Capitol Hill Murders

Why?

Sadness. Sympathy. Disgust.

Yesterday morning seven people died in my city. Six of them were victims of the seventh person, who killed himself when confronted by a police officer.

I am so sad for the families and friends of the lost. The media is making it even more tragic, as they try and coerce witnesses to talk to them, and make the whole thing into a feeding frenzy of breaking news stories.

Seeing the candlelight vigil made my heart sore.

The media is, of course, linking the killings to the fact all the victims were at a rave earlier. The house where the killings took place was having an after-party; a place to hang out, and wait for the bus, or just wind down from the party itself. All fans of listening, or dancing, to techno music. The media likes to play up something to blame; just as they do whenever someone goes nuts. If music is involved, it makes a handy scapegoat. Just as handy a scapegoat is the fact that at raves there are drugs and possible alcohol consumption, no matter what promoters do to remove it as a factor.

Just like there are at most concerts, parties, dance venues.

But it doesn't sound like any of those things was a factor in the killings. It sounds as if the killer just went nuts. Maybe a long time ago; maybe he planned it for awhile - or maybe he just snapped. It doesn't really matter.

The fact is something like this could have happened anywhere. It could have happened at a mall, like it did here recently. This guy could have decided that anyone who shopped at DEPARTMENT STORE X needed to die. It could have happened at a school. It could have happened any place where people gather.

If it had been at a Goth gathering, the media would really be going nuts. If it had been at a hip-hop party, would we be seeing the huge amount of media attention? I wonder. If it had been at a square dance, or a rock concert, or a club? If the victims had been 40-something country music listeners? If they had been nursing home residents?

The fact that seven people are dead is, and should be, just sadness for our entire community. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's also tragic that someone didn't realize the killer needed help.
Sympathy is all I can feel for anyone involved - the families, the friends, the innocent.
Disgust - at the media, and even at myself, because I want to know - even as I am disgusted by the coverage, I still am compelled to read the stories.
Because, like everyone else, I want a reason, an explanation for such a terrible tragedy.

Why did this happen?