**Warning: this article contains references to gun violence.
It’s a sad fact that the term “mass shooting” has become almost synonymous with America — but, how could it not when such atrocities occur every 14 days.
In March, global headlines were dominated by the tragic murders of 8 people, including six Asian women in Atlanta, Georgia and the massacre of a further ten people in Boulder, Colorado not long after. Those mass shootings were just two of seven that occurred within the space of a week.
In the wake of each shooting; Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Charlestown, Las Vegas, Parkland, San Bernadino, Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and so on and so forth, gun debates are immediately launched, making the tragedies more political than personal.
Now, a new documentary to air on Investigation Discovery aims to tell the deeply moving — and largely unheard — stories behind the horrific mass shootings, which show no signs of ceasing any time soon.
In Memoriam, which will air on Saturday 8 May at 8:30 pm, is a two hour special that “moves past the polarised gun control debate, focusing on the lasting emotional scars mass shootings leave behind”.
Viewers will 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.
The press statement for the documentary explains, “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.”
Integrating one-on-one interviews, personal footage and verité filmmaking techniques, In Memoriam takes viewers through the inconceivable journey of navigating grief that way too many American families have found themselves forced to endure.
The documentary shows the support and strength shown in the face of an insurmountable challenge and tells the ultimate story of the love, grief and resilience that emerges when people are faced with unimaginable tragedy.
In Memoriam will premiere in Australia on Saturday 8 May at 8:30 pm AEST on Investigation Discovery.
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