AURORA, Colo. — Chalk artists honored the victims of the Aurora theater shooting at the Reflection Garden Memorial on Sunday. The eighth anniversary of the tragic event is Monday.
Almost everyone in Aurora has a connection to what happened on July 20, 2012, whether they're an artist paying tribute or just someone stopping by.
"I remember this night all too well," resident Lori said. "Our kids were supposed to be at that movie theater. Fortunately, someone got sick, and they didn't make it."
Some people at the Reflection Garden Memorial Sunday lost a loved one. Lisa Childress lost her son, Jesse Childress, that day. She came out with her family from California for the anniversary and stopped by to see the chalk art to honor the victims.
"It's beautiful," she said. "I'm the kind of person to celebrate Jesse's life and anyway it can be," she said.
It doesn't make the day any easier for the mother of the former Air Force member.
"Of course it's hard. I lost my son, and he was just a light. He was Colin and Tyler's hero. He was a lot of people's hero," Childress said.
The artist honoring Jesse at the memorial Sunday has a special connection to him. Her daughter worked with Jesse.
