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Subscribe to RSSJordan Ghawi, whose sister, Jessica, was killed in the shooting at an Aurora, Colo., movie theater recounts how he learned of his sister's death through a phone call from his mother at 2 a.m. and describes her as "tenacious" and "vivacious."
A woman who died in the movie theater shooting in Denver escaped a shooting at a mall in Toronto last month, saying an “odd feeling” compelled her to leave the shopping center.
Jessica Ghawi, 24, had recently moved from San Antonio to Denver, kens5.com reported. An aspiring sportscaster, she had gone to see the movie “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises,” with a friend from Texas who was injured in the shooting, the television station reported.
Ghawi, who wrote under the name Jessica Redfield, said on her blog that she was visiting Toronto in June and stopped by a popular shopping mall to get something to eat when she got an “odd feeling” in her chest.
“This empty, almost sickening feeling won’t go away. I noticed this feeling when I was in the Eaton Center in Toronto just seconds before someone opened fire in the food court,” she wrote in her blog. “An odd feeling which led me to go outside and unknowingly out of harm‘s way. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around how a weird feeling saved me from being in the middle of a deadly shooting.”
“My receipt shows my purchase was made at 6:20 pm. After that purchase I said I felt funny. It wasn’t the kind of funny you feel after spending money you know you shouldn’t have spent. It was almost a panicky feeling that left my chest feeling like something was missing. A feeling that was overwhelming enough to lead me to head outside in the rain to get fresh air instead of continuing back into the food court to go shopping at SportChek. The gunshots rung out at 6:23. Had I not gone outside, I would’ve been in the midst of gunfire.”
Two men were killed in that shooting. Ghawi described seeing emergency responders arrive to the scene.
“I feel like I am overreacting about what I experienced. But I can’t help but be thankful for whatever caused me to make the choices that I made that day. My mind keeps replaying what I saw over in my head. I hope the victims make a full recovery. I wish I could shake this odd feeling from my chest. The feeling that’s reminding me how blessed I am. The same feeling that made me leave the Eaton Center. The feeling that may have potentially saved my life.”
NBC News confirmed Friday from Ghawi's family that she had died of injuries sustained in the overnight rampage. Her brother was flying to Denver Friday morning, her father, Nick Ghawi, told NBC.
Ghawi's brother Jordan described his sister "tenacious, vivacious," to NBC's TODAY show. "You could add almost any moniker to my sister and she would fit it."
"She was sharp, funny, enthusiastic and had the kind of passion for sports and journalism that makes people succeed," sportswriter Jesse Spector wrote on the Sporting News website.
Spector said he exchanged tweets with Ghawi just minutes before the movie started.
Sports radio station 104.3 tweeted "We're sad to report @JessicaRedfield, an intern for The Fan, was 1 of those killed in the theater shooting. Our prayers are w/her family."
On his blog, Jessica's brother Jordan wrote about the moment he heard the news.
"At approximately 0215 CST, I received an hysterical, and almost unintelligible, phone call from my mother stating that my sister, Jessica Ghawi, had been shot while attending the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Denver, CO. I was able to contact the man that was with my sister, mutual friend Brent Lowak, who stated that they were in the theatre when an incendiary device was fired into the crowd and that shots rang out immediately afterwards. Brent further stated that he took two rounds and that my sister took one round followed by an additional round which appeared to strike her in the head. At this time, I do not have confirmation that she is alive or dead."
Around 12:30 p.m., Jordan posted a grim update. "Have received word from the coroner's office that Jessica has indeed died of injuries sustained in the shooting."
He also said he had visited Lowak, the friend Jessica had been with, in the hospital. Lowak was "medically stable," he tweeted.
Jessica Ghawi had exchanged tweets with friends before the midnight showing of the new Batman movie began, teasing one friend for not going to the early screening like she was.
"Of course we're seeing Dark Knight. Redheaded Texan spitfire, people should never argue with me. Maybe I should get in on those NHL talks..." she tweeted from her Twitter handle, @JessicaRedfield.
A friend of Ghawi's, Mike Lavender, told MSNBC-TV that she "moved to Denver to pursue her dream. One of the things that she had been working on with all the fires in Colorado was she had asked everybody to donate sports equipment for people because she knows how sports brings such joy."
After hearing the news Lavender had spoken with Ghawi's mother, who was planning on visiting her daughter in Colorado next week.
"It was surreal," he said. "When somebody you know is involved, when somebody you know is murdered, it hits you in a place that I wish on nobody. It's devastating."
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Leave a Comment:
To sever any abundance of misinformation on any part of this criminal's mind, merely suggests that he committed a waiting premonition of his anger towards his parents.
This really is so sad, but it almost sounds like a final destination thing for her. She barely missed being shot at the mall to turn around and be killed by such a messed up individual at a movie theather. But she didnt deserve to die. None of them did. It's just so sad. My thoughts and prayers go out to all that were involved and their familes. May the wounded heal quickly and those lives taken rest in peace. I hope they fry this guy in an electric chair, or take him out to the gun range and shoot him down.
What is more disturbing is the people that find this funny and are just so rude to be posting horrible things on here. Have some damn respect for the dead will ya?
To Jenny-4157646
The people who are laughing at this tragic event are insensive, cruel and immature. They might have a different opinion if one of the victims was their friend or family member. They have no respect for anyone, especially themselves. It's important for me to focus my energy on the victims and their families. My heartfelt prayers and condolence go out to them.
To sever any abundance of misinformation on any part of this criminal's mind, merely suggests that he committed a waiting premonition of his anger towards his parents.
Death must have been chasing her down for awhile.
RIP Jessica.
Her story sounds like the plot from a Final Destination movie. How awful for the family.
damn it! Enough with that f'king Final Destination crap people.
The odds of witnessing one mass shooting are unbelievably small. Being involved in two must be astronomical. My condolensces to the family for your horrible and unimaginable loss.
I seriously had to read over everything twice to see if I was reading it correctly. This is the most bizarre account of a true series of events I've personally ever come across. I cannot BELIEVE that this woman avoided being shot in Canada a month ago, and then was killed here in the US just a month later. She said she couldn't shake the sinking feeling... she probably figured it was a traumatic reaction, and very well could have had that same feeling last night, but told herself she wasn't going to let it ruin her night or alter her plans, since how could it be right? My mind is blown.
I am deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of all the victims. It was senseless. However, i do not think one death is more tragic than the others. I think the media is wrong for bringing this one victim forward as if it is any more of a tragedy than any of the other 12 who were killed, or the 59 that were wounded...
i'd like to know exactly where she was sitting in relation to where this shooter entered the movie theatre
Obviously directly in the line of fire.
you're obviously missing my point
what would your point be?
a woman on msnbc said a man she says is James Holmes after seeing his picture , sat down next to her
in the movie theatre and sat there for a few minutes, then got a call on his cell phone, got up and left
and didn't return. A few minutes later the shooting occured
So he got a call from himself which told him to execute his plan?
Kate
That is interesting...
The only surprising thing is that the first shooting was in a country with pretty good gun control. Not even worth saying to the NRA types, but the wide availabilty of guns increases the chance they will be used, and the innocent are more likely to be harmed by far than the guilty.
if guns were not so feared and someone had one with them in that theater, 10 of those 12 would not have died.
The only time you can remove guns from our streets is when we do not need to defend ourselves because all the criminals are dead. It ain't happening in our lifetime, so fight for strength and training for our citizens , not for ways to leave us unarmed and vulnerable.
And good gun control is a) keeping all guns out of everyones hands including cops, or B) gun control is hitting what you aim at...
This is tragic what happened and my thoughts and prayers go out to the familes, why didn't Jessica have the same feeling this time when something bad was about to start.
This is tragic what happened and my thoughts and prayers go out to the familes, why didn't Jessica have the same feeling this time when something bad was about to start.
This is tragic what happened and my thoughts and prayers go out to the familes, why didn't Jessica have the same feeling this time when something bad was about to start.
11 other people died and yet she's the only one they keep talking about.
I'm assuming this picture of you is the most flattering one your family could find...because your words demonstrate you couldn't possibly be as intelligent as this picture would demonstrate!
Click on any other vine, any other news article and read about the other victims..
When you click on an article with the heading shown - you will be reading about this particular victim!
First of all, sincerest and heartfelt condolences to Jessica's and all other victims' families and friends! A very tragic event for us all. While reading this article, I couldn't help but think what a 'receptive' human being she was. We should all take heed, and, as it is commonly said...'listen' to our gut...her premonition lingered, from what I read...how difficult that must have been to go on with that feeling! May all victims rest in peace.
if shooting like this are so common, we neeed to all carry guns to end this nonsense. the gun toting cops can't watch every place every minute, but , if there are more legal citizens using guns as the detterent the can be, maybe we can end this type of multiple deaths, if someone was armed in that theater they could have ended the sob before he got so many.
I am not a gun advocate, but fear is not an option in everyday life. If you live in snake territory , you come prepared, well , the snakes are loose ya'll.....
I'm sure that the grieving family and friends of these victims will at least be relieved to know that this guy's Second Amendment rights were not violated.
This is the result of America's moronic gun laws. Virginia Tech, Columbine, a couple of mass slayings here in Seattle...etc..etc..etc... The US has substantially more gun deaths than pretty much all of Europe, Australia, Canada combined? The reason people? It's obvious but gun nuts would have an epileptic fit for anyone to suggest laws that might actually address the problem.
This will be the news for a week or so when there will be another mass shooting.
That's right America, keep your head in the sand, maybe all your problems will disappear.
there is no law that can protect us, We must always be ready to protect ourselves.
We have more violent mental illness here,if we have more shootings. Laws prevent reasonable people from actions , but the mentally ill or the arrogant do not fear or care about laws.
the killer could have used a slingshot and done almost as much, gun laws won't help, just another kneejerk reaction by the scared and helpless.
Yah ACbyTesla ??? Tell that to the good people of Chicago !!! where only the bad guys have guns !
dammmit.. I'm so f'ing tired of hearing bad nevvs all the time.. People suck. vvether or not if this guy vvas sick, its just another that fell thru the cracks and I'm sure it vvill happen again. sadly of course.. Its just so sad. Reminds me of movie Final Destination, I guess it vvas her time, tho so unfair. Also reminds of a couple vvho got scared to bored the Air France flight that crashed in '09 off the coast of South America in the Atlantic vvhere all perished, only for them to die in a car the ride home in the Alps..(or something like that vvhere one of them sustained serious injuries and I believe the husband passed). Prayers go out to friends and family of the victims.
My condolences to this young woman's family. She had so much life left in her.
I f i could have got a head shot at neck level and taken this @!$%# down i would have not stoped shoting untill my gun was empty!!! pc of crap! Ipray for all the familys, and i hope this man has a endless painfull torment daily and suffers tremendlessly!!! God p[lease see to this,, PLEASE FOR THE FAMILY,s
Evil, sick people are among us. What are we supposed to do? Have metal detectors and pat downs everywhere we go? The shooter was so dressed for the occasion, why didn't someone see evidence of his attire. Is it that conspicuous? Was he carrying a back pack? No, back packs shouldn't be allowed. I know one thing. Shooters in this case need to be put down.
First i want to send out our Prayers to all who lost a loved one in this digusting & senseless tragedy !! . .but what adds salt to such a horendous wound is the media Flashing His DISGUSTING FACE any chance they get!! & then giving this horrible act a "Catchy" title to be remembered by!!! . .lets post pictures of all the ones who were lost!! . .& remember them instead !! We dont need to see him & make him more famous & feed this type of sicko the stuff he thrives on!! . .they arent out looking for him . .they have him in custody!! . .so let him Rot . .his face should be blacked out !! I CANT STAND HOW IT ENDS UP GLORIFYING THE WHOLE THING!!!
My heart is so broken.
My prayers and thoughts to the families of the victims, and the survivors.