A Very Bad Day

The small town I call home has, sadly, been visited by a real life horror. Earlier today a man who lives around the block from me went on a spree that still isn't over. He gunned down four people at the barber shop where I have my hair cut, and at least two of those people are dead. He then went on to murder two more people and is currently surrounded by a massive police force.

This whole thing is terrifying. My son and my SO's daughters are still under lockdown at their schools. When I couldn't reach them via cell phone I just lost it. The barber shop is just a block away from the school and, well, you can imagine how that feels. As a parent all you know is that someone is on a rampage and THEY'RE NEAR YOUR KIDS. It's the most horrible feeling in the world. I can't describe the sense of relief when the overloaded cell system finally let me get a call through and they were all safe.

I'm not really sure why I'm even writing this, other than as a catharsis. I intentionally avoid talking about myself too much since I like my privacy and, frankly, I think it's a bit self-indulgent. My life isn't all that interesting.

I'd give anything for it to go back to being that way.

Here's the local paper's story on the shooting. They're keeping it updated pretty regularly.

Update: I wanted to thank everyone for their good wishes. My son, who's still my little bubbaloo even though he's 6' 7" and can bench press a car, is home safe and sound after being let out of lockdown. The girls will hopefully be out soon. The standoff continues.

Update: Everyone is home now. The shooter is holed up in an abandoned building. My barber, John Seymour, one of kindest and most giving men I've ever known, is in critical condition. It's hard to describe how important a barber is in a small town like this. His shop wasn't just a place to get your hair cut, but the unofficial seat of town government.