HOUSE MEMORIAL 8

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Nora Espinoza

A MEMORIAL

HONORING THE HEROISM OF A TEACHER; COMMENDING THE EMPLOYEES OF THE ROSWELL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's children are its greatest treasure; and

     WHEREAS, on every school day, parents, grandparents and other guardians throughout the state entrust children to the care and protection of their local schools; and

     WHEREAS, on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, that protection was put to the test when over five hundred children were endangered by gunfire at the Berrendo middle school gymnasium in Roswell, New Mexico, and two children were seriously injured; and

     WHEREAS, confronting live, unexpected gunfire requires extreme bravery, and no one knows beforehand how one will respond; and

     WHEREAS, the staff at Berrendo middle school met the challenge of that moment in exemplary fashion; and

     WHEREAS, John Masterson, a teacher at Berrendo middle school, stepped in front of the shooter and talked him into giving up his gun; and

     WHEREAS, other teachers and staff at Berrendo middle school reacted with decisiveness to attend to the injured children and calm and protect all of the students; and

     WHEREAS, the Berrendo middle school staff had been trained for "active shooter" situations; and

     WHEREAS, the Roswell community has been exemplary in its response to this tragedy, exhibiting an outpouring of care and concern for all the children and families involved;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that John Masterson be honored for his heroic actions and the staff of Berrendo middle school be commended, recognizing and honoring the trust emplaced in them; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Roswell independent school district be commended for providing active shooter training to its employees; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that admiration be expressed for the spirit that the Roswell community has shown as it recovers from this tragedy; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to John Masterson, the superintendent of the Roswell independent school district, the editor of the Roswell Daily Record and the governor.

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