Three months ago, he was left for dead on the floor a Colorado movie theater as a mass murderer in flame-orange hair strafed a cinema — but now Stephen Barton is putting himself back in the line of fire to demand action on guns.
The Southbury, Conn.-native and Syracuse University grad — who just happened to be in Aurora movie theater the night of the “Dark Knight” shooting — has put off a Fulbright teaching gig in Russia to work for Mayors Against Illegal Guns, including appearing in its new public service ad.
“In the next four years, 48,000 Americans (will) be murdered with guns in the next president’s term,” Barton says in the ad, which is timed to the first presidential debate. “Enough to fill over 200 theaters.
“So when you watch the presidential debates, ask yourself: Who has a plan to stop gun violence? Let’s demand a plan,” he concludes.
Barton road to activism started weeks before the Aurora slayings — literally on a highway from Virginia Beach, where he began a cross country bike trip with a childhood friend.
Forty-four days later, they reached the Denver suburb — with the “Dark Knight” screening on their agenda.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, the shooting started. Barton, who couldn’t see anything except the flash of gunfire, thought it was fireworks.
And then he was shot, riddled with 25 shotgun pellets. One narrowly missed an artery. Another struck near his eye.
One that punctured his neck damaged the nerves that control his left arm.
Barton found himself lying on the floor, trying to stop his neck from bleeding while wondering why his arm didn’t work.
His overwhelming emotion was disbelief and feeling “totally unready to die.”
“My strongest thought was, ‘There’s no way this is happening right now to me,'” he said. “There’s no way I biked 2,400 miles to get shot. I thought it was a dream at first.”
Twelve people were killed and dozens wounded by James Holmes, prosecutors have said. Barton made his escape when Holmes’ gun jammed.
Wednesday’s presidential debate is being held just 10 miles from Aurora at the University of Denver.
“Some people who are vehemently opposed to any sort of gun violence prevention, they seem to be the ones saying it’s too soon to talk about this issue,” Barton said. “Really, it’s too late to talk about this when 12 different families are burying their loved ones.”
klee@nydailynews.com
