As it does every Dec. 2, the bell at the Peace Garden at Cal State San Bernardino tolled 14 times – one each for the lives lost nine years ago during a mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center (IRC) in San Bernardino.

Family, friends and former coworkers joined the university community for the annual Day of Remembrance, hosted by CSUSB’s College of Natural Sciences, of which five of the 14 were alumni of the Department of Biology and Department of Health Science.

“As we come together in a moment of peaceful reflection and a heartfelt remembrance,” said Sastry Pantula, dean of the college. “Your presence is a testament to the enduring love and respect we hold for those we honor today. This is a time to cherish the lives of our loved ones, to celebrate the accomplishments of our beloved alumni, and to treasure the last lasting contributions they made to our community.”

Michael Nguyen, former CNS faculty member, rings the Peace Garden bell 14 times during the Day of Remembrance ceremony on Dec. 2,
Michael Nguyen, former CNS faculty member, rings the Peace Garden bell 14 times during the Day of Remembrance ceremony on Dec. 2.

The Peace Garden, located on the south side of the Chemical Sciences Building, was planted in memory of the fallen alumni: Robert Adams, Yucaipa (public health education, 2011), Juan Espinoza, Highland (biology, 2002), Shannon Johnson, Los Angeles (environmental health science, 2004), Yvette Velasco, Fontana (environmental health science, 2013), and Michael Wetzel, Lake Arrowhead (biology, 2001).

Also honored during the ceremony were Isaac Amanios, Fontana; Bennett Bet-Badal, Rialto; Harry Bowman, Upland; Sierra Clayborn, Moreno Valley; Aurora Godoy, San Jacinto; Larry Daniel Kaufman, Rialto; Damien Meins, Riverside; Tin Nguyen, Santa Ana; and Nicholas Thalasinos, Colton.

 All 14 individuals were San Bernardino County Department of Public Health employees who were attending a training session and holiday gathering at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino on Dec. 2, 2015. In addition, 22 others were injured.

Family members and friends laid roses at the base of the Peace Garden bell on Dec. 2.
Family members and friends laid roses at the base of the Peace Garden bell on Dec. 2.
"I got you" is a quote by one of the first responders who led people out of the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino on Dec. 2, 2015, during the mass shooting.
"I got you" is a quote by Shannon Johnson, who shielded a coworker as two people fired into a room where they and other San Bernardino County Department of Public Health employees had gathered.

“We have created a space on our campus here to honor them, but their true memorial resides in the hearts of everyone,” Pantula said. “Hearts that will carry their stories, their values and their love into the future. Let us commit ourselves to end violence, especially gun violence, and not be calloused by the frequency of shootings in this country.”

Damon L. Alexander, the San Bernardino City Council member representing the city’s 7th Ward, spoke at the university’s ceremony, sharing that he was also in the IRC that day, working for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He said that while he could not feel the loss felt by families and friends, he did understand it.

“On behalf of the mayor and the City Council of the city, San Bernardino, we will never forget what happened, ever,” Alexander said. “And there is a saying that goes around the country, so we don't forget it: Say their names. As long as we continue to say their names, as long as we continue to remember, they will not be forgotten.… And it's important that we never forget, that we say their names every time we come back here.”