Despite Loughner’s sentencing, closure escapes some
Nov 9, 2012, 6:33 AM | Updated: 11:26 am
On the horrific day of the Tucson shooting, Daniel Hernandez rushed to former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Gifford’s side and rendered first aid.
He’s credited with saving her life. After nearly two years of trying to process what happened that day, the sentencing of shooter Jared Loughner doesn’t bring closure to the many who were there, including Hernandez.
“I don’t think ‘closure’ is the right word,” he said. “It’s the same word said by Judge Burns, which was, this is a resolution of a 22-month chapter. I don’t think any of us will completely have closure for what’s happened because we lost six people and 13 others were injured.”
Two sisters who lost their beloved mother, Phyllis Schneck, shared the sentiment. Their 79-year-old mom went to the event, hoping to have the opportunity to shake Gifford’s hand. She was killed in a hail of bullets, leaving her children in a lot of pain.
“I’m grieving, this has been a very hard process,” said daughter Phyllis Schneck-Routenberg.
Although she is pleased with the plea agreement and sentence, it doesn’t bring closure, she said.
“It’s another chapter in this story. The story is not over and hopefully for us, it closes the Jared Loughner chapter and that we can move on,” said Schneck-Routenberg.
Loughner was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences, plus 140 years in federal prison for the rampage.
