At Aurora massacre, many victims died protecting others

(CBS News) DENVER, Colo. - At the memorial service in Aurora, Colo., Sunday night, the mourners made a solemn vow -- to never forget those who lost their lives in that movie theater on Friday and the heroism of those who sacrificed their lives for others.

Nobody died alone in Aurora that night.

From left to right: Jon Blunk, Alex Teves and Matt McQuinn were killed at a midnight movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., Friday while protecting their girlfriends from bullets.

/ CBS News/Personal Photos

The 12 who lost their lives all went to the movies with a relative, a spouse, or a friend.

Matt McQuinn dove in front of his girlfriend and her older brother to shield them from the gunfire. They lived. He didn't.

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John Larimer, who had just joined the Navy, stood between life and death for his girlfriend too.

Air Force Staff Sergeant Jesse Childress saved the life of fellow airman beside him.

And Jonathan Blunk pushed his friend Jansen Young to the floor and lay on top of her.

"Even after I was thrown under the seats I kept thinking, 'This is it, I'm going to die,'" Young said.

He took the bullet instead of her.

"I don't know how to give my life back to someone who has given their life to me. How do you do that?" said Young.

23 Photos

The Aurora shooting victims

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It's stories like these that are offering comfort for those left behind, whether at memorials popping up on street corners or prayer vigils organized in parks.

"We will honor you by celebrating life," Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said at a press conference. "We will honor you by living our lives a little better."

Gov. Hickenlooper read the name of each of the dead out loud Sunday night.

One of those names was Micayla Medek. Micayla -- or Cayla, as her friends called her -- was found on the floor of the theater along with 6-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan, the youngest of the dead.

At 51, Gordon Cowdon was the oldest -- a single dad.

Rebecca Wingo was a single mother. She leaves behind two daughters.

Alex Sullivan leaves behind a new wife -- he died two days shy of their first anniversary.

Alexander Teves wanted to be a psychiatrist. Alexander Boik wanted to be an art teacher and Jessica Ghawi wanted to be a journalist. The profession lost a good one, says her boyfriend Jay Meloff.

"She had just an impact in this world, and I want her to still have that impact," Meloff said.

They all had dreams left unfinished, and now the goodbyes begin.

41 Photos

Vigils for Aurora shooting victims

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[-just_Al-]

I applaud the stories of bravery and hope that the survivors can find peace. I would like to add one thing, there are hero's in this that were not killed. Brent Lowak was administering first aid to Jessica while he was also shot, he only stopped when she was killed by a second bullet. Brent is a hero too, I hope no one forgets that.

[enoughsaidu]

Hey CBS can you stop posting the shooter picture every where you can. Stop glorifying him, it just helps to feed in to any other sick individual that maybe following the story. We should all demand to have his picture not shown and not refer to him by name. He doesn't deserve any of the attention only the victims do.

[huyendo_1996]

I hope that their families and friends will soon recover from this!

[Calltwoarms]

And all the while the coward James Holmes kept firing! That S.O.B. must be sentenced and executed as soon as possible.

[dawgkuntryrednek]

FOR THE HEROES AND THEIR FAMILIES GOD has not promised there will always be sunshine in our lives, but HE has promised that HIS light will be before us. HE has not promised we will never be lonely, but HE has promised that in HIM we weill never be alone. He has not promised that we will be free from pain and sorrow,but HE has promised HE will be ur help,our strength,our everlasting peace. No matter what happens in our lives,we can believe fully in HIS promise... we can rest confidently in HIS love. Author unknown! God bless the families,friends ,and the lost.

[dawgkuntryrednek]

FOR THE HEROES AND THEIR FAMILIES GOD has not promised there will always be sunshine in our lives, but HE has promised that HIS light will be before us. HE has not promised we will never be lonely, but HE has promised that in HIM we weill never be alone. He has not promised that we will be free from pain and sorrow,but HE has promised HE will be ur help,our strength,our everlasting peace. No matter what happens in our lives,we can believe fully in HIS promise... we can rest confidently in HIS love. Author unknown! God bless the families,friends ,and the lost.

[Oh_REALLY_Chum]

Yes heroes for sure. We need more gun laws, like every abled bodied legal to own a gun should be required to own one and carry it.

Then when some nut does this again, the nut gets killed. You anti gun nuts dont get it. Take a cue from Israel.

[Calltwoarms]

Sure, idiot. Pandemonium is the word for what happens when 300 people start firing guns at the same time. The death toll would have been 5x higher!

[warsux]

unfortunately, they didnt have the same freedoms as gun nuts do. the freedom to live.

[Oh_REALLY_Chum]

always some ass to ruin the moment. MORON!

[donedonethat]

@Oh_Really: Regrettably true

[donedonethat]

@Oh_Really: regrettably true

[Bush-cheney-R-Terrorists]

I totally understand wanting to feel some good about an otherwise tragic event, but it is not likely that every guy died trying to save a loved one. There must be at least one case of someone being terrified and trying to run. Even if all of them actually did die while trying to save a loved one, it would be very hard to know that, because of the confusion of the moment.

[donedonethat]

I think if the info came from the persons that were saved (as seems to be the case) it wouldn't be "very hard to know that".

[DemonKitten4]

What a way to be cynical -_-
even if that was not the case just let these people have THAT piece of mind after having to go through this crap.

[lovetodrum]

Amazing young men.