OT...Sad...

[pittrocks]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

Off-topic...

This couple were our patients, both about 40 years old.
Recently separated, sharing custody of 3 children (youngest 11y.o.).
Husband living at his parents' home.

Wife goes to pick up 11y.o. from Dad to take child to dinner..
Dad comes outside, argument ensues, he shoots her in the head in her car, killing her, in front of the child.
Grandparents hear the shot and run outside; Dad then turns gun on himself and ends his life, again in front of child and now his own parents as well.

I am so sorry for this family..and the poor kids.
I hope the grandparents get these kids in counseling right away..

Makes you think about gun ownership in these cases..
I know I was frightened when I left my ex because he had a firearm..

Well, that's all, just food for thought..

 

[CourtClerk]

Doesn't make me wonder about gun ownership, but it is an awfully sad story.

 

[LdiJ]

An incredibly sad story. I have no real opinion one way or another about gun ownership, but I bet he shot her on impulse, and then did the same to himself. If the gun hadn't been in his hand or pockets or wherever it was on his person, that impulse might never have happened.

 

[ErinGoBragh]

An incredibly sad story. I have no real opinion one way or another about gun ownership, but I bet he shot her on impulse, and then did the same to himself. If the gun hadn't been in his hand or pockets or wherever it was on his person, that impulse might never have happened.

He could have just as easily stabbed her, or something else. I'm not saying that it would have had the same results- this is a tragedy, no matter how you look at it though.

That poor, poor child. I can't think of anything sin more selfish and terrible one could inflict on their child other than this. I sincerely hope that he is able to one day live a somewhat normal life.

 

[futuredust]

Also off topic.. but this reminds me of how a tragedy will stick with a person.

When I was about 8-10 I was riding the bus to school, I grew up on a dirt road, and the roads around us were dirt. So it was never a fast ride and was always bumpy with the bus slowing here and there. We had just gotten to nearly the end of my road and saw tons of police cars, to me, a child at the time; looked like a hundred.. I am sure the number was considerably less.

Anyway, the bus was stopped and an officer boarded telling the driver they had to turn around, not an easy thing to do.. But the driver backed up until there was a long driveway, backed in and turned around. When we got to the other end there were also tons of police and we were waved on and driven straight to school. That event in and of itself was pretty scary for pretty much all of us on the bus, you just didn't see that many police where I lived. And when I got to school I was physically ill, my grandparents came to pick me up.

A man who was friends with my Aunt lived on the next street over. Had gone to a bar the night before, shot and killed several in the parking lot, wounded a few too. Then went home and was barricaded in his house. The police believed him to be holding his parents hostage and there was a standoff that lasted hours. Everyone in my house was talking about it, updating as they would hear more.. then when it all came out I heard all about what happened. I didn't sleep right for a very long time and suffered great fears, just because something so very bad happened so very close. My innocence was pretty much lost then.

After killing and shooting the people at the bar he did go home. But he was not holding anyone hostage. He had shot and killed his own mother, then eventually killed himself during the standoff. But they found his fathers body cut up and in the deep freeze, along with the family cat. I recall hearing the dad had been dead for a bit, didn't happen the day of the incident, and remember my grandfather saying he had not seen the man which was odd to him since they usually ran into each other a couple times a week. I have no idea if his mom had been dead awhile or if she knew about dad in the freezer, or if she had been shot before/after the bar incident.

At the time, I also overheard my family talking about a serial killer,one of the bodies was found not far from my childhood home. The stories stuck with me,when I was older I read the book regarding the killings; The Michigan Murders. For most of my teen years, through my late 20's I was heavily fascinated with serial killers. But as I have gotten older, while still fascinating, I no longer have the time to read and research them like I did.

I guess my point is, this is something the children will never forget, most likely the neighbor children will not either. And that even if you think the kids are not hearing what you are talking about, they do, even if they don't totally understand most of it. It is because of this incident I have always felt I myself would be killed in some horrible manner, it was my first introduction to death and violence. I also believe that the events also are what landed me in law enforcement and corrections for a few years.

 

[LdiJ]

When I was a child, a tornado hit the neighborhood attached to ours and leveled it.

For many years afterwards I was deathly afraid of storms. If there was a single cloud in the sky I would have a bad day. I was only happy when the sky was all blue. It took me many years to get over that fear.

 

[ava42805]

I lived in New Orleans until 7 years ago. A couple who were very close friends of ours, had a daughter very close in age to our 3 year old daughter, then had a son, who again was almost born to the day of ours.

Very shorty parents find out their son is very ill. Has "boy in the bubble" disease. Basically no immune system. Their son lived one year, then died the day after Christmas. (another tragedy as far as I'm concerned- Christmas will never be the same for this family.

Approx 2 years later, Mom becomes pregnant. Healthy pregnancy. No concerns. She gives birth to a healthy baby boy. Aprox 20 minutes later, Mom is dead. Became septic as amnio fluids had entered her blood stream.

Within 2 years, this man and his daughter had lost a son and a brother, then a wife and a mother. He is such a wonderful father and man. Though this tragedy has never left me. I can't help buy question, how much loss and tragedy should one man and his family have to endure??

I went to highschool and college with this man. He remains a wonderful father and man. It's just mind boggling as to how much the human spirit truly can endure.