Just like everyone else, we were horrified to read about the tragedy that occurred in Highland Park, Ill., on the Fourth of July. Just after writing about coming together as a nation, we were forced to watch another mass shooting unfold.

The newsroom here at the Eagle was buzzing with different details as they came in, each one worse than the last. Even closer to home, news of a shooting in Philadelphia was suddenly upon us as well.

When a question was asked about the shooting, someone replied: “Which one?”

It is a truly sad day, having to clarify which mass shooting someone is speaking of before continuing the conversation.

In one moment, people were watching parade floats and waving flags, and, in the next, they were running for their lives. One story in particular, about a toddler who was left an orphan, really stopped us in our tracks.

One of humanity’s greatest strengths is also a fatal weakness. Our mortality ensures that time heals all wounds, but that resilience also dulls our ability to remember the emotions felt in the moment. In a decade, most of America will recall the incident through a fogging lens. That boy will be plagued forever by an event he won’t remember.

Places that once were as dependable as the tides — like grocery stores, schools and holiday events — are being suddenly upended in the blink of an eye, leaving people frightened and hesitant to leave their homes out of fear.

It frustrates us because there are gaping holes in every imagined solution.

Our hearts and prayers are with all the victims and their families. They have all suffered a great loss, one that is becoming far too common in the modern age. Take care of one another and honor those who have been lost.

–CM