My oldest son was at daycare next door to Santa Monica College in June 2013 when a man shot & killed 5 people with an AR-15. 2 victims, Carlos & Marcelo Franco, father & daughter were killed a little less than 100’ from my son.
Between the Francos & my son (& many other babies & toddlers) was a chain link fence & air. The Francos were shot in their car which then crashed through a short wall surrounding a parking lot.
The operator of the daycare took my 2 yr old & the other kids inside & called their parents, including my wife. (I was out of town for work). Immediate police barricades though meant she & other parents couldn’t get their kids for a long time.
Subsequent mornings we’d pass the destroyed wall which was boarded up and covered with flowers from the Francos’ loved ones and people who wanted to pay respects to a murdered family. Our 2 yr old son would ask why they were there.
I told him a half (or maybe 1/8th?) truth which was that there had been a car accident. Figured maybe I’d let him turn 3 or 4 before I told him that in the USA sometimes bullets turn your body into hamburger when you’re at school.
My Vietnam vet dad just sent me some great pics from the Boston #MarchForOurLives.
