[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12814-12815]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE MEMORY AND LEGACY OF THE TWO LOUISIANA CITIZENS WHO LOST 
  THEIR LIVES IN THE ATTACK OF JULY 23, 2015, IN LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA

  Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, last week a terrible tragedy occurred 
in Lafayette, LA, when a mentally ill gunman opened fire in a movie 
theater filled with innocent people.
  Jillian Johnson was a talented artist, successful entrepreneur, and 
an active member of the Lafayette community. Jillian played in a local 
all-female band, co-owned a gift and toy shop, and often organized 
community projects that benefited all. She was a kind and charitable 
soul, described by her husband as a loving friend, daughter, sister, 
and wife.
  Mayci Breaux was an incredible young lady with a bright future ahead 
of her. A student of Louisiana State University, Mayci was studying to 
be a medical radiology technician and was engaged to her high school 
sweetheart, planning to marry after she graduated. Mayci worked at a 
local fashion boutique, where her customers and coworkers remember her 
generous smile and wonderful optimism.
  These two women exemplify the kindness and essence of the Lafayette 
community. Although they were taken from us far too quickly, their 
memories live on.
  Let's also take a moment to thank the heroes in this tragedy--the 
Lafayette police, Acadian Ambulance, the employees of the Grand 16 
movie theater, and other first responders who acted bravely and quickly 
to stop the shooter and aid the injured. We are grateful for their 
service, and we honor them today.
  I also acknowledge by name Jena Meaux and Ali Martin. Their quick 
thinking and courageousness saved lives when they crawled across the 
movie theater floor to pull the fire alarm to alert authorities.
  Lafayette and Louisiana are resilient. In times of tragedy and pain, 
we come together to support and care for one another. The love we have 
for each other, even in the darkest of times, will help Lafayette, our 
State, and our community recover.
  The events that transpired in Lafayette last week are a reminder of 
the long road we must take to reform our mental health system. Too many 
innocent lives are being taken from us in senseless attacks in movie 
theaters, schools, churches, and other places where we should feel 
safe. The common denominator in these tragedies is all too often 
untreated mental illness.
  As public servants, we should seek to keep the public safe, but our 
mental health system is badly broken and fails to do so, and reforms 
are coming too slowly. It doesn't make sense that parents caring for a 
mentally ill child cannot be part of medical decisionmaking that could 
prevent horrendous tragedies like these. I can go down the list of 
reforms that need to be made to improve our mental health system. I am 
working with my good friend Senator Chris Murphy on legislation that 
will help reform our mental health system and make it easier for those 
in need to get the help that could potentially avert a future tragedy 
like this.
  I finish by saying once more that our thoughts and prayers are with 
the families and loved ones of Jillian and Mayci and all those wounded 
who are suffering. May they know God's comfort at a time when it may be 
otherwise impossible for them to feel comforted.
  I yield to my fellow Senator and good friend, Senator Vitter.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
  Mr. VITTER. Madam President, I come to the Senate floor sadly, in 
light of this tragedy, to join my colleague Senator Cassidy in 
expressing these heartfelt thoughts. We rise today to express our 
deepest sympathy for the victims of this horrible shooting in 
Lafayette. The hearts of all of Lafayette and Louisiana go out to all 
of the families involved in this tragic incident.
  As Senator Cassidy suggested, we lost two enormously talented, 
unique, and irreplaceable individuals, and we certainly pay tribute to 
them.
  As Senator Cassidy suggested, Mayci was a student at Louisiana State 
University, full of life, full of hope, full of promise. She was 
studying to become an ultrasound and radiology technician. She was 
scheduled to begin her training just a few days after her tragic death. 
She was at the movies with her boyfriend, Matthew Rodriguez, who was 
among the nine wounded.
  Jillian was the owner of Parish Ink, a T-shirt printing company 
specializing in old Acadiana verities. She and her husband also owned 
the Red Arrow Workshop, a gift and toy shop in Lafayette. She also was 
full of life, full of talent, full of vigor and happiness. She played 
the ukulele and guitar for The Figs, an all-female sextet from 
Lafayette.
  These are two individuals who are completely irreplaceable, and they 
will be sorely missed.
  I also join Senator Cassidy in recognizing and thanking the heroic 
actions of those two teachers from Jeanerette High School in Iberia 
Parish, Jena Meaux and Ali Martin. According to several reports, Ali 
jumped in front of Jena to shield her from the shooting, very likely 
saving her life; it caused the bullet to hit Jena's leg instead of 
Ali's head. Ali was shot in the leg in the process. Despite her 
injuries, Jena courageously pulled the fire alarm, alerting the whole 
movie theater and certainly saving lives. So we pay tribute and 
remember them as well.
  We also pause and remember and continue praying for the recovery of 
nine other individuals who were wounded in that horrible incident: I 
mentioned Matthew Rodriguez, the boyfriend of Mayci Breaux; Morgan 
Julia Egedahl; Dwight ``Bo'' Ramsey and his wife Gerry--cousins of 
Congressman Boustany, by the way, and good friends of mine and Senator 
Cassidy's; Ali Viator Martin, an English teacher at Jeanerette Senior 
High School, and Jena Legnon Meaux, whom I mentioned as true heroes in 
this incident.
  On Saturday evening, Lafayette residents gathered downtown to honor 
particularly the two victims who lost their lives. During the vigil, 
one Lafayette resident certainly stated it well:

       We can't let evil win. We as a community have to rise above 
     that and move forward.

  Well, we do, but as we do, Senator Cassidy and I rise today to honor 
the victims, to remember them--particularly Mayci and Jillian--and to 
certainly recommit ourselves to the important work at hand, including 
regarding mental illness, as Senator Cassidy suggested.
  We have prepared a Senate resolution commemorating the victims of 
this horrible event.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to 
the consideration of S. Res. 231, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 231) honoring the memory and legacy 
     of the two Louisiana citizens who lost their lives, 
     recognizing the heroism of first responders and those on the 
     scene, and condemning the attack of July 23, 2015, in 
     Lafayette, Louisiana.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. VITTER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 231) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
  Mr. VITTER. Madam President, again, we all hold these families, 
particularly the two victims and their families, in our prayers and our 
continuing thoughts and our love. It was a horrible incident. But I 
know the community of Lafayette well, I know the State well, and it 
certainly will not stop with the pure tragedy. Certainly

[[Page 12815]]

folks will hold up these families in love and support and prayer and 
work toward far better resolution of issues involved, as the one 
Senator Cassidy mentioned.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________