First Response to Aurora Theater Shooting
At 3:30AM on Friday, July 20, 2012 a week ago today I woke up to a flurry of text messages on my phone. People that we knew from all over the U.S. were asking if our family was okay. We had no idea of the horror that had happened earlier that morning. So my wife and I proceeded to get up and see on T.V. what was happening. We were overwhelmed with the reports that were coming out of the Century 16 Theater a few miles down the road from our home.
After a few moments of sitting there I couldn’t take it anymore I had to do something. So my first response was to think of the policemen and women that were there at the theater. So with the help of our Worship Pastor at Elevation Christian Church, Gregg Barbour we purchased and loaded up 20 cases of water from King Soopers in the truck. Then headed down to the Century 16 Theater.
We were immediately met by the officers that were at the South end of Sable by the Aurora Town Center where the theater is located. From there we were escorted to the Aurora Municipal Building, the officers around the theater, the area of the media by the theater, and then to Victim’s assistance at Gateway high school.
The people in the Municipal building said, “Oh, thank God you are hear we were waiting for the water.” A radio reporter announced on air that he was tired and hot and all of sudden in through the window was a hand with bottled water. Then at the Victims assistance area all of the reporters thanked us as the temperature began to rise on this horrible day. Inside the Gateway gym we were met with more comments of thanks and then we met with people in the parking lot to pray for them.
The thought that kept running through my head was from this verse:
Matthew 10:42 (NLT) “And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
This is what the first response was for me when it came to the events of that night. What did you do as a first response to the shooting at the theater? (Call someone, hug your kids, or pray for those that were being personally affected by loss that day.) Leave your responses below.
Walking through the Aurora Theater Weekend
Where the Aurora Theater shootings occured
As this last weekend has been a blur of action and emotion for the city of Aurora. I am taking the next couple of days to get my thoughts together. It is my hope for the next couple of weeks to share what I have experienced and seen. It is an opportunity to share from the perspective of a father, community member, and as a pastor. I pray that over the next couple of weeks we will walk together and experience this tragedy in a way that helps us learn in many different ways. Keep praying for the community and the families that have been hit so hard through loss and injury.
What were you doing when you heard about the Aurora Theater shootings?
"Psycho for Jesus" Scott Bloyer 
