U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday to honor the victims of the deadly warehouse shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora as the four-year anniversary of the tragic incident nears.
Five employees were killed and five police officers and an employee were wounded on Feb. 15, 2019, after an angry co-worker opened fire during a termination meeting inside the Pratt warehouse. An additional officer was injured as he entered the building.
“It’s hard to believe it has been nearly four years since this tragedy, and our hearts go out to the victims’ friends and families during this difficult time of remembrance,” Foster said in a news release. “I’m proud to introduce this resolution to honor the victims’ memories and the courage of the police officers who rushed into danger to protect innocent people, six of whom were injured in the shooting. We cannot forget the events of that day, and we must remain committed to putting an end to these tragedies once and for all.”
The resolution honors the five victims who died that day – Russell Beyer, Vicente Juarez, Clay Parks, Josh Pinkard and Trevor Wehner.
It also honors the service of the injured officers: Adam Miller, Marco Gomez, John Cebulski, James Zegar, Reynaldo Rivera and Diego Avila.
The resolution is co-sponsored by the Illinois Democratic House delegation: Reps. Lauren Underwood, Sean Casten, Danny Davis, Robin Kelly, Brad Schneider, Mike Quigley, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Jan Schakowsky, Jesús “Chuy” García, Nikki Budzinski, Jonathan Jackson, Delia Ramirez and Eric Sorensen.
The Aurora Historical Society opened its exhibit to honor the victims of the Pratt mass shooting last week. Through Feb. 18, the five white crosses made to honor the victims of the shooting by late Aurora resident Greg Zanis are on display, along with the society’s collection of memorabilia left at the Pratt site by mourners.
The exhibit is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center at 20 E. Downer Place in downtown Aurora.