This day to remember the fallen will always be seen by me with an additional context. I know gunfire as I have recorded the hunting season's first shots as they rang through the End of the Rainbow Valley. The shots this morning were different and it was still dark out my windows at ~5 am anyway...
One is too many but there were maybe 5/6? One loses count due to the unexpectedness of it all...
I walked cautiously through the dark house. My porch light was on as were the neighbors' surrounding me. But across the street the motion detector light was on and the car's trunk was open. Something was lying on the ground. Its young owner sometimes leaves for his early shift between 5 and 6. Whether he was heading out for work/ heard something else, who knows? He was pacing back and forth. I stuck my head out to ask if everything was okay. He was talking on the phone. He didn't respond.
The unmarked detective cars eventually started arriving and his front yard and mine were cordoned off. No one could answer any questions as it was/is under investigation. I did ask if it was safe to go out. Who knew how many were involved?
As light appeared a small group of neighbors gathered at the next driveway and I joined them. One had heard yelling and moaning. (I had interpreted that moan/ howl as it was a coyote being injured.) One neighbor had the Ring doorbell system which captured someone donning a mask and backpack checking for open car doors and rifling through the contents in his carport area. (My carport area BTW looks untouched but I have thought of enclosing it which may become a reality sooner rather than later.)
A detective spoke with us individually to ask if we had heard/ seen anything. It is heart wrenching knowing 2 more lives have been ruined. How terribly sad, the petty thief left in a body bag and the young homeowner in the squad car...
As a line of an old protest song asks- "Where have all the young men gone, long time passing?"
