I honestly thought that with my daughter living in Tel Aviv, Israel, that when the bombing and war there ended, I would be able to watch the news again and be calm when watching. But that did not happen. This past week in the Kansas City area has been emotionally stressful.
On Tuesday there was a triple homicide in south Kansas City. A friend of mine said it happened on 107 and Wornall, I corrected her and said it was further south, because I knew the area well. Someone I knew lived there. But having said that, at the same time, I had no concern about this friend. It was not possible that something would happen to her.
On Wednesday, I found out that I was wrong. Another friend told me the horrifying news that the woman I knew was one of those murdered. We were in a store when she told me. I paid for my items, went out to my car and began to shake. I had just seen this woman a few days before at clothing store. We showed each other the outfits we were trying on. And gave opinions. Now she was dead. It did not seem possible.
I called another friend. I needed to talk to someone before I drove; I was so shook up. And it was true. Thank you for calming me down so I could drive home.
Yesterday, Thursday, the college campus that my son attends went on lock down. He was there in a class. When I saw on the news what was happening, I texted him. And yes he was on lock down. He was okay.
His girlfriend also texted me to tell me where My son was and that he was okay.
But a few minutes later, my son texted these words, “I am very scared.”
At that point my heart broke and my panic started. But I knew I could not let him know that I was scared as well. And due to the shootings earlier in the week, I could not say ‘nothing will happen.’ I felt anxious.
I started sending him text with information from the news, from the police reports. I believe it helped calm him as there was no active shooter, just reports of a woman with a gun. We could text, but he could not speak so I could not call him.
I texted him to come to our home immediately after he got out…not to go to his apartment. The campus was just two miles from our home. We continued texting for two hours. But then there was silence. I hate silence!
After a half hour of silence, during which I sent him six texts, he arrived home. He got a very big and long hug from me. He then laughed and said, “I have lots of texts from you!” I glad my texting gave him some comic relief!
He told us an armed police officer in tactical gear came into their class and told them to barricade the room, turn off the lights, get on the floor and stay quiet, till the police came again. And there they sat for three hours. Their professor gave them updates when he received them.
The police searched every building. When his class was released they had to go through other buildings. All students had to exit from the same place so the police could see them. And when he drove away, he had to stop so the police could look into his car.
We drove to his apartment and picked up his roommate, and we took the boys out to dinner. It was after 7 pm and we were now hungry.
My son told us what happened again during dinner. I think he needed to get it out of his system. He said, “I thought about every scenario that could happen.” I told him that everyone was scared. As they interviewed other students they all talked about thinking about what might happen, just as he did.
After dinner, before my son left us, I again hugged him for a very long time. He told his Dad, “Get a crowbar!” I did not want to let go.
Now I am getting ready to go to the funeral of the woman who was murdered in her driveway. The week ends tomorrow.
I will go to synagogue and pray for the family of the woman who died. I will also pray and be thankful that the college campus only had an inconvenience and not a disaster; and that my son came home safely to me.
I never expected in one week that a murder and a campus lock down would impact my life! I have always felt so safe in Kansas, but this year with the shootings at the Jewish Community Campus, and this past week, some of my beliefs and feelings of calm have been impacted.
zicharonot 
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