Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) Monday held a moment of silence on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. to honor the victims of the shooting at Henry Pratt plant in Aurora February 15. Five employees lost their lives, and six police officers suffered injuries.
“Today, we honored the victims of the shooting at the Henry Pratt plant in Aurora. Russell Beyer, Vicente Juarez, Clayton Parks, Josh Pinkard, and Trevor Wehner were taken from their friends and families too soon. We stand united in our grief as we remember them,” Foster said.
“I am especially grateful for the first responders who came from the western suburbs of Chicago to contain the situation. Family members should be able to say goodbye to their loved ones as they leave for work and school knowing they will see them again in the evening. I am proud to support commonsense legislation that will go a long way to keep Americans safe from gun violence.”
• Russell Beyer, Yorkville, was a mold operator, union committee chairman from Machinists Local 1202, and the father of two children.
• Vicente Juarez, Oswego, was a member of the shipping and warehouse team. He lived with his wife, daughter, and grandchildren on a quiet side street in Oswego.
• Clayton Parks, Elgin, worked as the Company’s human resources manager and was a graduate of Northern Illinois University’s College of Business. He is survived by a wife and a young son.
• Josh Pinkard, Oswego, was a plant manager at the Company and sent a text message to his wife, “I love you. I’ve been shot.” He is survived by his wife and three children.
• Trevor Wehner, Sheridan, was an intern at the Company at his first day of work. He was set to graduate from Northern Illinois University in May with a degree in human resource management.
Officers injured: James Zegar, John Cebulski, Marco Gomez, Reynaldo Rivera, Adam Miller, and Diego Avila.
—Office of Bill Foster (IL-11)