We are Aurora, Colorado

View of Mount Evans from Aurora, Colorado

We are Aurora, Colorado. 


This is my home.  I raised my family here. 


This is my community. 


We live a mile from the Century 16 theaters. 


I got a text message from my son at 3:09 am on Thursday morning. 


"Just saw the new Batman movie in Parker.  There was a mass shooting at Century 16.  I almost went there...Wow."


"You really can't take life for granted.  I love you all."


Adam had been invited by two groups of friends to attend the midnight release of the new Batman movie.  


He chose to go with the group in Parker.  


Six of his friends went to Century 16.  They had seats in Theater eight.  


The killer chose Theater nine.  His friends made it out of the theater okay. 


Twelve people in theater nine did not. 


Adam found out while he was on the air Friday night that a classmate of his from high school(Micayla Medek)  was one of the twelve people that had not made it out of theater nine. 


Adam and his co-host Dario went on the air last night on Mile High Sports to serve a grieving community.  There was no talk about sports last night.  There will be another day for that.  They provided an open forum for people to talk about the shootings, to begin a long slow healing process.  The tone of the show was perfect, respectful, hopeful.  


I was so proud of Adam and Dario last night.  I am so grateful that my son is safe.  My heart aches for those who lost their sons and daughters. 


Tomorrow, my daughter Laura and I will be running in the Possibility 5K.  We will run carrying the Colorado state flag. 

 Tomorrow's race will be dedicated to the possibility of ending violence in our community, in our world. 


I don't want to refer to the people that lost their lives as victims.  They went to the theater to enjoy a midnight release of a much anticipated movie.   They went to the theater at midnight.  They couldn't wait.  They were excited. They were choosing life.  Let it rip!  That is not how a victim lives their life.   They are the winner's. 


Here's to the winners...


Jessica Redfield was an aspiring sports writer in her mid-20s who had narrowly escaped another mass shooting in Toronto just last month.


Alex Sullivan was at the movie as part of this 27th birthday celebration. Sunday was to be his wedding anniversary.


Matt McQuinn was killed while trying to provide cover for his girlfriend, a family spokesman said.


Petty Officer Third Class John Larimer was a U.S. Navy sailor from Crystal Lake, Ill.

Micayla Medek is among the dead, her father's cousin, Anita Busch, told the AP.


AJ Boik graduated from Gateway High School this year where he played baseball, a family spokesman said.


Jesse Childress was injured in the shooting and died at the hospital.

He was a reservist with the Air Force and worked as a cyber-systems operator at Buckley Air Force Base.


John Blunk, "He always talked about if he were going to die, he wanted to die a hero," his estranged wife, Chantel Blunk, told NBC News. Blunk was at the movie with a friend who credited him with saving her life.


Veronica Moser-Sullivan is was just 6 years old. Veronica's mother, Ashley, 25, was wounded in the attack and lies paralyzed in a nearby hospital, authorities said.

Alex Teves' father, Tom Teves, told ABC News that his son had blocked his girlfriend from a bullet when he was shot and killed himself.


Rebecca Wingo was 32, the coroner reported. Wingo grew up in Quinlan, Texas, about 65 miles east of Dallas. She graduated from Ford High School. Her friends say she was funny and always cracking jokes.


Gordon W. Cowden was 51, the coroner reported.


We are Aurora, Colorado. 


We are Platte Canyon High School


We are Columbine


This is my home, my community. 


In the words of Emily Keyes, ""I love u guys. K?"

Get back to living.  Let it Rip!!!  That's how the winner's lived their lives.  Let's get after it.

Light and Love x Aurora, Colorado x forever...

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