I didn’t watch the news on Friday when it happened, but it was still shocking to hear. Yesterday at work I received an e-mail title: “card for Otis”, I got exited and happy to hear from him. We went to school together and he worked for the company I’m currently employed before he moved to Orlando. He had quit a week before I started working here 3 years ago, but I still saw him some time on my first month working, he was going to keep a part time position for a while and I sure was glad to hear that but it didn’t work out and he left. I never heard from him after that until just yesterday when one of my co-workers send me an e-mail about his funeral service. When I first opened that e-mail the last thing I expected was to read that he died. As I started looking to this e-mail, first noticed the pictures, the big bright smile on his face as he was holding his 7 month old daughter, and the picture of her daughter alone and than him and his fiance. I thought the card most be because he just had a daughter, how wonderful,  I was so exited to see that he became a dad.

As I started reading more into it I realized they weretalking about a funeral service, who died?, I asked my self. I still couldn’t believe it was him who passed. As I was still trying to figure out, a co-worker that knew him as well came to ask me about a job. It felt like my heart stopped when I asked him about the e-mail. He asked me if I didn’t saw the news, he told me about the shooting and that he was the only one to die. My brain couldn’t rap around the idea and I could not concentrate for the rest of the day.

I still remember my first thoughts when I opened the e-mail and started looking at the pictures. It was nice to see the big smile on his face while holding his baby. Now I see that pictures and my heart sinks.

Whenever I see news about shootings and people dying I never think about the stories of the families and friends that are left behind with the horrible sorrow of loosing a love one.

Otis Beckford (the only victim that died) was a down to earth guy, always kept for him self, nice, funny  and very smart. I could remember him with his big ”Afro” and headphones just focus on his work.With a future ahead of him. He was a young guy on his mid 20’s , a new dad  that can no longer hold in his arms his daughter and watch her grow, make her first steps, say her first words, go to prom, graduate from school, get married.

The guy who killed him, did he thought of that as he started to shoot. We all know economy is bad and some people have it worse than others but does that justifies him ruining some one else’s life just because his sucks? !

Some thing that I would never understand is why is there so much violence in the world?