Pritzker Makes Public Statement Following Aurora Mass Shooting

 

[February 16, 2019] 

In a media availability with law enforcement following a mass shooting that claimed the lives of five victims, Governor JB Pritzker offered the following remarks:

I want to begin by acknowledging the amazing work of the Aurora Police Department and Chief Ziman and all of the men and women who were first responders and every single law enforcement officer involved in securing this scene. You rushed toward danger and in doing that you saved countless lives and you represent the very best of what it means to protect our communities and to serve our communities.

You have our deepest gratitude, and all the resources of the state that you need are at your disposal to continue your work into the evening and in the days ahead. I want to say a special thank you to the FBI, the ATF, Illinois State Police, for offering backup, for being here to help the City of Aurora and the police department.

There is no way to prepare for the pain of losing innocent people in the state that you were elected to lead, the state you were elected to protect. There is no way to prepare.

There are no words for the kind of evil that robs our neighbors of their hopes, their dreams, their futures.

There are no words to express our gratitude to the families of the officers who were injured in the line of duty as they responded within moments to the gravest kind of danger that they can face.

Tomorrow, the families of the victims will be less than whole. They join a group that should not exist and yet continues to grow.

This morning, I stood with 1,500 community members in Chicago who are fighting the epidemic of gun violence that continues to ravage so many communities. These are everyday citizens who have been called to action by the loss of a loved one, by witness of violence in their communities or by the simple desire for change.

To the families of the victims here in Aurora, there are no words I can offer to lessen the pain, but know that our state grieves with you, that MK and I and our family grieves with you.

May the memory of those that we lost today be a blessing and more than that, may their memory fuel our work to bring peace to this state we call home, and may G-d bless the brave law enforcement officers who continue to run toward danger.

[Office of the Governor JB Pritzker]