Today, my hometown made national headlines, for all the wrong reasons.
A local elementary school here was the scene of the latest lone gunman gone berserk. Twenty-seven people died this morning, most of them little kids.
I worked all day at the p/t job I've been at for less than a month. I absolutely could not believe this happened here.
I was concerned about trouble getting home from work tonight, as i heard someone saying earlier in the day the police were doing car by car searches, but that was really in a different part of town and didn't affect me at all.
I am sure I will be hearing much more about this as the days go on. You probably know as much as I do at this point. A 20-year-old man is the suspect, and he shot and killed his mother, a teacher who worked at the school, as well as a bunch of other people, before he died.
As someone here was already quoted, "we thought this was the safest place in America."
UPDATES: A friend of mine told me this is going to hurt my property values, because people will forever link "Mytown" as the town where that awful massacre took place.
I don't know many people here with kids this age, although The Author has a young niece who worked as a teacher at that school. She had the day off yesterday but went in anyway and was there when everything happened. Luckily she is safe.
My friend R. is coming up this afternoon. He wants to see what is going on in town now and is stopping by to pick me up. There is national news media all over town, doing interviews at iconic landmarks around town. There was a prayer vigil at a church last night, and another one at the high school tomorrow.
Saturday update: The national news media has descended on our little town. As you approach Sandy Hook Center, which resembles a small hamlet, it's bumper to bumper traffic, and cars with lots of out of state plates are lined up parked on both sides of the road. Satellite trucks are everywhere, TV crews and reporters are interviewing people on the streets, cops still have the road leading to the school blocked off to traffic, but they're allowing people to go to the firehouse (not sure about the school) on foot. People are out walking with bouquets of flowers and impromptu memorials filled with votive candles are all over town. Someone bought 20 Christmas trees, 1 for each child, and set them up. Saturday mass at St. Rose is packed right now. A man was standing just off the interstate exit holding a sign that indicated he was from some town in NJ and that they support us. Other signs just said "Say a prayer." You can tell who the press is becus for some reason they all seem to dress in all black. It's all very sad.
I heard a few reports that the shooter was some sort of troubled genius, which makes me very angry. They shouldn't be turning him into any kind of figure that others would emulate or we'll have copy cat killers who harbor sick fantasies about becoming famous before they go out. Obviously this was a sick individual. No one in their right mind would hurt an innocent child.
Shock and dismay for my hometown
December 14th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
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I just wonder how all these poor families will cope.
December 15th, 2012 at 12:00 am 1355529611
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Why?
December 15th, 2012 at 01:53 am 1355536430
I just can't understand how someone can look into the sweet face of a Kinder and .. pull a trigger!
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December 15th, 2012 at 06:35 pm 1355596556
I know I am committed to becoming a better, more loving person in the advent of this tragedy. I also feel compelled to throw my weight behind political changes I believe need to occur as a result of this tragedy. I'll refrain from being specific, because that's not important per se - feeling compelled to work for positive change is what is important.
Why insanity exists I know not. I just know that it does. There is tremendous good that can come out of insanity if we allow it. I'm trying hard, so very hard, to let it's positive power unfold in my own life as a result. Best wishes to you all.
December 15th, 2012 at 07:11 pm 1355598689