Parents of Aurora shooting victims deliver message to Arizona Sen. Flake

PHOENIX — Gun-control supporters delivered more than 150,000 signed petitions to the Phoenix office of Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) Friday morning.

Among the dozens of people calling for universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and extended ammo magazines were Tom and Caren Teves, of Phoenix. Their son Alex was killed in the Colorado theater massacre last year.

Flake was out of the office, which is near 24th Street and Camelback Road. Staffers accepted the petitions.

Tom Teves refuses to mention the name of the man who killed his son using a weapon of war. Teves said his son would have likely survived if the shooter hadn’t been armed with an extended-ammo clip.

“He could fire so many bullets in such a short time. My son was pinned down and protecting his girlfriend,” Teves said.

Sandy and Lonnie Phillips of San Antonio lost their daughter Jessica Gawhi Redfield in the massacre.
Lonnie Phillips had hoped for a man-to-man chat with Flake. It didn’t happen but he said Flake should be impacted when he see the petitions.

“I don’t know what kind of man he is. He might fluff it off. But if he’s any type of man he will take heed.”

Sandy Phillips said she’s not disappointed or surprised that Flake wasn’t there.

“Because our leaders take the easy way out whenever they can.”