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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE OF ARIANA MOLINA
WHEREAS, Ariana Molina was a 9-year-old girl who lived in Back of the Yards with her father Jose Molina, and mother Norma Molina; and
WHEREAS, on the evening of Saturday, April 13, 2024 while attending a family party in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, Ariana Molina tragically was the fatal victim of a gun violence; and
WHEREAS, Ariana and her family were in the middle of cutting a cake for the Confirmation party when the unexpected happened, shots were fired, injuring her and eleven other family members; and
WHEREAS, Ariana leaves four siblings, Marco Antonio Molina, Jose Luis Jr. Molina, Ivan Molina, and Daniel Molina who now have to grapple with the loss of their only sister; and
WHEREAS, Ariana was a fourth grade student at Robert Fulton Elementary School, and her teachers and classmates remember her as helpful, kind, and always having a positive attitude; and
WHEREAS, the Molina family, other family members, and neighbors remembered Ariana as playful, smart, and a loving big sister, a bright girl who always kept her younger siblings and cousins safe when they played on the sidewalk; and
WHEREAS, Ariana will forever be remembered as her parents’ princess, a loving and caring child to everyone that she was able to meet, always looking after everyone else even at only 9 years old as she took her older sister’s duties very seriously, and extended that love and care to anyone that surrounded her; and
WHEREAS, Ariana was a little girl full of life who loved butterflies and enjoyed hobbies such as: dyeing her hair, painting her nails, going to the park, roller skating, and listening to music; and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens (ages 1 to 19) in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2020 shows that fatal firearm injuries cost a total of $290 million, with an average cost of $9,000 per patient.; and
WHEREAS, many children like Ariana have had their lives taken away at a young age, 411 children have been killed and an additional 1,004 injured by firearms in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive; and
WHEREAS, children and families in Cook County should have the assurance of being safe in their own homes.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby offer its deepest condolences and most heartfelt sympathy to the family of Ariana Molina and joins them in sorrow at this time of loss; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Ariana Molina so that her memory may be honored and ever cherished.
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