Tragic Murders and the Opportunity To Take Action
Since the weekend eight innocent woman and children have lost their lives. Recently, in Delevan, Wisconsin, six people died two of whom were infant twins. Then today, on an Illinois road in Decator, Illinois, three kids and their mom, murdered. Both news accounts interviewed the neighbors in each slaying and I heard the same reaction " this isn't suppose to happen here" and "they were great neighbors". The sad fact is that domestic violence does not pick and choose a certain neighboorhood and no one caused these victims to loose their lives. Someone who was angry and wanted power and control murdered each of them because he had lost his power. I say this because we must all begin to pay attention. This was someone's school mate, church member, co-worker, aunt, sister, daughter, grandchild. If we don't open our eyes these tragic deaths will continue to escalate.
What you can do... begin with your church and school. Offer to post information on bulletin boards and in lunch rooms. Ask if yu church can sponsor a weekly informational group. Have family violence materials gathered from your community and make them available to church memebers. Ask that a campaign be initiated where all church members take the information to their workplace or neighborhood day care centers. Beghin to not only be aware, but consider campaigning for safety in the homes of your neighbors. Look in your local phone book under community organizations and conact them for information, perhaps even ask for their wish list of items they might need to continue assiting those affected by violence.
| ||||
| ||||
 |
Three children and a woman were found shot to death Thursday morning in a sport utility vehicle parked on a road just off an Illinois highway, authorities said.
A man who also had been shot was taken from the SUV to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Channahon Mayor Joe Cook said.
Authorities did not release their identities.
No one was in custody, but Cook said it appeared to have involved domestic violence.
Channahon police found the SUV on a service road near Interstate 55, north of the Des Plaines River, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago.
A woman who lives nearby said she heard several loud cracking sounds shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday and again about five minutes later.
"I was in bed and I thought it was in my backyard it was so loud," Debra Walick said.
She said she got up to investigate after the second set of shots, but returned to bed. Thursday morning she saw police in the area.
"I am still a little shaken," Walick said. "I wish I had reacted differently. I don't think I could have prevented what happened. But perhaps they would have been found earlier."
