Feb 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 2

one had posted that two officers
had been shot. I turned on the
scanner to hear anything out of
the ordinary, hoping this was a
careless post of misinformation.
It didn’t take long until two
badge numbers were given over
the scanner: one badge number
for each officer shot. One lived,
and one died.
When Bobby was killed, he
was 32 years old, and I was 31.
Two weeks before his murder,
we had celebrated our 6th wedding
anniversary, and we were
preparing to take our first vacation
as a family of 4 just four
days after his death. At the time
of his death, we had a 4-yearold
daughter, Layden, and a
15-month-old son, Braxx. Truly,
the hardest part of losing him
was explaining to my children
that there had been an accident
and that their dad was now living
with Jesus.
The term survivor isn’t hyperbolic
at all. We survived burying
a husband, a dad, a brother,
a son, an uncle and a friend.
I survived figuring out how to
mow my yard once all the newness
faded and people returned
to their everyday lives. I survived
the first days of school,
the first holidays, and empty
chairs where he should have
been sitting. And each milestone
that he misses reminds me we
are still surviving. I don’t survive
because I have some superhuman
strength or because I am
rigid and devoid of all emotions.
I survive, may I say, thrive because
I have been lifted by those
around me when I was too weak
to stand alone. Exodus 17 gives
this account: “When Moses’
arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur
brought a stone for him to sit
on, while they stood beside him
and held up his arms, holding
them steady until the sun went
down. In this way Joshua totally
defeated the Amalekites.” I am
incredibly thankful for the Aarons
and Hurs of my life that held me
up. I hope that telling our story
allows us to be someone’s Aaron
or Hur and gives, even if it’s
just one person, the courage not
only to survive, but survive well,
the unimaginable”. -Kimberly
Hornsby Wagner, Wife of Officer
Robert Hornsby
For more information on the
services and resources offered
by Concerns of Police Survivors,
please visit Concerns of Police
Survivors (C.O.P.S.)
We are ready for 2024! Experience
the only first responder owned and
operated THEME studio in the Country!
10 years strong! We are Family!
We look forward to seeing you soon!
The Blues - February ‘24 131