Parents of theater victim gain some peace by spreading message

After their daughter, Jessica Ghawi, and 11 other people were fatally shot at an Aurora movie theater in 2012, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips have been traveling the country in a trailer, going state to state to empower, comfort and lean on survivors of violence.

As the couple cross state lines, they often wonder: “Is he here?”

They couldn’t help but wonder where James Holmes, the man who murdered their daughter and 11 others, was living out his existence behind bars.

“We are thrilled to know where he is,” Sandy Phillips said Thursday, a day after the federal Bureau of Prisons announced that the gunman is in USP Allenwood, a high-security federal prison in Pennsylvania.

Colorado previously had resisted efforts by victims of the Aurora theater shooting and their families to learn where he was being held.

“Not knowing where he’s been, survivors have been revictimized over and over again,” Phillips said. “We now know where he is. To have that one little thing removed from over our heads, not to have to think about it, or worry about it, it’s a wonderful feeling.”

Jessica Ghawi grew up a hockey fan in footballcrazed Texas. She had worked as a waitress in the Denver area and was pursuing her dream of becoming a sports journalist.

Now, the Phillipses travel the country, remembering Jessi, sharing her dreams, talking with people about the dangers of violence and taking measures to help prevent multiple shootings.

“Is it the life we would have chosen? No. But it is the life we are making and we are happy with that,” Phillips said.

To learn more about the Phillipses’ mission, go to: facebook.com/ JessisMessage or Jessiesmessage.org.

NS