
     It makes me cry!
     When, I see those tears in your families' eyes!
     As we so try to the sense to find . . .
     To find!
     But, take comfort all in your hearts and minds . . .
     Hearts and minds!
     All in your souls now so very deep down inside!

[[Page 12292]]

     As up to Heaven, all of these twelve innocent souls have now 
           so taken flight!
     Taken flight!
     To Heaven find, to become Angels with our Lord on high!
     As all in our Lord's arms they now so lie!
     This very night!
     As from your most swollen eyes the tears you now so wipe!
     So wipe!
     So find the sense to find!
     And say a prayer for all of them,
     and all of those, and their loved ones who now so cry!
     So cry!
     Whose pain shall not so die!
     So die!
     And somehow find the strength,
     all in what their short lives so meant!
     All in the hope and light,
     that over evil . . . the goodness so burns bright!
     Burns bright!
     To the sense to find,
     upon this very night!
     The sense to find!
     As we lay their sacred bodies so down to rest!
     Amen!

  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 134 and in 
support of the greater Denver community in the wake of the Aurora, 
Colorado tragedy.
  Twelve lives have been lost, 58 injured, and countless others 
affected by the shooting in Aurora, Colorado on July 20, 2012.
  This horrible crime reminds us that our time here is short, and that 
while we cannot always prevent senseless acts of violence, families, 
friends and neighbors can come together as a community to honor those 
we have lost, celebrate those who are still with us, and resolve to do 
all we can to prevent future violence.
  The Aurora community has exemplified this spirit of resiliency in the 
wake of tragedy, and is truly an inspiration for all of us.
  While we know not every senseless act of violence can be avoided, we 
can--and must--work every day to treat each other with decency and 
genuine respect.
  And I hope that this act of violence will not just sit on a page in 
our history books, but be a catalyst for the important conversations we 
have avoided all too long.
  There is more that we can do to protect our families and communities 
from gun violence.
  There is more that we can do to support our mental health care 
systems--both to avert future violence and to support those who are 
touched by it.
  And there is more that we can do to create a culture of tolerance and 
understanding.
  We stand together across our nation, knowing we are not grieving 
alone, and that others share our outrage at violent actions and violent 
rhetoric.
  As the Denver community heals from this senseless tragedy, please 
know that you are in the thoughts and prayers of all Americans.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 134 
to condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous atrocities that 
occurred in Aurora, Colorado.
  But future generations will condemn us if sole response to this 
massacre is the passage of this resolution.
  As we watch the news from Colorado with horror and sympathy for the 
families, we should remember that each day more than 80 Americans are 
killed by gunfire, unnecessary tragedies. Arguments that gun safety 
legislation won't help the situation seem to me illogical or blindly 
ideological.
  Earlier this week we held a moment of silence for the victims and 
their families. I hope Congress does not remain silent about the many 
things we can do to try to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the 
future. We must increase our attention to mental health issues, we must 
support our local first responders with the tools and resources they 
need, and we must implement real and sensible gun control measures.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the unspeakable 
acts that were carried out in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, on 
July 20, 2012.
  I offer condolences on behalf of myself and the people of Texas 
District 11 to the innocent men, women, and children and their families 
who were victims of this cowardly act.
  While the pain and anguish continues, the people of Aurora should 
know they are not alone in this time of suffering. The hearts, 
thoughts, and prayers of the people of Texas are with them.
  The Lord's words can provide comfort in times of tragedy. I am 
reminded of Psalms 34, which says, ``The Lord is close to the 
brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.'' It is my 
fervent prayer that the Lord will be a constant comfort to the victims 
and families and that he will hold them close to him as he begins to 
heal their wounds in body and spirit.
  May the Lord bless them with comfort in the face of senseless tragedy 
and peace in the face of unanswerable questions.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to join my colleagues in 
honoring and remembering all of the victims of the tragic shootings in 
an Aurora, Colorado movie theater last Friday, July 20, 2012, and to 
condemn the senseless and abhorrent violence that took their lives or 
left them wounded. The victims' friends and families can count on the 
unyielding support of their fellow Americans as we come together to 
mourn the loss and heal the wounds caused by the heinous acts of that 
day.
  We must also recognize the heroic efforts made by those inside the 
theater to protect others. Their courage, along with the quick and 
decisive actions of the hundreds of first responders, law enforcement 
officials, and hospital workers, undoubtedly saved lives. I join my 
colleagues in offering my thoughts and our prayers to those touched by 
this horrible event.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to the order of the House of Wednesday, July 25, 2012, the 
previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the concurrent resolution.
  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________