Robert Berry: “I rise tonight to eulogize the lives of the five people, one woman and four little girls, who lost their lives yesterday…”

“I rise tonight to eulogize the lives of the five people, one woman and four little girls, who lost their lives yesterday in the senseless and tragic ambush shooting in Craighead County, Arkansas. I rise to offer my condolences to the families of these victims and to those that were injured and to the entire community as they struggle to make sense of the violence that we never dreamed would be visited upon our State. As nearly everyone in the country knows from the media reports that we have been receiving, yesterday afternoon someone pulled a fire alarm at Westside Middle School in Craighead County, Arkansas. As teachers and students evacuated the building, they were greeted by a torrent of gunfire from nearby woods. Among the victims is Shannon Wright. Mrs. Wright was a 32-year-old teacher who was shot while trying to shield sixth grader Emma Pittman from the hail of bullets. Mrs. Wright died at 7:53 last night, following surgery. Eleven-year-old Amber Vanover told reporters what she saw: "He was fixing to shoot her, and Mrs. Wright moved in front of her." Eleven-year-old Natalie Brooks also lost her life. Paige Ann Herring and Stephanie Johnson, age 12, and Brittany Varner, age 11, had their lives taken from them.”