VAIL, Ariz. (KGUN) — 15 years after the January 8th shooting in Tucson, dozens of community members gathered in Vail to honor the life and legacy of one of the victims who lost their lives that day.
On January 8, 2011, a lone gunman opened fire at a constituent meeting, shooting 19 people, including then-Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Six people died in the attack, including congressional aide Gabe Zimmerman.
Despite the tragedy, the community has found hope and continues to honor Gabe's legacy through an annual memorial hike on a trail named in his honor.
It's been 15 years since Ross Zimmerman, father of Gabe Zimmerman, heard his son's voice for the last time.
"I can still hear his voice, of course," Zimmerman said. "You learn how to compensate, you learn how to cope. Of course, I think about Gabe every day. I lost a son, but I also lost my best friend,"
Gabe's mother, Emily Nottingham, remembers her son as someone who loved spending time in nature.
"Gabe loved the outdoors, and he loved doing stuff with people," Nottingham said. "You know, he just enjoyed being with people and being outside. "
The parents wanted a positive way to memorialize their son and partnered with Beyond Tucson to create the annual hike celebrating Gabe's life.
"We did this because we wanted something that was a positive response to a bad thing to help remember Gabe and the others," Ross Zimmerman said. "We want it to be something that has its own life, so it's not just an echo of people looking back on a tragedy and circling around that."
The community walked alongside Gabe's parents, including Senator Mark Kelly and former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was among those wounded in the shooting.
"It can be so difficult," Giffords said. "Losses hurt, and setbacks are hard, but I tell myself, move ahead. My own recovery has taken years. Many people have helped me along the way."
Senator Kelly praised Gabe Zimmerman's dedication to public service.
"Gabe embodied everything that was right and good about public service. So I'm happy to be here today to honor his service, not just to Tucson and to this community, but to his country," Kelly said.
Emily Nottingham said the community event reflects her son's caring nature.
"Gabe not only cared about the people he knew, he also cared about the whole community. And I think this having a community event is a nice reflection of him," she said.
For Ross Zimmerman, the memories of his son remain vivid and cherished.
"I mean, it's not like it goes away or I'm going to forget him. No, and I don't think I could. And I don't want to. We valued the 30 years we had with Gabriel. I wish we could have 30 more years," he said.
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