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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, On the afternoon of Friday, February 15, 2019,
3officers from the Aurora Police Department and the Aurora Fire
4Department responded to a call that is, sadly, becoming an
5increasingly common occurrence; reports of an active shooter
6quickly shrouded the day in tragedy and unsettled not only one
7community in Illinois but an entire nation; the malicious
8actions of one individual forever changed the lives of many;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, The events of that tragic day have become yet
11another chapter in the lives of the seemingly ever-increasing
12victims of senseless, inexplicable violence that has plagued
13our nation and our homes; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The violence that occurred on the grounds of the
15Henry Pratt Company on that sullen 15th day of February may
16never be entirely understood, resolved, or healed in the hearts
17and minds of the those impacted by this tragedy; the loss of
18five innocent lives, Clayton Parks of Elgin, Trevor Wehner of
19DeKalb, Russell Beyer of Yorkville, Vicente Juarez of Oswego,
20and Josh Pinkard of Oswego, will never be forgotten; the
21innocent lives taken will always remain in our memories; and
 
22    WHEREAS, There was much loss on that fateful day, however,

 

 

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1the brave, steadfast response of the Aurora Police Department
2and the Aurora Fire Department prevented any further civilian
3casualties; the actions taken by the numerous members of law
4enforcement, without a doubt, helped prevent the losses from
5being any greater; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Everyday, law enforcement agencies and first
7responders throughout this country are increasingly impacted
8by acts of violence; at all times, our members of law
9enforcement are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to
10serve and protect their communities; the selfless acts of the
11Aurora Police Department on that day followed through with that
12directive; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Unfortunately, the commitment to public safety
14has difficult consequences, and, although gratefully no
15officers were fatally wounded while responding to the Henry
16Pratt Company shooting, six officers sustained critical
17injuries; in the words of Aurora Police Department Chief
18Kristen Ziman, these six officers, by the names of John
19Cebulski, James Zegar, Reynaldo Rivera, Marco Gomez, Adam
20Miller, and Diego Avila, are the "true heroes, and we honor
21them for their selfless service to the citizens of Aurora"; and
 
22    WHEREAS, The courageous actions taken by the many members
23of law enforcement and first responders saved lives on February

 

 

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115th; they did the job that they are always expected to do, but
2it is one that almost always goes unrewarded and unappreciated;
3therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
5HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6we commend the valiant efforts of the Aurora Police Department,
7the Aurora Fire Department, 9-1-1 operators, and the numerous
8other law enforcement agencies and first responders for the
9incredible resilience they showed during the tragic events that
10took place on February 15, 2019 at the Henry Pratt Company; and
11be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That we stand with and support the families of
13all those who were impacted by the tragic events in the City of
14Aurora; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16presented to the Aurora Police Department, the Aurora Fire
17Department, and the Office of the Mayor of Aurora as a symbol
18of our appreciation and respect.