The President congratulated 11-year-old Logan Evans for his mission to honor his father after WUSA9’s story.
BURKE, Va. — The look on 11-year-old Logan Evans’s face when the letter arrived was priceless.
“His jaw dropped when he saw he had mail from the White House,” said Logan’s mom Shannon Terranova. “It’s not every day an 11-year-old receives a letter like this in the mailbox.”
Editor’s Note: The video above is from a Nov. 7, 2022 report.
The President of the United States wrote to Logan on Nov. 7, the same day WUSA9 reported on Logan’s participation in Operation Deep Blue, a kayaking challenge to raise money for the family of law enforcement and military who died in the line of duty.
Logan and his 9-year-old sister Abagail lost their father, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Billy Evans on April 2, 2021. An 18-year veteran of the force, Evans was murdered by a lone wolf driver who rammed his vehicle into Evans and another Capitol Police Officer guarding the North Barricade. Officer Evans’s partner survived; Evans did not.
The suspect was shot and killed by police at the scene, and the motive for his attack remains a mystery.
President Biden’s letter to Logan read:
I heard that you kayaked all the way to D.C. to honor your Dad. I hope you know that he would be so proud of your hard work and incredible heart began the letter from President Joe Biden.
Keep making your Dad proud. He will always be rooting for you. And know that Jill and I expected to see many more great things from you – you certainly are your father’s son.
Logan and his sister Abagail talked about the night they received the devastating news in an interview with WUSA9.
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“At first, I’m like, you’re like you’re not telling the truth,” Logan remembers telling the group of police officers who told him of his father’s death. “But then, um, I came down in the middle of the night mom was watching the news. And then it said it on the news. And then I felt bad that I was telling them that they were lying.”
“Over time, it’s gotten a little easier,” Logan said. “But not that much.”
As he spoke, Logan hugged a teddy bear made from one of his dad’s old Capitol Police uniforms.
“It says this is a shirt I used to wear whenever you hold it, I am there,” Logan said as he read the inscription on the teddy bear’s foot.
Logan said he knows he and his sister have had to grow up faster than most children their age.
“It just happened,” he said. “I just became brave.”
“I kind of feel like it was Dad’s spirit-lifting me up and trying to get me to keep on going,” she said.
“So sweet,” Logan’s mom said of the letter. “Speaks to Biden’s heart.”
“Words cannot express how much it means to our family that we continue to receive support and words of encouragement throughout the year,” Terranova said. “Logan was incredibly proud to join Operation Deep Blue to honor his dad in this way. It’s truly an honor and blessing to receive acknowledgment and empathy towards our new family reality after tragedy changed our path so drastically.”
Logan kayaked more than 30 miles with Operation Deep Blue over two days, his father’s photo pinned to his life vest.
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