i could only respond with “no! no! no! no! no!”

The last several days have been surreal. Tragedy has struck this neighborhood. A myriad of lives have been deeply affected. In the span of only a few minutes, lives were shattered. The destruction reaches widely among this town.

There’s a family who lives near us – just down the hill and one street across. We first met them when Andrew went to elementary school with their oldest son, Adam. Both boys were about the same age and had similar interests. They played a lot of sports together, often being on the same team. Adam was the oldest child of four. After him, there’s a boy, a girl, and another boy bringing up the rear. Their family of six and ours of three spent lots of time together in those early years, seemingly forever involved in sports.

Basketball games were held at our neighborhood Rec Center. Both families spent a vast amount of time, sitting on uncomfortable wooden bleachers, talking a lot, and cheering the team along to a win. From 1991 to 1993, Andrew and Adam were both on the Cougars team. Most games, I was able to hold Adam’s baby brother and put him to sleep in the midst of all the racket. I shouldn’t complain about the hard bleachers, at least the games and practices were held inside.

Now, baseball begins with T-Ball and ends with the Senior League. During baseball season, the weather is anything but predictable. One day, we’d be wrapped in quilts, sipping on hot chocolate. Other times, we’d roast into the aluminum bleachers downing cold drinks. Why did I never bring a comfortable lawn chair? I don’t know.

Andrew and Adam played Little League baseball, and ended up on the same team several times. In 1993 and 1994, they played together on the Major League Rockies. They both made the American League All-Star team in 1995.

In middle school, they participated on the Welborn Wildcats Track team for a couple of years. I’m not sure if I’ve covered everything. As you probably figured, Andrew and Adam played plenty of sports! Oh, how the years have flown by.

Yep, Andrew and Adam hung around oodles of time from Kindergarten until High School Graduation. After they graduated, they went their separate ways and eventually lost touch. The same with us parents - we left the world of childhood sports and went in other directions. They live so close by. It’s a shame.

The surreal tragedy that happened Saturday afternoon, I can hardly bear to think about, let alone put into words. No one will ever know exactly what took place. The families will forever have heartrending questions, and there will be no answers in return.

On Saturday afternoon, police were in route to a domestic disturbance call and were notified that shots had been fired. They gained entry by forcing the door open. In the bedroom, lay the lifeless body of Rebecca, age 27. She was Adam’s fiancé. Adam, age 26, was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he died. This was a murder-suicide.

There is absolutely no way I can identify with what these families and friends are trying desperately to understand. There are innumerable questions that need answers. The agony of the next days and weeks and months will be overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish. We don’t know the reasons why this happened, but God will be glorified thru this tragedy.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths for His name's sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff - they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.

(Psalms 23 - The Holman Christian Standard Bible)