The five Pratt Company employees who lost their lives at the hands of a gunman on Feb. 15, 20109. (Photo courtesy of the Aurora Historical Society)

The Aurora Historical Society will pay tribute to the five people who lost their lives in an Aurora workplace shooting in 2019 in a 3^rd anniversary exhibit of memorabilia.  The exhibit opens on Friday, Feb. 4 and runs through Feb. 26.

Russell Beyer, Vicente Juarez, Clayton Parks, Josh Pinkard and Trevor Wehner were shot and killed by a disgruntled fellow employee at the Henry Pratt Company facility in Aurora on Feb. 15, 2019.   Five Aurora police officers and a Pratt employee were injured, as well, before the gunman lost his own life to police fire.

The five white crosses that stood at the factory gates in their memory, built by the late Greg Zanis, will be the centerpiece of the memorial, as they have been for the last three years. They were donated to the society by Zanis.  In addition, the exhibit will display memorabilia left by mourners on the sidewalk outside the factory.

A 2020 video of the first anniversary exhibit is available on the historical society website:  www.aurorahistory.net/february15.

The installation will be on the second floor of the Pierce Art and History Center, within the “Aurora Story” exhibit.  The center is at 20 E. Downer Place. Hours for the exhibit are Wed-Fri, noon to 4 p.m., and Sat. 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.   Admission is free.  Masks are required.

Zanis’ autobiography, “Cross Man”, is available at the AHS gift shop or online at aurorahistory.net/shop at a cost of $23.99 plus tax with a 10 percent discount to members.