Alex Teves, John Larimer’s Girlfriends Speak Out After Boyfriends Died Shielding Them
After James Holmes allegedly shot up a theater during a midnight showing of the film The Dark Knight Rises, 12 people lay dead and scores more were injured.
Of the dozen who were killed, fully one-third of the fatalities were men who were killed providing cover for their girlfriends when the shooting broke out.
As we reported earlier, the girlfriends of Jon Blunk and Matt McQuinn have come forward to say that the young men did not hesitate, and when the shooting broke out, protected their girlfriends’ lives at the expense of their own.
All the four men who were killed protecting their girlfriends were young, in their 20’s and barely old enough to be out of college.
But when faced with a decision to run or shield the women they loved, the four young men all took bullets and died at the scene.
That’s going out like a Man. RIP, brother RT @AndreaMcCarren: Navy sailor John Larimer died when he threw himself in front of his girlfriend
— Jeff Emanuel (@jeffemanuel) July 21, 2012
It’s pretty heartbreaking to see how Amanda Lindgren, 24, through no fault of her own must now live with the fact that boyfriend Alex Teves, 24, died protecting her. Lindgren, likely still in shock from the horror she witnessed, explains what happened that night in the theater when she lost Teves:
“I was really, really confused at first about what was going on, so confused… But, it’s like Alex didn’t even hesitate. Because I sat there for a minute, not knowing what was going on, and he held me down and he covered my head and he said, ‘Shh stay down. It’s ok. Shh just stay down.’ So I did… He was my angel that night, but he was my angel every day I knew him… I’m broken.”
Lindgren added:
“My other half was just ripped apart from me and so for me it’s still unreal. I can’t picture my life without him. How do you? When someone loves you that much and you love somebody that much…how do you believe that this is real? And of all places. We were in that theater, that specific room. We were just supposed to watch a movie.”
Alex Teves, 24, recently graduated from University of Denver with a MA in Counseling Psychology. He died protecting his GF. #Aurorashooting
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) July 24, 2012
Lindgren isn’t the only young woman facing the circumstance of losing her boyfriend in such a tragic manner. Julia Vojtsek, 23, was at the screening of The Dark Knight Rises with boyfriend and US Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class John Larimer, 26. As we reported earlier, Larimer too shielded his girlfriend and did not survive the hail of bullets — Vojtsek explains:
“John immediately and instinctively covered me and brought me to the ground in order to protect me from any danger… Moments later, John knowingly shielded me from a spray of gunshots. It was then I believe John was hit with a bullet that would have very possibly struck me. I feel very strongly that I was saved by John and his ultimate kindness.”
27-year-old Matt McQuinn and 26-year-old Jon Blunk also were killed protecting their girlfriends during the massacre.
#AuroraVictims John Larimer, 27. US Navy Cryptologic Technician 3rd class. Saved girlfriend by getting btwn her and bullets during shooting.
— Candace Brown (@candacetx) July 24, 2012
