We have a responsibility to break cycles of hatred, violence
Experiencing a mass shooting in your local area is profoundly different from hearing, reading, or watching about it on TV or social media.
A few weeks ago, witnessing the fear outside the Walmart parking lot in Beavercreek was a stark reminder of the impact these incidents have on communities. The use of guns, resulting in the loss of innocent lives, affects millions every year.
After my arrival in the U.S. from Amritsar in Punjab, India, for a master’s in Engineering in August 2000, I have lived in this very diverse area close to Wright State University and the Beavercreek Walmart now for almost 23 years. My immediate prayers at the spot in parking lot were offered for everyone to be safe, including Wright State students, many of whom are international students from India who frequently visit this store.
A quick call to our family friend’s son from
Amritsar, who also visits this store regularly, brought some relief, but concerns for the safety of many other shoppers lingered. He confirmed that the university had advised all students to stay away from the area just minutes ago.
On that evening, as I contemplated whether to go to Walmart or a few miles further to Kroger for medicine around 8:30 p.m., the sudden arrival of police vehicles at the nearby Walmart traffic light raised concerns. Crossing the traffic light, fear turned into reality as I witnessed the store’s parking lot filled with police and emergency vehicles.
This Walmart in Beavercreek has been in the news for notable incidents in the past, adding to the unsettling nature of the situation. This includes the tragic shooting of John Crawford, a 22-year-old African American man shot and killed by a Beavercreek police officer while holding a pellet gun in the store. The memories of such events and protests that followed linger in our community.
The shooter may have been at least partially motivated by “racially or ethnically motivated violence,” ideologies is definitely scary to think about, as he could have even gone to the nearby university campus.
The night of fear is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of even the most serene communities to acts of violence. In times like these, our collective hope is that such incidents cease, and everyone can live in harmony.
Community leaders, policymakers and individuals must work together to foster a society that values diversity and inclusivity, where differences are celebrated rather than feared. By acknowledging our shared responsibility and working towards a more inclusive future, we can hope to break the cycle of hatred and ensure that tragedies like these becomes lessons rather than recurring nightmares.
Our gratitude to the dispatchers, police officers and fire personnel who quickly responded to the threat and treated the victims. Our prayers and thoughts are with the victims.