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Senator Sullivan describes ongoing trauma after theater mass shooting and says therapy and EAP are helping
Summary
Senator Sullivan used a moment of personal privilege to describe the loss of her son in a theater mass shooting, the resulting long-term impacts on her health, and the support she has received from therapy and the employee assistance program (EAP).
DENVER — Senator Sullivan addressed the Senate during a personal-privilege statement on Jan. 31, 2025, recounting the June mass shooting that killed her son Alex and 11 others and describing the ongoing personal and health consequences.
Sullivan said a shooter entered a theater with a firearm, a 100-round drum magazine and other high-capacity magazines, and opened fire, leaving three people paralyzed and another later having an amputation. She said the trauma has affected “everything within my life” and that her doctor recommended she quit work during a period to protect her health. Sullivan said she has been participating in regular therapy through the Employee Assistance Program and said her doctor prescribed a second medication to help.
Sullivan framed her remarks as a statement about the long-term effects of violent trauma: “I carry that pain and loss with me every day, and it has impacted and affected everything within my life.” The senator said she continues to do legislative work while also managing the consequences of the shooting.
Why it matters: A sitting senator publicly recounted direct experience of mass-violence trauma while on the legislative floor, highlighting personal and public-policy dimensions of survivor care, long-term rehabilitation and mental-health support for victims and families.
Meeting context: The remarks came amid other personal-privilege statements and floor business; no formal motion or policy action was recorded in connection with Sullivan’s statement in the transcript excerpt.
