On the recordSeptember 26, 2016
Today I rise in honor of the five individuals who were killed this past weekend in a mass shooting at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington. Sarai Lara was a 16-year-old sophomore at Mount Vernon High School, a cancer survivor, and her mother described her as her ``right hand.'' Chuck Eagan was a Boeing maintenance worker from Lake Stevens, Washington. He had two daughters. He was planning on retiring next year. Shayla Martin was a 52-year-old from Mount Vernon and a makeup artist at the Macy's where the shooting took place. Belinda Galde was a 64-year-old from Arlington, Washington. She had served the public for more than two decades as a probation officer at the Snohomish County District Courts. Beatrice Dotson was Belinda's mother. She was 95 years old. I honor these five individuals and express my condolences to their families and their friends, and I honor and I thank the law enforcement officials whose quick investigation led to the capture of the suspected shooter in less than 24 hours. Finally, I offer condolences to the community of Burlington, Washington, which is undoubtedly struggling to make sense of this senseless gun violence that was brought to their doorstep. ____________________
