TEXAS — The shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas on May 18, 2018 took the lives of ten people–thirteen others were wounded.
The suspected shooter was taken into custody and later identified by police as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a 17-year-old student at the school.
The family of Jared Black, who turned 17 two day before the attack, penned an open letter to the community:
When a tragedy like this happens, we face overwhelming shock and sorrow. After the initial shock and sorrow, people start placing blame. We are angry. We are hurting. Assigning blame allows us to begin processing our grief. Finger pointing, no matter where it is directed, does not help us heal. It gives a venue for our anger and pain to be placed elsewhere. We need to get it out. We have cried, we have yelled. But we have not begun to heal our broken hearts. Only when we begin to make positive changes in our own lives do we start repairing our souls. We will not blame. We will stop saying “what if.” We will start doing. We will not allow this despair to turn us into angry, hateful people. We will speak out. Not against guns. Not against school administrations. In fact, we will not be speaking against anything. We will be speaking out for. For knowing what your child goes through and what they are doing when not in your presence. For knowing who their friends are. For making the time to meet their parents, knowing if this is a positive relationship. For knowing if there is pain and trouble in their hearts. For knowing how they feel about themselves and those near them. And telling them if you “feel something, say something.”
If they are scared, or bullied, or worried about somebody else that they think may be dealing with more than they can handle to reach out, or even shout out. This is not right. This will not stand. I will not participate. I will say something and not be afraid. I will stand up and try to change things for the good. I will not allow this to happen. Peer pressure will not force my silence. I will show courage and compassion. I will be an example of empathy. I will make a stand even when I stand alone. I pledge to change this world with love and not perpetuate the hate that has torn the very fabric of our humanity.
The Conard Family
John Conard, Jared’s father, also posted a eulogy on Facebook.
“May Jared’s gentle soul and kind heart bring peace to the weary, solace to the troubled and warmth to the world if the sun does not shine. May the wind whisper his voice to comfort us. Let his angel wings carry him to gate of heaven. Let us not forget how dear he was to so many. Everyday without him tears our hearts to pieces.”
