Lessons Learned in Aurora, CO: A New Denver Resident Reflects On What We All Can Take Away From The Tragic Movie Massacre

The horror that unfolded in an Aurora, CO movie theater barely three weeks ago is still a fresh memory.

The images of a deranged man with tangerine colored hair waging a full-fledged attack at a midnight screening of the “Batman” flick, “The Dark Knight Rises” are unsettling at the least and terrifying at worse. And understandably so.

Thoughts of women, children and other innocent moviegoers ducking for cover amid the carnage are hard to erase. Peace shattered once again at the site of yet another popular institution of American society. The movies.

Once the smoke cleared, 12 people lost their lives and 58 people were injured in the rampage being dubbed one of the deadliest mass shootings in recent U.S. history. A harsh reality to embrace, considering that this is the same state that endured the Columbine High School massacre some 13 years ago.

These images are especially disturbing for me as a brand new resident of Denver. According to my GPS that theatre is a mere 5.5 miles from my home. Way too close for comfort if you ask me. I can’t help but wonder, what if I had gone to that movie with my family? I shudder at the thought of enjoying a blockbuster film one moment then shielding my precious 7-month-old son from a barrage of bullets the next. What if my husband had been one of those heroic men who lost his life shielding us from a hail of gunfire and toxic tear gas?

In these times, amid our exasperation and grief, many of us turn to a higher power and simply ask, “why?” We’ll probably never get the answers we seek, even if alleged gunman James Eagan Holmes opts to dole out every heartbreaking detail of his planned assault.

We can’t hold out for explanations. Instead, we must embrace such tragedies as an opportunity to reflect on the fragility of life and the heroism such tragedies often invokes. It is also a great chance for us, as a nation and community, to unite in unflinching defiance of evil.

Look no further than the memorial service hosted just days after the movie massacre for motivation. It was awe-inspiring taking in the sight of the massive crowd, arms interlocked, illuminated by candlelight, all belting out “Amazing Grace.” Much like the state of Colorado’s demographics reflect, the crowd was predominately white, but tear-stained black and brown faces dotted the audience, too. Although Aurora’s minority citizenship is more Latino than black (as of the 2010 Census, 15.74 percent of the population is African- American compared to 28.7 percent Hispanic or Latino.), Aurora happens to be one of the few cities in the Denver metro area with a noteworthy black presence.

At the emotional gathering we all watched as a diverse mix of speakers – black, white, Christian, Jewish and the like – stepped to the podium one-by-one offering words of consolation and inspiration. Even President Obama canceled campaign plans to attend. Perhaps, Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan said it best, “we are coming together tonight as a family would, to provide love and support to those who lost loved ones and those whose lives have been scarred forever by this tragedy.”

There are some other bright spots to celebrate. At a time when young people – particularly those of color – are often labeled incompetent and apathetic, we are reminded that this tragedy inspired the heroism of 19-year-old Jarell Brooks. The African-American teen helped keep a young mother, her young child and her 4-month-old infant safe during the shooting, even though he had been shot in the leg himself. We are touched by the symbolic gesture of Colorado Rockies baseball players paying homage to the shooting victims by painting the date of the incident on their faces and observing a moment of silence before their game against the San Diego Padres. A ‘We remember 7-20’ jersey hung in the dugout. News that donations to the Aurora Victim Relief Fund have swelled to $3.3 million is also encouraging.

For now 12 white crosses dot a dusty hill just across from the Century Aurora 16 theater, still framed by yellow crime scene tape. Even once that makeshift memorial is no more, the anguish and grief will linger on for all of the victims and the community at large.

We can all contribute to making sure that their lives were not lost in vain, by vowing to always remember what happened – both good and bad – that night in a darkened Aurora cinema. Let’s all do our part to make sure that this does not become yet another senseless act of American violence that fades into our collective memory. As President Obama so eloquently intimated, words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations, but the entire country can let those affected “know that we are thinking about them at this moment, and will continue to think about them each and every day.”

Chandra Thomas Whitfield is an award-winning freelance journalist and a new Denver resident.