This past week there was a terrible tragedy within a mile of my home. An 18 year old crashed a stolen truck through the fence of the police station and opened fire with an AK47 (or whatever number it is)spraying more than 70 shots around the parking lot. One female detective was mortally wounded and another veteran police officer was wounded with 5 shots to the body. She has since died leaving behind 2 small children and a husband, also a detective. The wounded officer is still in critical condition. Return fire from other officers killed the shooter.
I think what has shaken me the most is the distance from my home. It's not even a mile and as a matter of fact, I drove past the scene, on my way home from work, about 8 minutes before it happened. Now that's cutting it awfully close to home.
The entire community is grieving. The officers have parked the slain officer's cruiser near to the curb and placed a large photograph of her beside it. Many neighborhood people have brought flowers and the entire car is covered. The street approaching the station has one lane closed off, which of course backs up traffic as it at the beginning of a large business park. My office is right around the corner. Directly after the shooting, it was thought there was more than one shooter so the woods and streets closest to the station were searched. Our office building was under lock down until around 6:45PM. Nobody was allowed to leave.
This morning I stopped at Starbuck's and there were 3 officers having their breakfast. I gathered my courage and told them I had something I wanted to say to them and hoped I could get through it. I thanked them for all they do for us and said I was sorry for their loss. All three looked a little amazed but only said their "Thank You"s. I just felt I needed to do that.
The funeral is today and when I came home for putting in a little OT, there were cruisers angle parked all the way up the street, officers in dress uniforms and a cordon of local motorcyclists with their bikes also angle parked in the turn off lane. Their long hair was tied back, beards and 'staches neatly combed and each wore a white shirt under a black vest with their individual club's insignia on the back. I think they were assembling to get ready to leave for the funeral. I'm glad I got to see it.
As for the shooter......an 18 year old clearly with mental issues. He thought he was Jesus Christ combined with Satan. He told a friend that he felt his brain growing so he could be more intelligent and it hurt him. He was possessed with the thought that the 'zombies' were coming to get him. It seems as though no adult took him seriously or listened.
What a loss.
God bless you all.
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