Photo Credit (Facebook: Mark Rantal)
On Friday morning, my alarm went off like normal. And I hit snooze like normal. The only thing that caught my sleepy attention was that every time the snooze went off the DJs or callers were talking - I didn't hear any music.
When I finally committed to getting out of bed, I checked my phone. A new text from a friend read, "All Safe? Scary news from your part of the world."
All safe? Why wouldn't I be safe?
It was time to find out what happened while I was sleeping.
I went online to read the news (and Facebook, the other source of news), to find out that one of the largest mass shootings in our country had occurred overnight. Less than 10 miles from my house. Family and friends know I live in Aurora. They emailed and messaged to make sure I was ok, that I wasn't at the theater that night.
It's hard to process someone deliberately taking that kind of action. And it's very scary when it's close to home. I didn't have to look on a map to know where that movie theater is. I've been there before. Talking with a co-worker on Friday he said, "I drop my daughter off there every other weekend."
Movie theaters are safe places. As a kid it's usually one of the first places your parents will let you go without adult supervision. One parent drops you off for a matinee and picks you up afterwards.
Movie theaters will still be safe places. People will just, hopefully, be a little more cautious and pay attention to what's going on around them.
You can't predict an act of terrorism like this.
Please pray for our city. For the victim's family and friends. And that we, as people, respond in a way that helps and supports our community.
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