My best friend sent me reels on Instagram the other night, and it made me laugh so much, until I saw this one video that says, “Nine people were killed in a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.”
“B.C.? As in British Columbia?” I told myself.
I did my research and read an article on CBC. The reporter wrote, “Tragedy struck the small northeastern community of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., on Tuesday, when eight people were killed in a mass shooting, including the suspect.”
What?!
I’ve never heard of Tumbler Ridge in my life. I searched up Tumbler Ridge on Google Maps, and it is indeed a small community. And looking at it — the town is much smaller than Slave Lake.
I was terrified. How can a mass shooting exist in a small town like this?
The next day, I read more news about the mass shooting. There were at least 25 people injured. The news I read mentioned how some injured victims were transported to the Lower Mainland for care.
I was pissed at that news.
I thought about our Canadian healthcare. “What is happening to our healthcare?” I asked myself.
Then I remembered I needed to wait seven hours in an emergency room when I had Influenza A last Christmas in Edmonton. I was unable to breathe for several hours.
And now, I can’t imagine how long the wait is in an emergency room in small towns. Our healthcare is free, but at what cost?
But as I read more news, it finally clicked for me — people died in this tragedy. I can’t imagine their last moments being filled with fear. How about the dreams of the children who died? Their plans? The children who died were about the same age as my siblings. I can’t imagine losing them.
And I mostly think about the families of the victims. How are they? I can’t imagine the grief they are feeling. How will they clean the room, the clothes, the leftovers, and more of their loved ones? How will they get up in the morning? When will things go back to normal? Or will it ever?
I’m not religious, but I’m sending prayers to the victims and their families.
The suspect. I was filled with anger. I saw several posts on social media that the suspect suffered from bullying, which contributed to this tragedy.
But why? I don’t mean to ignore his suffering, but that doesn’t justify killing innocent people — and worst, children.
And what made me feel angry is the fact that justice can’t be served to the victims.
It’s a tragedy that nobody expected. It’s a tragedy nobody wanted to happen.
I realized that at the end of the day, all I could think about was that bad things at times, do happen to people. And I hate it. I hate that reality.
That mass shooting should not have happened, especially to children. Nobody deserves that tragedy.
I called my 13-year-old brother and my 11-year-old sister last week, multiple times to be precise. I was sick of babysitting them for years, since the moment they were born. I would always fight them whenever they answered me back.
But I miss those times now that I’m away from them. I miss them almost every day.
Julia Magsombol