Both here and everywhere, the shootings at the Aurora theater last week stirred thoughts and feelings in nearly every able-minded, feeling person.
For Broncos receiver Eric Decker, the tragedy caused a flashback.
“It brought back some tough memories,” Decker said. “It sparked some emotions. It sparked memories of what happened in high school.”
Decker was a junior at Rocori High School in the small town of Cold Spring, Minn., sitting in the cafeteria during his lunch period when the principal went on the intercom and announced “Code Red.”
The cafeteria and classroom doors were locked up. The school had just gone through a Code Red exercise a couple weeks earlier, but this was no practice drill.
Two of Decker’s high school classmates were shot dead by 15-year-old freshman Jason McLaughlin. It was Minnesota’s first fatal shooting by a student inside a school.
It’s impossible for anyone to fully understand what the people inside theater no. 9 at Century Aurora 16 were experiencing on July 20 when suspect James Holmes allegedly interrupted the midnight premier of the latest Batman movie by firing on them, killing 12 and injuring 58.
But Decker may understand a little more than others.
“It’s something that’s always with you,” said Decker, who led all Broncos receivers last season in catches (44), yards (612) and touchdowns (eight). “It’s not something I talk about much. It’s something where I try not to dwell on it because it’s such a bad memory. But it’s there. It’s always there.”
The circumstances between the shootings at Rocori High and the Aurora theater had many differences. Holmes’ alleged shooting spree seemed random, although far more elaborately planned. McLaughlin’s trial revealed he had targeted fellow freshman Seth Bartell, who supposedly had long teased the gunman. McLaughlin’s second shot at Bartell missed and hit 17-year-old Aaron Rollins in the neck, killing the senior. Decker knew Rollins well as they had played baseball together.
Bartell ran into the gym where he was shot in the head by the pursuing McLaughlin. Sitting in the gym bleachers with other students was physical education teacher Mark Johnson, who upon stepping toward McLaughlin, drew a pointed gun. Johnson, an imposing man, held out a hand and commanded “stop.”
McLaughlin obeyed the teacher. He discharged his gun and essentially surrendered to Johnson. Bartell died 16 days later from his gun wounds. McLaughlin’s attorneys used an insanity defense, but he was found guilty of first-degree murder of Bartell and second-degree murder of Rollins and given a life sentence.
The similarity between the shootings at Cold Spring, Minn. and the Aurora theater were that innocent people were participating in some of the most wholesome of American events — attending high school; attending a movie — and wound up dead.
Decker joined six of his Broncos teammates in visiting patients from the theater shooting Sunday at the Medical Center of Aurora.
One of the patients the Bronco players met with was Stephen Barton, whose 4,500-mile bike ride from Virginia to San Francisco was interrupted about 3,000 miles in. A stop in Aurora resulted in shotgun buckshot to his neck and face.
“They’re talking about him completing that bike ride to San Francisco and having a fundraiser with it,” Decker said. “I think it would be cool to get a bunch of Broncos involved in that.”
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055, mklis@denverpost.com or
