In the United States, an active shooter incident occurs every 14 days. It is no longer a question of "if" it will happen, but "when." And while these statistics are jarring, the personal stories behind them remain largely untold. Following each tragic occurrence, lives are disrupted, people are traumatized, and survivors and family members are left reeling. For the first time, ever, Investigation Discovery will bring forward poignant, intimate and unheard stories in the documentary film, IN MEMORIAM. The film moves past the polarized gun control debate, focusing on the lasting emotional scars mass shootings leave behind. We 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. IN MEMORIAM premieres with limited commercial interruption on February 8th at 9/8c, only on Investigation Discovery.
"Gun violence can no longer be categorized as just pervasive - it is a devastating issue plaguing our country, where victims and survivors of mass shootings have often been overlooked as the news moved on." says Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL and Destination America. "This film is our first step to shed a klieg light on this epidemic, and one which we hope will serve as a catalyst to ignite awareness - and, sensible action - around the true cost of these preventable tragedies."
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, feet in front of her. These people live thousands of miles 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.
This film is an intimate chronicle of humanity as families navigate their way through the unthinkable; grappling with grief, pushing past injury, confronting old memories and searching for new meaning. Weaving together candid, one-on-one interviews, personal footage, and verité film, this documentary creates an intertwined story of enduring love, grief and resilience that emerges when people are faced with almost unimaginable tragedy. Proving that in the United States of America, we band together to support one another, and in the face of an insurmountable challenge, we persevere.
IN MEMORIAM is produced for Investigation Discovery by Top Hat Productions. At Top Hat Productions Ben Steele is creative director, Darren Kemp is executive producer and Sarah Foudy is producer. For Investigation Discovery Jeanie Vink is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel, and Destination America.
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