“I am just blessed that we are all still here to share the story.”
That’s what City of Aurora Community Outreach Specialist Brian Moreno said about a harrowing involving a man with a firearm at one of the city’s warming centers recently.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin presented Moreno with the Mayor’s MVP Award, the highest award given to a City staff member, thanks to his help in securing guests from a man wielding a gun at the City’s overnight warming center this past Saturday.
Moreno, who was staffing the warming center, witnessed the gunman striking a guest at the warming center with his gun before pointing the firearm at other overnight guests. Moreno quickly called 911 while helping to usher guests outside to safety.
“For those of who signed up for the military or to be a police officer, you expect at some point your life could be in danger while doing your job,” Mayor Irvin said to Moreno during a staff presentation yesterday morning. “But when you are staffing the warming center, you don’t expect that. I only hope that we all would have the calm and professionalism you showed in handling the situation. You are valued and appreciated.”
Moreno received a standing ovation from City executives, including Aurora Illinois Police Department Chief Keith Cross, for his heroic actions.
