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Library Shooting

Emba

By Emba,
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Emba

Emba

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This mornig my DH called me and told me there was some news I wouldn't want to hear about the library.  My first thought was that it had burned down or something, but the facts are so much worse.  A guy came in and started shooting yesterday afternoon, and two people are dead and four are injured.

 

The library isn't in our town, but the next one over, but that is my library.  That's the one I go to almost every week, those are the library ladies who check my books out and chat with me and my kids.  And they aren't releasing yet on the news who the two dead are because the family may not have been all notified yet, so I don't know if they were people I know.  I saw pictures on the news story of one woman being put into the ambulance, and it was a librarian I knew. 

 

THe library, of course, is closed until further notice. 

 

I am such a ball of emotions.  I distract myself for awhile with homeschool and things that just need to get done, but then it comes back.  I don't want to unnecessarily upset DD, but I had to tell her. 

 

It's a fairly small city, where the shooting happened, and its the sort of thing you never think will happen in your town.  Looks like it was a high school aged shooter, and he surrendered peacefully to police.  On the one hand, yay for no chance that this will end up being further complicated by becoming a police brutality case, but on the other, why does that guy get to live?  God forgive me for even thinking it.

 

I can't even imagine all of the people who work at the library having to go back there to work when it's all over.  I imagine a lot of them won't and it will be new staff.

 

  I don't feel like it will objectively be any more or less safe for us to go back there, but there will be so much ... I don't even know how to say it... history?  that I can't imagine wanting to go back or enjoying it like I did, and on a purely selfish level,, that makes me really mad, because the library, any library, is my happy place, and this was the area's best library. 

 

ETA: Please don't quote, in case I decide to delete some or all of this later.

Edited by emba56
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Ali in OR

Ali in OR

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Posted

People "use" the library for so many different purposes now. Ours is a warm, dry place for those who have no other place to go. Unfortunately, some have mental health or drug issues. We had a guy attack others in the library with a baseball bat last winter. Thankfully he did not have a gun or it could have been much worse. They now have to budget for a security person and they've installed alarm buttons that the staff can use (police department is nearby). It does disturb one's vision of what a library should be. For other reasons, I usually put books on hold and am in and out quickly, but there was a time when the girls and I would spend a lot more time there.

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HSmomof2

HSmomof2

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I'm so sorry this happened at your library. It is just horrible.

 

I work at the reference desk at our library, and it does cross my mind that something like this could happen and often makes me a little nervous at work. Sadly, our library also deals with frequent fights, mental health and drug use issues around it, and many families don't feel as safe coming to the library anymore.....and this isn't in a 'bad' part of town, just a fairly typical suburb.

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Barb_

Barb_

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A depressed, anxious, bullied, desperate and suicidal child managed to get his hands on two handguns. Difficult access to mental health services plus easy access to firearms equals many similar tragedies. We are culpable.

 

https://www.abqjournal.com/1055151/pastor-teen-accused-in-deadly-library-shooting-was-suicidal.html

 

I'm sorry, emba56. You must feel traumatized.

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Emba

Emba

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Yeah, they released the names. Both women were among the library employees I was very friendly with. The children's librarian was one of them. She was really awesome with kids, all three of mine loved the summer programs and the older two always sought her out when we visited.

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gaillardia

gaillardia

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Yeah, they released the names. Both women were among the library employees I was very friendly with. The children's librarian was one of them. She was really awesome with kids, all three of mine loved the summer programs and the older two always sought her out when we visited.

I'm very saddened to hear of this great loss and shake-up to your community. 

Also not sure of how things move on in a month, two months, six months, in such a place as a library. You have my deepest sympathies. 

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nixpix5

nixpix5

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A depressed, anxious, bullied, desperate and suicidal child managed to get his hands on two handguns. Difficult access to mental health services plus easy access to firearms equals many similar tragedies. We are culpable.

 

https://www.abqjournal.com/1055151/pastor-teen-accused-in-deadly-library-shooting-was-suicidal.html

 

I'm sorry, emba56. You must feel traumatized.

Agree completely. When I read about the boy it sounds like he had so many early life issues stacked against him. His girlfriend was a pastor's daughter who was trying to get him involved in the church and get him support in that way but it sounds like his family was a bit of a mess. So very sad. He definitely needed mental health services desperately. It makes my heart ache for everybody involved and when things like this can be preventable :(

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Tiffnkids

Tiffnkids

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My heart is breaking for you and your community.

 

What goes so wrong in someone's head, heart, life? that results in such a senseless, horrific attack?

 

I just don't even know what else to say. I am shaken to my core.

 

Keeping you and your community in my thoughts and prayers.

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Elizabeth86

Elizabeth86

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Yeah, they released the names. Both women were among the library employees I was very friendly with. The children's librarian was one of them. She was really awesome with kids, all three of mine loved the summer programs and the older two always sought her out when we visited.

Oh no, this is terrible. I am so sorry to her this.

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