It can happen here. Or there. Or anywhere.
If a shooter can slaughter children in an elementary school, on a Navy base or in the middle of an Amish school, it can happen where you are. Or where I am.
In fact, it has happened here. At least near here.
It happened at Pearl High School. It happened two blocks away from where I am sitting at the Jackson Fire Department headquarters.
Luke Woodham, the Pearl shooter, is in prison. Kenneth Tornes, who killed his estranged wife and four supervisors, died in prison in 2000.
It seems like now, we hear the same general story every time there is a shooting: It’s a toxic mix of mental illness, violent video games and access to high-capacity weapons. We are sticking our head in the sand if we only focus on one component. Americans safely own weapons. Americans play video games every day. But when the mental illness is added into the mix, the ingredients become a deadly soup. We have to, as Americans, take a good look at ourselves in the mirror. We need to address mental illness. And we need to get off our political soap boxes to look for solutions.
I won’t hold my breath.
Until then, we’ll look around and wonder, “What if it happened here?” Because sadly it can. Because sadly it has.