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Awful Friday: The Gunman in the Building

Quick update for folks emailing and calling me re. the gunman in the building

Addendum to clarify: I do not work in this building or there. However, a number of family members and friends do.

So far I've managed to reach most family and friends. All are safe. Luckily quite a few family members were not on site today for one reason or another. Most are now offsite. One friend is there, in the building in question, however he is in a secure location and is safe.

The hitch is there are meetings in this building, so people who would not normally be there are there.

If we hear anything further I'll let you know.

Thanks for the care. Julie

P.P.S. The kids saw this live as it began. There isn't a way to keep it from them. I welcome any suggestions about how to address this situation with them. Right now all I've said is a man who is mad is locked in the building and the police are working out how to get him out. Patience has asked about all the people we know there, especially family, and I've assured her they are all okay. One friend is there, but safe. I keep emphasizing that. Any ideas about how to explain this?

Comments

Kyla said…
What Julie? In your building? Is this on the news? If you can, send me an email. I'll be checking back here, too.
April 20, 2007 at 4:08 PM
thailandchani said…
I understand it just resolved. The guy shot himself.

Jayzus! What a week!



Peace,

~Chani
April 20, 2007 at 5:35 PM
Unknown said…
Goodness! I think I recently figured out you were in the Houston area. For some reason I thought you were in California. (You once wrote about moving west for something. In my California-centric mind, we are the West. Everything else is the Southwest or the Northwest!)

I'm glad all your family and friends are safe. It is so scary to think of the possibilities.

Oh, and flares? What flares? I'm missing something here. Are you okay?
April 20, 2007 at 6:16 PM
S said…
Yah, it will be good to see this week end.

Glad your friends and family are safe.

Having just botched a discussion with my son Ben about the Virginia Tech shootings, I am in no position to offer advice.
April 20, 2007 at 8:14 PM
Girlplustwo said…
what the heck is going on in our sad and overburdened world.
April 20, 2007 at 8:35 PM
atypical said…
Continued prayers headed your way even though it is resolved.

I wish I had advice on the talks.

thinking of you (health and all as well).
April 20, 2007 at 10:58 PM
IzzyMom said…
You work there? Holy cow! When is this madness going to stop? I'm so glad you're okay.
April 21, 2007 at 2:34 AM
Gwen said…
Now your post from tomorrow (huh? time travelling with Google Reader; highly recommend) makes sense.

I thought of you, too, when I saw that news TODAY, so my good wishes were a little late.

Re: your kids. At some point, you can't hide the truth from them completely, right? I think you said the right thing, being honest. What kids want to know is that YOU can keep them safe, no matter what happens in the larger world.

No sense bursting that particular bubble yet .....
April 21, 2007 at 7:13 AM
Julie Pippert said…
Gwen, that's the approach I took with Patience. Age-appropriate truth. She saw enough of the chaos there---emergency vehicles screaming by, helicopters, people running (probably all reporters), etc. that she KNEW something was up, and my reactions confirmed it.

My cell phone was dead so as soon as we got home I turned on the TV for them (Noggin, not CNN, FWIW, LOL) which is VERY unusual, and didn't even fight Persistence when she got up from nap (without sleeping). So all out of character and routine. Also I got on the phone and started calling a zillion people, also odd for me. She's sensitive enough and plus it was pretty obvious, so she was really asking.

I just let her know a man who was very sad and mad made a bad choice, and decided to hurt someone else and himself. I told her it was tragic and sad. She said scary and I agreed. She asked if the people were dead, and I said yes, two people, then said but we do not know them. I did not mention the other two people. Then we talked about the people we know and I said they were safe and fine. I told her that we were safe and fine, and assured her I keep her safe.

Then we all got together over at my best friend's house, which everyone needed. She was reassured to see everyone okay.

She seems okay.

**

Izzy, not me, friends and family.

**

Atypical, thanks, it's been some crazy week, eh?

**

Jen, I think this is clustering, you know? I have my theories as to the rest, but it's just theories.

**

Slouching mom, yeah, these things with kids are SO tricky. I'm glad too and hoping that this sort of thing ends with the week.

**

M-L, I'll email you.

**

Chani, yeah, what a week. So tragic.

**

Kyla, thanks hon.
April 21, 2007 at 9:31 AM
K said…
Julie, I had to power down and switch my brain off this week-end -so this is the first I've heard of this. I'm glad your family and friends are OK.
April 23, 2007 at 11:58 AM
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