The Anniston Star l Sunday, July 21, 2013 l Page 4F
Sunday RECORD YOUR GUIDE TO PUBLIC RECORDS AND VITAL STATISTICS IN CALHOUN COUNTY BANKRUPTCIES
deAths Bridgett Jemison Allen, Massachusetts Linda S. Beavers, Talladega Henry N. Blackburn Jr., Saks Shirley Dianne Breedwell, Heflin Connie Maria Brock, Oxford Joyce Vaughn Carr, Ohatchee Stanly A. Cooper, Oxford Fred Cunningham, Jacksonville Michael G. DeBerry, Ball Play Obie English, Anniston Audrey Rogers Farrell, Anniston Billy Keith Fleming, Oxford Obie Umphrey Gardner, Jacksonville Emily Pauline “Polly” Gordon, Ashland Virginia “Granny Snooks” Gowens, Anniston Ralph James Gray Sr., Anniston Pearl R. Green, Anniston Carmen Althea Hardy, Lineville Peggy Mitchell Harris, Georgia Gladston Henry, Atlanta Retired Chief Master Sgt. Walter Thomas Honeycutt Jr., Oxford Kathy Satterwhite Horsley, Wedowee Ann Daniel Howell, Centre Retired SSGT Stanley Neal Johnson, Jacksonville Kenneth Alvin Kinner, Jacksonville
Larry Ledford, Pell City Fred Lewis Mackey, Virginia Betty Ruth Maner, Anniston 1st Sgt. Maurice “Mac” McCurdy (ret.), Georgia Sandra Lee McLeroy, Anniston Byron Minter, Oxford Mildred Phipps Morgan, Foley Rita Lynn Nolen, Fruithurst Marvin Orr Jr., Ohio Nicholas Papic, Anniston Liza Parker, Jacksonville William Robert Parker, Lineville Sharon Kay Payne, Jacksonville Joe Penison “Uncle Joe” Phillips, Anniston Gloria Collins Phillips, Eastaboga Dorothy Reese Plunkett, Anniston Mura Estella Owens Powell, Anniston Christine Juanita “Chris” Williams Sellers, Millbrook Barbara Suzanne Stanley, Anniston Jared Charles “Chuck” Thacker, Ohatchee Jacqueline Thomas, Talladega Martha “Jean” Thrasher, Eastaboga Earl Walker, Anniston Marcus “Mark” E. Wilson, Talladega David Martin Woods, Anniston
RATE OF BANKRUPTCIES
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows the debtor to retain certain exempt property, but the debtor’s remaining property is gathered and sold by a trustee from which creditors will receive payment. It may also be used by businesses which wish to terminate their business. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy enables debtors, through court supervision and protection, to propose and carry out a repayment plan under which creditors are paid, in full or in part, in installments over a three-year period. During that time, debtors are prohibited from starting or continuing collection efforts. The following bankruptcies declared by Calhoun County residents were recorded by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Alabama last week:
Chapter 7 • Richard Hainley, Loy Street, Anniston • James Luther Adams Sr. and Helen Marie Adams, Dripping Rock Road, Piedmont • Joshua David Snellen, Jacksonville • Stephanie T. Wesley, Gurnee Avenue, Anniston
Chapter 13
of Oxford to Brittany Lane Maddox of Oxford • Kevin Scott Waddell of Alexandria to Kristen Nicole Short of Oneonta • Randy Lee Cortez of Anniston to Linda Marie Howard of Anniston • Nathaniel Carl Hairrel of Piedmont to Ashley Leigh Maner of Piedmont • Kenneth Wayne Stone of Rainbow City to Anna Elizabeth Wiles of Rainbow City • Phillip O’Neal Shiflett of Oxford to Hilary Amanda Harmon of Oxford • James Matthew Byers of Odenville to Shannon Jones Anderson of Wellington
Here is the livestock market report for the Tuesday sale. Receipts for this week 802 compared to 791 last week. Receipts a year ago 758.
FEEDER CLASSES:
Bulls and steers (Medium and Large No. 1 and No. 2): 200-300 lbs. 160.00 to 225.00; 300-400 lbs. 150.00 to 215.00; 400-500 lbs. 135.00 to 180.00; 500-600 lbs. 127.00 to 158.00; 600700 lbs. 100.00 to 141.00. Heifers (Medium and Large No. 1 and No. 2): 200-300 lbs. 140.00 to 192.50; 300-400 lbs. 135.00 to 167.50; 400-500 lbs. 131.00 to 147.00; 500-600 lbs. 120.00 to 138.00; 600700 lbs. 110.00 to 132.00.
SLAUGHTER CLASSES:
Cows: Breakers 75.00 to 80.00; Boners 80.00 to 87.00; Lean 74.00 to 78.00. Bulls: Normal Dressing 5458% 95.50 to 100.00; High Dressing >58% 103.50; Low Dressing
RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS Here are food service establishments recently inspected by the Calhoun County Health Department, along with scores. A score of 100 indicates the inspector found no deficiencies. Potentially hazardous deficiencies (four- or five-point demerit items) are noted. These must be corrected immediately and inspectors say they are often corrected while the inspection is underway. Restaurants earning below 70 must raise their scores within seven days or face closure.
16
1010 8
55 0
• Christopher Larry Robinson of Heflin to Jennifer Elaine Turley of Heflin • Dusty Andrew Webb of Piedmont to Brandy Sue Ann Payne of Piedmont • Daniel Blake Oscar Newton of Eastaboga to Lindsey West Newton of Eastaboga • Timothy Brian Vaughan of Anniston to Victoria Leanne Bentley of Anniston • Eric Clifton Hammonds of Jacksonville to Melody Joy Evans of Jacksonville • Jeremy Neil Shaddix of Lineville to Cynthia Nicole Bruce of Weaver • Daniel Lee Kitchen of Jacksonville to Jacquelyn Michelle Jones of Moody • Anthony Scott Pruitt
CATTLE SALE
FORECLOSURES • Anderson Brunt Jr., Saks Road, AnnisINCORPORATIONS ton • Verbon Gene Harper and Nancy Evelyn Harper, Cheaha Acres Estates, block 6, lots 17 and 18. • Fawkes & Wulfe Armory DIVORCES Inc. • Brian Badgett LLC • Julie Ann Parris Knouse EDITOR’S NOTE • Barry Spurlin Masonry and Tony Wayne • Mary Agnes PerParris son and C.P. Person The material inside the Sunday Record is LLC • Harold D. Finley • Joshua Anson recorded by The Anniston Star from various • 32 Fab & Steel Construction LLC and Renita J. Finley Gowens and Val- institutions and government offices. • Leona Knouse erie Michelle GowThe public records are published as they • Lindsey & Associates and James Charles ens appeared on the documents obtained by the LLC newspaper. Direct questions and comments about Dissolved Sunday Record to Isaac Godwin at igodwin@ AnnistonStar.com • Stanford Enterprises Inc. annistonstar.com.
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MARRIAGE LICENSES
5 52 weeks ago
Last week
This week
• Hampton Inn & Suites (Breakfast Pantry), 210 Colonial Drive, Oxford — 100. • Jacksonville Medical Center — 96. • Ladiga Manor Assisted Living, Jacksonville — 99. • New Life Kiddie Korner Day Care, Anniston — 94. • Sonic Drive In, 1120 Pelham Road, S., Jacksonville — 95. • Steward’s Market, 8960 Alabama 9, Anniston — 97. • Taco Bell, 1611 Pelham Road, S., Jacksonville — 98. • Thai One On, 911 Noble St., Anniston — 98. 4-OR 5-POINT DEMERITS • Waffle House, 500 Pelham Road, N., Jacksonville — 94. • Struts, 500 Forney Ave., Jacksonville — 83, potentially haz- • Wal-Mart (Deli), 1625 Pelham Road, S., Jacksonville ardous food did not meet temperature requirements during — 96. • Wal-Mart (Market), 1625 Pelham Road, S., Jacksonville hot holding; presence of insects (drain flies). — 95. NO MAJOR DEMERITS • Westwood Wee Care Center, Alexandria — 100. • Bojangles, 1061 JD&L Drive, Jacksonville — 100. • Winn-Dixie (Bakery/Deli), 800 Noble St., Anniston — 94. • Express Mart, 1053 Hamric Drive, E., Oxford — 95. • Winn-Dixie (Seafood), 800 Noble St., Anniston — 96.
ARRESTS The people listed in this arrest report, whose names and charges are obtained from public records, are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Anniston
The following felony arrests were reported by the Anniston Police Department (addresses not provided) during the seven-day period ending at 7 a.m. Thursday. • Joshua David Wilson, 25: illegal possession/fraudulent use of a credit card.
• Chase Stanley Ponder, 20: possession of a controlled substance. • Adam Christopher Stephens, 31: possession of a controlled substance. • Scott Chase Withrow, 28: possession of a controlled substance. • Keitha Leigh Bridges, 32: obstructing justice by using a false I.D. • Shawn Donta Cross, 40: possession of a controlled substance. • Jamarcus Quenta Harrell, 29: possession of a controlled substance.
BLOTTER • Residence, 2000 block of Moore Avenue: gas stove, refrigerator, clothes dryer. • Residence, 400 block of East 23rd Street: air conditioner. • Unknown location, 2000 block of Noble Anniston Street: boat engine parts, welder, generator, The following property crimes were report- tool box with tools, power inverter, chain ed to the Anniston Police Department dur- saw. ing the seven-day period ending at 7 a.m. • Residence, 400 block of Ledbetter Road: aluminum, refrigerator, electric stove. Thursday. Crimes are listed by location. Anonymous tips may be called in to Crime Stoppers at 256-238-1414. A reward of up to $1,000 may be given.
Burglaries
Thefts
• Residence, Roll Tide Road: television, jewelry, cash, coins. • Residence, 1900 block of Dellwood Avenue: game console, laptop computer. • Residence, 400 block of East 23rd Street: air conditioner, refrigerator. • Residence, 800 block of Blue Ridge Drive: television. • Residence, 700 block of Blue Ridge Drive: televisions. • Residence, 5100 block of Shane Drive: televisions, clothing, shoes.
• Residence, 3900 block of Lee Drive: string trimmer. • Residence, 1600 block of Saks Road: air conditioning unit. • Department store, 4900 block of McClellan Boulevard: merchandise. (Recovered 07-12-2013) • Residence, 500 block of Dagun Street: tattoo gun. • Parking lot, 700 block of Noble Street: copper tubing. • Residence, 2100 block of McKleroy Ave-
• Thomas Louis Caver • Ima Grace Baggett • Annie Sue Burt
• Robert Antoine Thornton Jr., 26: posses- • Terrence Johnathan Smith, 37, of Anniston: sion of a controlled substance, first-degree possession of a controlled substance. possession of marijuana. • Charles Shannon Parker, 34, of Long Beach, Miss.: third-degree burglary. Calhoun County • Trevontarious Deshawn Tucker, 18, of The following felony arrests were reported Anniston: obstructing justice by using a by the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office dur- false I.D. ing the seven-day period ending at 7 a.m. • Harold Todd Odell, 27, of Heflin: seconddegree burglary. Thursday. • Scottie Wayne Sellers, 36, of Oxford: viola- • Joseph Randel Brown, 34, of Jacksonville: tion of the Sex Offender Registration Notifi- first-degree possession of marijuana, thirdcation Act. degree burglary.
nue: television, laptop computer. • Residence, 800 block of East 22nd Street: transmission. • Convenience store, 1600 block of Front Street: cash. • Unknown location, 100 block of East 17th Street: cash.
Auto-related thefts • Residence, 3900 block of Morris Drive: wallet, credit cards, check book, knife. • Residence, 900 block of Terry Road: mp3 player, earbuds, sunglasses, shoes, bag. • Residence, 1700 block of Marx Street: 1997 Chevrolet C-1500 truck. • Residence, 3900 block of Morris Drive: ereader, cigarettes, coins. • Residence, 3200 block of Oakridge Avenue: 1988 Chevrolet GMT-400 truck. • Residence, 4400 block of Skyline Drive: purse, cell phone with case, medication, cash, personal I.D. • Residence, 1100 block of Glenwood Terrace: cash, firearm.
Calhoun County
The following property crimes were reported to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office during the seven-day period ending at 7 a.m. Thursday.
Burglaries
• Residence, Bryant Road, Ohatchee: coin collections, firearm. • Residence, Washington Avenue, Wellington: air conditioner, lawn mower. • Residence, unspecified place of occurrence: copper wiring, hot water heater.
Thefts
• Specialty store, Halls Chapel Road, Alexandria: U.S. funds. • Residence, West Francis Street, Jacksonville: firearm.
Auto-related thefts
• Residence, unspecified place of occurrence: firearm, scope.
WILLS PROBATED • James Leonard Burt • John Michael Clonts • Hope W. Mooney
• Bill E. McClure • Robert E. Payne • Fred R. Lett
• Nancy Y. Brady • Wayne Gerald Odom • Maud G. Robertson
• James Ronald Bible • Fred W. Williams Jr. • Dorris Fulton
The Anniston Star
Sunday Record
Sunday, July 21, 2013 Page 5F
CALENDAR: AnnistonStar.com/calendar PROPERTY TRANSFERRED • Trent A. Penny to Trent A. Penny and Norma J. Penny, a parcel of land in sections 7/18, township 13, range 9, $10. • Trent A. Penny to Trent A. Penny and Norma J. Penny, a parcel of land in section 18, township 13, range 9, $10. • Ray W. Goss and Sandra P. Goss to Joshua R. Goss, a parcel of land in section 16, township 14, range 9, $10. • CNL APF Partners LP to ARC CAFEHLD001 LLC, Anniston City Land Co., block 22, lots 5-7, $1,107,999. • CNL APF Partners LP to ARC CAFEHLD001 LLC, Anniston Lime and Stone Co., block G, lot 2-4, $755,367. • Russell Alvin Branche to Christine G. Branche, Greenleaf Heritage subdivision, 1st addition, bock B, lot 11, $10. • Robert Payne Tucker IV and Robyn Tucker King to Shannon Lance Sams and Allison Fay Sams, Deer Trace subdivision, lot 10, $10. • Philip L. Whisenhunt to Michael Eric Little Sr., Berkshire Woods subdivision, 1st section, block 3, lot 5, $100. • Randall David McDonald and Gary G. McDonald to Edward L. Butler and Mary H. Butler, a parcel of land in section 25, township 15, range 7, $10. • Holmes Properties LLC to Hill/ Gray Seven LLC, Oxford Retail Center, lot 2, $10. • Nationstar Mortgage to Veterans Affairs, a parcel of land in section 23, township 15, range 7. • Clarence B. Oaks Jr.-Estate to Charles S. Hindman, a parcel of land in section 35, township 13, range 6, $32,000. • Wendell Whitehead to Peyton Properties LLC, Brownwood Estates, 5th addition, block M, lot 14, $10. • Elizabeth Jane Mozley to Eliza-
beth Jane Mozley, Oak Ridge Estates, block H, lot H-3, $1. • Michael L. Hughley and Tangee Denise Caver to Tangee Denise Caver, McCall Heights, block 4, lot 13. • Henry L. Gomez to Redone Homes LLC, Bunny Field, 1st addition, block 4, lots 18 and 19; Gladeview subdivision, lot 24, $1. • Housing & Urban Development to Leah R. Simmons, Jacksonville Mining & Manufacturing Co., block 365, lots 3-5, $70,430. • Gary A. Roberts and Loretta Roberts to Tysheika Roberts, Mrs. Thomas Hampson’s subdivision, block 219, lot E, $10. • Heirs of Hugh Allen Mayfield to Shannon Mayfield, Valley View subdivision, lot 2, $10. • Robert Derrick Autrey and Kristi Autrey to Linda Susan Watson, Woodland Ridge subdivision, lot 27, $10. • Larry P. Parker, Donnis M. Parker and Lois N. Rogers to Grant Chandler and Jennifer Chandler, Standard-Coosa-Thatcher Co., block 2, lot 18, $10. • Daniel Phillips and Lola Phillips to P.K. Brooks, Carriage Hills subdivision, block 3, lot 1, $100. • Charlie J. Williamson and Marion E. Williamson to Marion Eloise Williamson 2013 Revocable Trust, Afton-Brae subdivision, block B, lots 2 and 3, $10. • Thomas E. Kelley-Estate to Lois Downey-Estate, Newell Heights, block 2, lots 11-13, $87,760. • Lois Downey-Estate to Stephen J. Downey, Larry Michael Downey, Lisa Downey and Laura M. Hammen, Newell Heights, block 2, lots 11-13, $10. • William Scott Abernathy and Dina L. Abernathy to Charles A. Pollard and Kathy Pollard, Carterton Hills subdivision, block 5, lots 6 and 7, $1.
• Margaret T. Martin Living Trust to Janice L. Martin, Crescent subdivision, Cynthia addition, block 5, lot 1; Homarda subdivision, lot 11, $10. • Robert J. Wright and Rebeckah A. Wright to Timothy O. Barton and Donna F. Barton, Mountainside Village, lot 34, $100. • Christopher S. Hamilton to Jeremy H. McCormick, Cloverdale subdivision, block 12, lot 6, $100. • U.S. Bank to Mark Watts, a parcel of land in section 22, township 14, range 6, $10. • William P. Wallace to William P. Wallace and Molly Rampaul Wallace, City of Jacksonville, Matthews addition, block F, lot 1, $10. • Green Tree Servicing LLC to Ashlon Christopher Dempsey and Kenneth Lee Dempsey, a parcel of land in section 8, township 16, range 7, $42,500. • Douglas and Peggy Joyce Abrams-Estate to William E. Anderson and Sheila Martin, Church-Hill Downs subdivision, phase 1, lot 3, $115,000. • Shirley Johnson Dunaway to Christopher Stambaugh, R.A. & Joe Burns property, lot 47, $10. • Kim T. Freeman to Clyde Martin Jr., fractional sections 15/16/18 of a parcel of land in section 32, township 12, range 10, $100. • Steve Reaves and Joan Reaves to Tara Fields Luckado, a parcel of land in section 24, township 15, range 7, $96,500. • James R. Taylor Sr. to James R. Taylor Sr. and Dorothy Bullock, M.M. Hudgens subdivision, lot 21, $10. • May Rene Turner to May Rene Turner 2013 Revocable Trust, a parcel of land in section 13, township 16, range 8, $10. • Charles R. Smith Jr. and Maranda A. Smith to Chandra M. New, Standard-Coosa-Thatcher Co., block
26, lot 4, $51,000. • Hugh M. Childress and Sarah F. Childress to Robert Mark Steward and Melanie Lynn Steward, a parcel of land in section 34, township 12, range 9, $10. • Hugh M. Childress and Sarah F. Childress to Robert Mark Steward and Melanie Lynn Steward, a parcel of land in section 34, township 12, range 9, $10. • Jerry Houck-Estate to Anita Houck, a parcel of land in section 25, township 13, range 9, $10. • Veterans Affairs to Michael Chad Lankford, Candlewood subdivision, lot 28, $35,000. • Chong Ye Morgan to Dustin Ryan Mangham and Jamie D. Mangham, Del Ray subdivision, block B, lot 4, $10. • Johnny L. Cosper to John Pesnell, F. Emma Conner subdivision, block 6, lot 4, $1. • Fannie Mae to Chandler Wilborn, a parcel of land in section 12, township 14, range 8, $10. • Huckeba & Putnam Homes LLC to Warren M. Graboski and Kristy L. Graboski, Greystone Manor, phase 2, lot 92, $10. • Suanne F. McCullars 2009 Restated Revocable Trust to Donna M. Roberts, Indian Oaks Estates, section 2, lot 23, $10. • Wanda Faye Sides Lovelady and Martha Key Sides Hughes to Chong C. Steakley, William D. Whitley and Atalie S. Whitley, a parcel of land in section 24, township 15, range 7, $10. • Southern States Bank to P.D. Pritchett Construction Co. LLC, Sagewood subdivison, lots 14 and 18, $10. • Troy Woods and Martha Woods to Julie Vinson and Anthony G. Vinson, a parcel of land in section 16, township 16, range 7, $10. • Troon Properties LLC to Christopher A. Craven, a parcel of land
in section 13, township 14, range 8, $1. • Victoria W. Minter Hicks and Alan D. Hicks to Victoria W. Minter Hicks and Alan D. Hicks, Eastside subdivision, Williams addition, block 6, lot 2, $1,000. • Oscar F. Durant and Angela C. Durant to Kathy L. Jones, Terrace Meadows subdivision, lot 8, $10. • CitiMortgage Inc. to Housing & Urban Development, Cheaha Acres Estates, block B, lot 7, $1. • Ocwen Loan Servicing to Freddie Mac, Blue Mountain, E.L. Hollingsworth addition, block 13, lots 17 and 18, $33,578. • Longleaf Development LLC to G. Elaine Smith, City of Oxford, Gunnells addition, block C, lot 1, $1. • Paula Pounds and Gwin Pounds to Paula Pounds and Gwin Pounds, Standard-Coosa-Thatcher Co., block 23, lot 11, $10. • William Martin Jr. to Clarence Elston and Tanya Yvette Davis, South Anniston Land Co., 1st division, lots 14 and 15, $55,000. • Patrician Ann Smith to Michael Wayne Smith, a parcel of land in section 21, township 14, range 6, $10. • Habitat for Humanity of Calhoun County to Nicole Clay, Quail Run subdivision, 1st addition, block A, lot 13, $74,500. • Michael D. Gross and Julie M. Gross to Joshua Martin and Cristina Martin, re-subdivision of Grandview, 2nd addition, lot 6, $161,600. • Jewel A. Phillips to Sharon L. Washburn and Keith J. Brennan, Jane Heights subdivision, lot 14, $86,000. • Fannie Mae to Kenneth McGuire, Chris Sims and Matt West, Greenleaf Heritage subdivision, 2nd addition, block C, lot 19, $10.
A year later, survivors recall Aurora shooting By The Associated Press AURORA, Colo. — It is not a small club, the survivors of the shootings at Theater 9. The Century 16 auditorium was packed — 421 men, women and children who had turned out for a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.” When a bizarre figure, helmeted and clad in black, appeared before them in a cloud of smoke, they reacted with bemusement and amazement, shock and confusion and — finally — horror. Twelve people died, 70 were injured, and more than 300 fled into the night and into the arms of loved ones. A year later, the survivors cannot forget their terror, or the injuries they suffered, or their losses. But they search for meaning, and sometimes find it: the victims whose faith has strengthened; the father who lost his son but found a cause; the couple who believe that the anniversary of a hateful act can be transformed by love. Pierce O’Farrill was sitting a few rows up on the right side of the theater when he saw a tear gas canister fly in front of the movie screen, followed by the silhouette of the gunman and a green laser shining from the scope of one of his weapons. “My heart just kind of stopped,” O’Farrill said. “I can still in my head hear the (gunman’s) footsteps. Everything went quiet for me.” A blast from a shotgun hit him in the chest and the left foot as he tried to take cover. Moments later, the gunman came closer and shot him with a .40-caliber pistol, shattering his left arm. The shot barely missed a nerve that controls hand function, doctors told him. O’Farrill, 29, still has shotgun pellets in his chest and a bullet lodged in his arm. It aches when he exercises or when a storm is approaching. Still, he said, as a devout Christian — a worker for the Denver Rescue Mission — he forgives the man charged in the shootings. O’Farrill said he saw James Holmes for the first time in the hospital, on television news. “When I saw him, I saw a lost soul,” he said. “I saw a guy who was lost and the darkness got him. “Everybody deserves a chance to be forgiven.” O’Farrill said he hopes Holmes, if convicted, spends the rest of his life in prison — but that he would even like to meet him one day to see if he is remorseful. “I would want him to know that there are people in this world that do not hate him,” he said. “I want to tell him there is hope in this world, even in the darkest place where he is going to live the rest of his life.” That hope — and a lot of counseling — drive O’Farrill forward and make him stronger. He has begun to play basketball and lift weights again, and now he has bigger goals on his horizon. O’Farrill got engaged July 2 and plans to get married sometime next year. Children, he hopes, will follow. He feels incredibly lucky to be alive. “The last year’s been a blessing,” he said. — By Thomas Peipert
Jay LaPrete/Associated Press
Jerri Jackson, mother of Aurora, Colo., theater shooting victim Matthew McQuinn, stands next to a sketch of her son. Jackson remembers a conversation she had with her son, hours before the shooting.
When word of the shootings spread, Tom Sullivan rushed to the staging area at the high school parking lot. His son Alex had gone to see the new Batman movie to celebrate his 27th birthday, two days before his first wedding anniversary. When he learned that Alex was gone, Tom cried out and embraced his wife and daughter — a moment captured in a photo that ran on dozens of newspaper front pages and websites. Weeping in the parking lot, Sullivan realized he had no regrets about his relationship with his son. Each knew how much he was loved by the other. They went on guys-only Super Bowl trips to Las Vegas, celebrating craps wins with Jameson whiskey and cigars. When Alex turned 18 and wanted to get a tattoo, Tom got one too, even though he admitted the experience left him a little pale and sweaty. “There were no unspoken words,” said Sullivan. He laughs easily when remembering his son. He’s drawn comfort over the past year from talking about Alex, and the lesson he had learned: We must appreciate what we have. He also has testified in favor of gun control laws at the state Capitol and went to the reopening of the Aurora movie theater, an event many other victims’ families boycotted, including Alex’s widow. His son loved going to the movies and the theater is part of the community — a place where people come together, where kids can ride to on their bikes. Sullivan has been back to the theater about a half dozen times, sometimes watching movies in the revamped auditorium where his son was killed. He sits in the seat and row where he believes Alex was sitting and leaves an empty seat for him.
It hasn’t always been easy. Each Friday and the 20th of each month have been a reminder of loss. His wife Terry, a school bus driver, didn’t want summer vacation to come even as the children around her grew more excited. “Some days we’re not moving forward, some days we’re just making it through,” he said. July 20 has been a day Tom Sullivan has celebrated his whole life — his mother’s birthday, and then Alex’s. This year, he’ll probably participate in some of the public events marking the event, though he said he won’t be going for his own sake. He wants to show people that he’s OK — and that they, too, can try to go back to normal life. And he’ll probably have some Jameson and cigars, to remember Alex. — By Colleen Slevin As the sun rose over the beach at South Padre Island, on the last day of an April vacation, Eugene Han asked Kirstin Davis if she would be his wife — and she said yes. He followed with another idea: They should be married on July 20. “It took me a second. I didn’t understand where he was coming from,” Davis said. Their wedding would take place on the anniversary of the night when they and their friends went to the Century 16 theater. Davis and Han were just kids when they met at church in Aurora; they had been dating for two years. Now, they settled into the second row to watch the feature. Han, sleepy from work, spotted someone entering through an exit door near the screen. He saw that two guns were strapped to the intruder’s body, and he dropped from his seat and pulled Davis to the floor: “All I was thinking was, if anything, I could
put myself between her and the bullets.” Both were injured — Han seriously. He was shot at close range in his hip and leg. Davis had bullet fragments in her back. A friend also was shot in the leg, which had to be amputated. Han spent five days at a hospital and the next three months bedridden, his parents and brother tending to him. A year later, his right leg is marked by purplish, coinsize scars. Davis recovered from her wounds and started a job as a teaching assistant at an elementary school. Then came the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn., which “sent me over the edge.” She eventually quit her job. These days, she is sleeping better, but she fears big crowds. Someday, the 22-year-old Davis sees herself once again working with children. Han, 21, wants to return to college, write a book — and let the shooter know he forgives him. Their wedding was Saturday. Three friends who survived the Aurora shootings will take part; the idea is to make July 20 a happy day, at least for one couple. “Someone has to be the first person to take the first step to make it a better day,” Han said. — By Catherine Tsai
Jerri Jackson tried to return to her job as a trucking company claims adjuster a few weeks after her son, Matthew McQuinn, was killed. But the pain was too much to bear. She has yet to return to work. Getting out of bed and out of the house to buy groceries is hard some days. “I just don’t want to be around people,” Jackson said in a phone interview from her home in Springfield, Ohio. McQuinn, 27, was sitting with his girlfriend, Samantha Yowler, in the first row of the second level of the theater’s stadium seating when the firing began. As Jackson tells it, McQuinn said “Ow, that hurts,” before he jumped on Yowler to shield her from gunfire. Yowler survived. McQuinn didn’t. Jackson remembers a conversation she had with her son, hours before the shooting. He talked about plans to move back to Ohio to work at a car parts factory near St. Paris; perhaps he would marry Yowler. He was homesick after struggling for a year to find full-time work in Colorado. Jackson offered to let him live with her to get started. Then McQuinn said he had to go. He was going to the movies. “I told him, ‘Be careful,’” Jackson said. “He said, ‘I know. ... I’ll talk to you later, mom. I love you.’ And that was it.” Now, she keeps close at hand the blanket in which she wrapped Matthew when he was a baby — she found it in his apartment, among his things. After he died, she bought a Mitsubishi Eclipse because her son had wanted one. “I tell people that the car belongs to my son, but I get to drive it,” Jackson said. Painted on the rear of the car is the legend, “Real Heroes Don’t Wear Capes.” And: “Matt McQuinn RIP.” And the letter “M” — Superman-style. — By P. Solomon Banda.