Reply #16: It hurts [View All]

[LibertyLover]

First, please let me say how sorry I am for you and your office. And the young lady's family. I understand a bit how you feel. About 12 years ago a young attorney in the office I worked in at the time was shot and killed and his girlfriend badly injured by carjackers. The worst part was that the whole incident was observed by a young policewoman on undercover stakeout duty. She immediately called the incident in, but Dan was shot before police arrived (and they arrived very quickly because of the stakeout - as an aside, the young policewoman was badly shaken and had to take a leave of absence from the force for a while to get it together, she blamed herself for not acting quickly enough, although repeated reconstructions of the crime showed she acted above and beyond anything that could have been expected). He had jumped out of the car and was running back to the restaurant they had exited to get help. The robbers then pushed his girlfriend out of the car and shot her as she lay on the parking lot asphalt. I had spoken to Dan around 8 pm that evening, shortly before leaving the office myself. He had just finished signing a project and was looking forward to going out to dinner with his girlfriend. Later that evening I was watching the 11 pm news and the incident was reported but with no names. I didn't know that it had been Dan until I got into work the next morning. Like your office, ours was stunned and deeply saddened. Things will get better, I promise. One piece of advice if you don't mind. If and when there is a memorial service, do go. It is comforting to the family and it will help you and your colleagues in the grieving process.