One of the first memories of Emily Pikard was from her father, Josh Pikard, who was coming home from work. Each day, she will stand through the door and wait for it.
“On February 14, 2019, I was waiting at the door, and on February 15, 2019, I was planning to do the same thing. Instead of waiting from the door, I was waiting in a hospital room, I was waiting in a hospital room, not to know what was about to come,” she said.
Josh Pikard and four others – Russell Bayers, Visent Juarez, Clayton Parks and Trevor Vehner – were shot dead on that day in the warehouse of the Henry Prat Company when an employee took out a gun during an ended meeting.
The gunman then fled to the warehouse, where he died after a confrontation and firing with the police.
The city of Arora organized a candle light at the banquet of Belle Sail on Thursday night, who was injured when he was injured while responding to the shooting to their families and five police officers to honor those.
Emily Pikard, who told her story in vigilance, said that her father was her favorite superhero as she was always strong for her family.
“Nothing can break it, not even cryptonite,” he said.
The names of those who lost their lives on that day are now permanently in the history of Aurora, but are also in the hearts of the community and around the world, Mayor Richard Irwin said in his comment in the event.
Irwin honored each family of the victim with a plaque, which recalls each birthday of the victims, from now on in the city – 21 February was declared Russell Bayer Day, declared Visent Juarez Day on 5 May, 26 was declared.
Additionally, a granite bench was unveiled that lists each victim’s name and date of shooting. It will be kept in the headquarters of the Arora Police Department.
February 15, 2019, was a relatively quiet on Friday afternoon, and Irwin was wrapping a long week of work when the calls warned him for an active shooter, he said in his comment. When he spoke to the police command, he heard “extreme concern and fierce bravery” in the voice of the then police chief Kristen Ziman.
A granite bench inscribed with the names of the 2019 month shooting victims at the Henry Pratt Company in Arora will soon be placed at the headquarters of the Arora Police Department. (R. Christian Smith / The Beacon-News)
“In the following minutes, things were replaced fundamentally. People were shot. Life was lost. In a few minutes, we became very cities, which we saw on the year -to -the -friend, which was dealing with the firing firing year -to -the -hand,” Irwin said.
Arora Fire chief David McKebe said in his comment that, when he saw other collective firing across the country, he would think about it and question how he would react to a similar situation.
The emotional effect of such shooting did not come home until 2008, when a person shot and killed five students and injured 21 more at the University of Northern Illinois, where Mackebe attended the college.
He said, “I took classes in the same room where the shooting took place. Now, I was emotionally invested,” he said.
Broadly due to a federal grant, the fire department began training with the police department in 2018 how to deal with an active shooter situation, according to McKebe.
“I don’t think anyone really thought that this level of evil would ever appear in our city. We were wrong,” he said.
Aurora faced a tragedy, but according to Irwin, it was not broken. He said that many people were able to replace the city for better “to get light out of light” and “Arora Strong” mantra and soul.
Due to the tragedy and community response, Arora is now a “deep separate community” compared to five years ago, he said.
Irwin said, “The lesson we have learned has made us more integrated, more stable, safe and much better community.” “We have angels with wings that look at us, and we have angels with uniforms that protect us.”
When Arora Police Chief Keith Cross raised his right hand about 30 years ago to become a police officer, he knew that he would have difficult days. However, he said during his comment on Thursday night that 15 February, 2019, was one of the most difficult days of his career, and he still has a difficult time.
He said, “I know one thing that Arora Police Department and Arora Fire Department’s reaction to men and women, and many other agencies saved life that day,” he said.
Although he stopped whether a very worse situation could be, many officials responded to that day, were physically and emotionally damaged, and many of those wounds said, Cross said. However, he said that the police department has helped to move forward and heal about support from the community.
While he wants there was any way to change what happened in the warehouse of the Henry Prat company that day, the cross said that it is not possible. Nevertheless, he said that the police department is committed to supporting those who were affected by shooting because they heal.
He said, “Our hearts go out for the victims of this incident as well as their families and friends. We could not imagine the pain and sorrow they had to bear,” he said.
McKebe said that, while he often talks to publicly and media, he had difficulty writing his speech for vigilance in the part because he could never understand that the families of the victims had to pass and continue to pass.
He said, “I have not experienced the loss of a child or brother -in -law or husband or wife, so I do not know that every family is experienced and suffering and continues to experience, but I can tell you that I feel for you. I hurt you, and we all do,” he said.
According to McKebe, the police and fire departments often present the lessons that they learned to other respondents in the entire region that day. He said that, in each presentation, departments include the names of the victims to keep their memory alive.
“On behalf of all the men and women of the Arora Fire Department, we mourn for your loss, and hope that the joys of your family members give you comfort on this difficult day,” McKebe said.
As Emily Pikard was waiting to hear about her father five years ago, he remembered that he always taught him to have his faith and strengthen in the Lord, as he had done when he had to go to the hospital, he said.
“When I first came to know of type one diabetes, she stayed in the hospital room for three days, just cooling the cold with a thin blanket,” she said. “He was always strong around us. No matter what was going on, we could always turn to our father and see how strong he was.
“Even though I was hurting in the hospital room, my father always taught me to be strong, so I was,” he said. “I always thought,” if Dad can do this, I can do it. “
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