Rebel of the Week: Jon Blunk, Matt McQuinn and Alex Teves – Martyrs of the Batman Shooting
July 25th, 2012Typically Rebel of the Week goes to a freedom fighter of some kind. We usually award it for civil disobedience activism and speaking Truth to power. But in the triad of natural rights “life” comes before “liberty” and “property” and that’s probably with good reason. What good is liberty and property to the dead? So, this week, in light of recent events, we are awarding Rebel of the Week to three men who are more heroes than rebels. Jon Blunk, Matt McQuinn and Alex Teves were all murdered in the ‘Dark Knight Rises’ shooting earlier this week, but their girlfriends all survived with minor injuries because these heroes shielded them from the onslaught of gunfire with their bodies.
Jon Blunk, 25, took his girlfriend, Jansen Young, to the midnight premiere to celebrate her graduation from veterinary school. Jansen’s life was saved when Jon pushed her under her seat and threw himself on top of her during the bloodbath. She escaped with only minor shrapnel wounds to her side, but Jon was killed. “He’s a hero, and he’ll never be forgotten,” a tearful Jansen said after the shooting. “Jon took a bullet for me.” Jon worked as a mall security guard, and served in the Navy. He’d recently filled out papers to reenlist with the goal of becoming a Navy Seal. Jon was survived by two children, 4 and 2, and an estranged wife who said, “He always wanted to a be a superhero.”
Alex Teves, 24, similarly threw his girlfriend, Amanda Lindgren, to the floor to shield her from the bullets as they flew through the movie theater. They were sitting in the front row. In doing so he likely saved her life, but he was struck himself and didn’t make it. Amanda said, “”He held me down and he covered my head and he said ‘shhh stay down, it’s OK, Shh, just stay down.’ So I did.” She tearfully explained “I just wish I could have protected him the same way he protected me.” Alex was from Arizona originally but moved to Denver to pursue a psychology degree at the University of Denver. Alex’s father, Tom Teves, said it was Alex’s love of superheroes that brought him to the theater that night.
Matt McQuinn, 26, and his girlfriend, Samantha Yowler, both received gunshots during the tragedy. Samantha was shot in the knee, and after undergoing surgery expects to fully recover. Matt dove on top of Samantha as the shooting started and Samantha’s brother, Nick, who was also in the theater, helped her get out of the theater. Nick Yowler was not injured. Matt and Samantha met working at a Target store in Springfield, Ohio and tranfered together to a Target in Aurora last November.
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