Colorado Shooting Reveals Limits Of State Gun Control — And Steels Activists For More
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 24 March 2021
⏱️ 15 minutes
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Summary
State Rep. Tom Sullivan, whose son was killed in the 2012 Aurora movie theatre shooting, reacts to the events of this week — and tells NPR why he still believes incremental action at the state level can help prevent gun violence.
Additional editing help in this episode from Bente Birkeland of Colorado Public Radio.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Late last month on a Friday morning, Tom Sullivan was doing something he does a lot of Friday mornings at work. |
| 0:09.6 | Today is the 448th Friday since my son Alex was murdered in the Aurora Theatre massacre. |
| 0:17.0 | That Friday he's talking about was July 20th 2012. It was Sullivan's son's birthday. He went to the movies. |
| 0:24.5 | A man walked into the theatre with a shotgun, a tactical handgun and an assault rifle equipped with a 100 round drum magazine. |
| 0:32.5 | And he killed Tom Sullivan's son and 11 others. |
| 0:36.5 | I'm here to remind you daily what gun violence looks like. Whether you listen or not, I will continue to come to this microphone and tell you about its impact. |
| 0:48.5 | Now after his son was killed, Sullivan made it his mission to fight for gun control in his state. |
| 0:54.5 | So in 2018, he successfully ran as a Democrat for the Colorado State House where he currently serves. |
| 1:00.5 | And every other Friday that body is in session, he speaks about the tragedy that brought him there. |
| 1:06.5 | But on this Friday, in late February, another representative had something to say in response. |
| 1:12.5 | We must understand that maybe there is a time when God needs the spirit of those children to do something in heaven. |
| 1:22.5 | Republican Richard Holtoorf, a rancher and army veteran from the southeastern part of the state, told Sullivan that Holtoorf had learned a lesson about loss, especially from his years of military service. |
| 1:34.5 | And I offer this to my fellow colleagues, particularly the one that just spoke. |
| 1:38.5 | But you have to let go. Herb is in the hall tour. |
| 1:42.5 | Yes, sir. Again, thank you, sir. |
| 1:45.5 | You just heard Holtoorf get cut off by the House Speaker after telling Tom Sullivan you have to let go. |
| 1:52.5 | Well, I mean, it's not the first time I've heard it. It's not the last time I've heard it. |
| 1:57.5 | That's Sullivan. |
| 1:58.5 | People try to compare their loss with ours unless you've actually, I mean, and now there are 10 families who I know exactly how they're feeling today. |
| 2:12.5 | And they know now how I feel. And there is no getting over that. |
| 2:20.5 | Consider this. Gun violence in America is sometimes treated like an unavoidable tragedy. Something many of us will have to endure, grieve, and let go. |
| 2:29.5 | Coming up, why Tom Sullivan is not letting go and what could have been done to prevent the latest mass shooting in his state. |
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