Fourteen Years After Jessi’s Death: The Question the Courts Never Were Allowed to Answer and the Lives that Might Have Been Impacted
Always remembered, always honored, always loved On July 20, 2012, twelve people, including our daughter, Jessi Redfield Ghawi, were murdered inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Fifty-eight others suffered gunshot wounds, and more were injured while trying to escape the gunfire. Fourteen years later, we remember and honor those who were killed, the survivors, […]
After the Sirens: Healing, Dignity, and Support for Survivors
Grant-Funded Initiative Will Educate Public on Survivors’ Rights, Trauma Responses, and Pathways to Healing Survivors Empowered is proud to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of a $5,000 Community Awareness Project grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) in support of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) 2026. The grant […]
Japanese art of kintsugi proves powerful metaphor for Sandy and Lonnie Phillips of Survivors Empowered
‘Broken & Beautiful’ by Wavecrest Films featured at LA film festival “Broken & Beautiful,” a new short documentary produced and directed by Wavecrest Films, chronicles the journey of Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, whose lives were shattered by the shooting death of their daughter and then rebuilt stronger than ever over the period of a dozen […]
CNN names Lonnie and Sandy Phillips/Survivors Empowered one of their Champions for Change.
One of 12 award recipients, Survivors Empowered is being recognized by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper as an uplifting community champion for empowering survivors of gun violence to move forward with their lives. These survivors include most notably the family and friends of shooting victims, as well as shooting survivors themselves. Tragically, Jessi Redfield Ghawi, the […]
California couple a step closer to having gun law named after their daughter killed in mass shooting
The shooting in Nashville has invigorated the conversation about gun control. KPBS reporter Kitty Alvarado has an update with a Southern California woman who has two missions: comforting families of the victims, and trying to stop future violence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH76ts3jk80
San Diego Coalition Gains Reforms and Allies
Before the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted at a meeting in January 2022 to require that gun owners safely store their weapons and to ban the possession or distribution of the parts used to make unregistered and untraceable “ghost guns,” Carol Landale spoke in favor of the legislation. Five months later, Therese Hymer […]