Grieving in self-quarantine after shooting that killed 5
The sequence of events is grim but familiar in cities across the United States. A mass shooting takes place. A public vigil occurs. A community comes together with an outpouring of anger, sadness and solidarity.
But for families of those killed in last weekend’s mass shooting in Springfield, Missouri, in which an attacker fatally shot four people, what was already a tragic situation has been compounded by the coronavirus. The families mostly will be grieving in solitude.
Cierrah Hicks-morris, whose brother, Matthew, was killed in the attack, is still in shock. She told a friend Friday she was going into isolation and just wanted to scream.
Matthew Hicks-morris, 22, was killed March 15 during a late-night run to a gas station. According to Anice Farmer, a close friend, he whispered over the phone to his girlfriend that a shooter had entered the shop. His girlfriend heard gunshots, and the phone line cut.
He and four others were killed, including a police officer, Christopher Walsh, and the attacker, Joaquin Roman. Police declined to comment on possible motives, saying the investigation was still underway.
Because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, Hicks-morris’ relatives couldn’t travel to Missouri from Florida to be with his sisters. There was no public gathering for their brother. Even the funeral might have to be delayed for months because of new restrictions on public gatherings.
As the number of coronavirus cases in Missouri nearly tripled Friday, to 73 from a day earlier, Gov. Mike Parson said the state was requiring social distancing and that gatherings of more than 10 people were banned.
“There are so many people that loved him,” said Farmer, who said Matthew Hicks-morris was the happiest person she had ever known. “We can’t pick just 10 people.” She said she was sure more than 100 people would have wanted to attend the funeral.
His sister has called on local officials to make an exception to the cap on gatherings. The family wants to plan a celebration of his life, where family and friends will wear T-shirts from his favorite animated comedy, “Rick and Morty.”
Farmer, 23, also said she and his family needed closure and couldn’t wait months for a funeral. “Everybody wants to love on each other and be here for each other right now,” she said.
But officials told the family that the soonest the funeral could be held was in May, she said.
Chief Paul F. Williams of the Springfield Police Department said the burial ceremony of Walsh, one of the victims, would take place March 21 but would be closed to the public because of coronavirus concerns.
Mass shootings are often times when communities unite to process grief and shock. At a public vigil for victims of the shooting last summer in Dayton, Ohio, the crowd drowned out Gov. Mike Dewine with shouts of “Do something!” Two days later, he announced proposals that he said could reduce shootings and limit gun access for people with mental health problems.
In the wake of the shooting in El Paso, Texas, that happened hours before the Dayton shooting, hundreds of strangers showed up at the visitation and prayer service for one of the victims, Margie Reckard, in a show of solidarity.
Robert A. Neimeyer, director of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, said community support was crucial for those who have lost loved ones in a violent attack. Instead of retreating, mourners should pick a collective time to light a candle or pray for victims from their homes.
“That sense of being part of something larger is especially important in a violent death,” he said.
The day after Cierrah Hicks-morris, 24, found out her brother had been killed, she lost her job as a server at Applebee’s, which, like other restaurants in Springfield, has shut in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“It’s all just slamming at once, and we don’t know what to do,” Farmer said.
“It’s all just slamming at once, and we don’t know what to do” — Anice Farmer, close friend of shooting victim