Thursday, December 1, 2016

Shooter at MPJH

I heard words today that I never thought I would, "There's an active shooter at Mueller Park Jr. High."
 I went to the gym this morning around 8:15 and I was going down the hill, cop cars and fire engines were racing up the hill.  I had no idea they were going to our Mueller Park junior high.  As I stepped on the eliptical I got a phone call from Laila saying that she was getting texts on her cheer leader feed that they were all in lock down.  I asked her to see if it was a drill or real, and they said real and that there had been a shooting.  We couldn't believe it.  I was relieved Laila was at home and doesn't go to school til 9:30-- but we were so worried about all of her friends.   I then got texts and phone calls from so many relatives and friends all expressing concern and wondering what was up at MPJH? We received  minute by minute texts from all of the cheer leaders at the school...one who had actually been in the classroom with the shooter.  She reported that a student came in to her science class with 2 guns. He shot off the shot gun into the ceiling and then told the class he was going to shoot all of them, at that moment his parents came into the room, and disarmed him and pulled him out into the hall.    The  parents knew something was wrong with their son, and when they noticed guns were missing from their home this morning, they raced up to the school, heard the shot and ran to the classroom alleviating what might have been an even more terrible situation.    The class and whole school was immediately placed on lock down for everyones safety.

This was so scary for all of us.
 It seems that my Bountiful bubble burst today...

While Laila waited for me to get home to her from the gym, she didn't quite know what to do (besides texting all her friends over and over), so she said a prayer and sang primary songs at the top of her lungs.  We hugged and cried together when we reunited.
What a crazy, sad world we live in.

I'm sad for this 9th grade boy who was so depressed, or so angry or both, that he thought his only option was to shoot up his school and classmates.
I'm sad for his parents.  I know what it feels like to feel helpless over your own children....wanting to help and knowing something is wrong, but not knowing what to do.
I'm sad for my Laila and all of the students at MPJH who experienced such violence in their school. A school should be a safe place..now I'm sure many will have anxiety and fear associated with it.

I'm happy that all ended relatively well.  What could have been a blood bath, wasn't.  Yay for involved parents, and teachers, administrators and police.   ( 30 cop cars)
I'm happy for technology and texting... that these kids at MPJH had access to their parents to help calm them and comfort them.
I'm happy to live in my Bountiful bubble...where there are so many good people, and such love and goodwill towards each other.
I'm happy to have family and friends who care about me and my Laila; who have our back and a shoulder to cry on.

I keep having the Hamilton lyrics go through my head... "Look around at How lucky we are to be Alive right now."  Even with all of the sadness in our world, it's a pretty great time to be alive.


No comments: