The weather in Cincinnati was glorious over the long weekend. But there was a dark cloud hanging over our neighborhood of Mt. Washington.
At about 1:45 on a sunny Sunday afternoon, someone shot and killed three other human beings, then turned the gun on himself.
It happened about five blocks from our house.
On a street where we walk the dogs.
In an apartment building where my wife lived with her friend after she graduated from nursing school.
The building is owned by a guy I know from pickleball.
Two of the victims — ages 20 and 22 — worked at Good Samaritan Hospital, where my wife worked. The other victim was 27. Pretty much the same ages as our kids.
A guy who lives across the street is a fellow parent from our kids’ grade school. His son was in the same class as one of our kids.
Another neighbor who heard the gunshots was just in my company’s office last week. I arranged for him to give a “Green Team” talk about planting native plants in your yard.
I know “it could happen anywhere.” Because it did. And because it does. Every damn day. In some other neighborhood, in some other city.
Wednesday, it was Minneapolis. Innocent young kids, praying in church.
Sunday, it was Cincinnati.
Today? We don’t know where the fickle finger of gun violence will point to. But we know it will.
We fixate on the “why” of it. Because we already know the “how” – and we know it’s way too easy for people to get guns into their hands.
It shouldn’t happen.
Yes, we pray for the victims and their families.
I also pray that our elected representatives will grow a backbone, and finally pass the common sense gun regulations that an overwhelming amount of Americans want.
Because until they do, every neighborhood, in every city, in every state… could be the scene of horrific violence.
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