In the United States, an active shooter incident occurs every 14 days. It is no longer a question of “if” it will happen, but “when.” And while these statistics are jarring, the personal stories behind them remain largely untold. Following each tragic occurrence, lives are lost, people are traumatised, and survivors and family members are left reeling. For the first time, Investigation Discovery brings forward poignant, intimate, and unheard stories in the powerful documentary In Memoriam next month.
he 2-hour special moves past the polarised gun control debate, focusing on the lasting emotional scars mass shootings leave behind. We hear in detail from survivors and first responders from the attacks that took place over six short months at the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest music festival; the Sutherland Springs Baptist Church; and, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Samantha Grady never thought it could happen at her school. Gianna Baca was just attending a concert. Dean McAuley was going out with friends – he never knew he was embarking out on a night where he would save lives. When Julie Workman left for church, she had no idea she would see her son shot, right in front of her. These people live thousands of kilometres apart, but they all share the same life-shattering experience of a mass shooting. But even with different locations and lives, they also have one more thing in common. They are survivors; they carry on.
This film is an intimate chronicle of humanity as families navigate their way through the unthinkable; grappling with grief, pushing past injury, confronting old memories and searching for new meaning.
Weaving together candid, one-on-one interviews, personal footage, and verité film, this documentary creates an intertwined story of enduring love, grief and resilience that emerges when people are faced with almost unimaginable tragedy. In Memoriam shows the support and strength shown in the face of an insurmountable challenge.
In Memoriam Stream or watch Saturday 8 May at 8:30pm AEST on Investigation Discovery
