Yesterday I went shopping in the US with some friends. It was silly fun. In addition, it provided me with a long stretch of time where I was completely unconnected from the Internet world. Except for a small time-frame where we got Wifi at Barnes & Noble, there was no Facebook, no Twitter, no email, no nothing. I enjoyed being away from it all, and even when we got back into Canada, I didn't touch my phone to check in on the ride home.
When I returned home late at night, that's when I heard that there'd been a shooting in the evening in the Food Court of the Eaton Centre, Toronto's prominent downtown mall. One person is dead, seven are injured. Police suspect that the victim was a target, and that the rest, included a 13 year old boy, were innocent bystanders.
All I could think that the situation was completely surreal. When I say, "I'm going to the mall" I am most likely referring to the Eaton Centre. When I first moved to Toronto, I thought it was pretty awesome that "the mall" for me had become the Eaton Centre, which had previously been one of the most exciting places to visit in Toronto when I was a kid or teenager. In this case, it's completely surreal that such a crime had occurred in what is now a mundane place for me. If my weekend plans had been different, it's very well that I could have been there last evening. Just last Saturday, I was there buying headphones and looking at running clothes after all.
I haven't talked to my parents yet. They knew I was out
of the city yesterday, so I know that they are relieved that the didn't
have to worry. If it had been a regular weekend where I'd stuck around Toronto, I know my mom would
have been on the phone so fast calling me after she'd heard the news.
What's really unsettling for me is that this shooting took place where a lot of my students work and hang out. In fact, when I first read about the shooting, one specific student's name popped into my head, because she works near where it took place. I'm sure all is fine, but I have to admit that I'm looking forward to a regular school day tomorrow just to see that everyone is OK.
There is an excellent column in the Toronto Star this morning that perfectly articulates why a crime like this is upsetting: it could have been any one of us. At the end of the day, it's so important to let our family and friends know that we love them, because who knows what can happen at any time, in the most common places in our own cities.
7 comments:
Oh sweetie, I'm so glad you're okay, and I totally understand that feeling. Scary and unnerving. My thoughts go out to the victims, and I'm sending love your way too, sweet girl.
Yes, totally scary and unnerving when stuff like this happens. Especially in a place so public and familiar.
Personally when gang members start shooting each other I could care less. Obviously the problem is when innocent people get caught in the cross fire. I'm glad you wern't there and hopefully everyone who was injured makes a full recovery.
(this doesn't shake our confidence that Toronto is a safe city and we aren't nervous at all about our visit. )
glad you're ok. i read about the news on the interwebs, and as unsettling as it is, i was thinking about how the aftermath could be quite different in our respective countries. at the very least, i'd imagine that IF a citizen was injured, they would get the medical treatment they needed in canada without having to worry about going bankrupt. however in the states, it kind of strikes me as rather harsh that, depending on the type of health coverage one has, not only would they be injured from something they didn't cause, BUT they also could be on the hook for the complete cost of their medical treatment.
I just read about this today, how awful! I can't even fathom going to the mall and experiencing something so horrific. I'm glad you're okay!
When I heard about this on the news it made my stomach churn. People are a bit used to weird, awful shit these days, but still, this is real bad.
So glad you are okay. I have no idea what to say about this. It is just horrible. This sort of thing is never okay and will never become okay.
It sucks that shootings like this happen but shit happens. It's still safer down there than it was 40 years ago.
Post a Comment