Some of you may not be aware that yesterday marked the 2nd anniversary of the Colorado theater shooting which took 12 lives and injured 70 more.

I remember quite distinctly that I was out of state visiting family when I heard, or rather saw, the news on our hotel’s TV in the breakfast room. I watched the story, which was played over and over, trying to figure out what building the reporter was standing outside of. Having grown up in the area and having gone to the theater too many times to count, I knew every building in the surrounding area.

The rest of the day was quiet as my family digested the news and hoped fervently that no one we knew was seeing the movie that night. As it turns out, one of the girls that I graduated with just a few months before was in the theater. She wasn’t hurt, thankfully, but I will never forget the way my heart stopped for a few seconds before I found out that she was okay. I cannot possibly imagine hearing the news that your loved one was shot while enjoying the midnight premiere of a movie about a hero or being the one who saw their loved one shot as you survived. I will only say that I am sorry that your loved one was so cruelly taken from you. It is the truest thing I can say.

The first college class that I attended after that summer was a Philosophy class. We went through introductions and when I said where I was from, the professor asked, “That’s where that movie shooting was, right?” He immediately realized that his tone wasn’t quite as respectful as it should have been and apologized, but I was used to the questions and said it was fine.

The first few months after the shooting, there was a petition for keeping the theater open despite some calling for its closing. I signed that petition because it showed that my community was strong despite the actions of one mentally ill person, whose name is not important right now.

The names that are important are the names of the ones who lost their lives.