Massacre

Omar Thornton, 34, went on a shooting rampage following a meeting with his bosses at a Connecticut beer distributor after he was caught on tape steeling beer and was told he could quit or would be fired. Thornton killed eight people and injured two before committing suicide. -Fox News

7:27 a.m: From a man to 911
"His name is Omar. Hurry, please ... He's killing fucking people. ... He's going back in the building now."

7:28 a.m: Steve Hollander, company vice president calls and describes the suspect. Hollander was grazed by a bullet and released from the hospital.
Caller: OK. I see him running away right now. He is shooting at somebody else. He is still shooting.
911: (muffled) Shooter is outside.
Caller: He is shooting at a girl.
911: OK, how many people are down, sir?
Caller: He's got a -- he is still running after people. He is not leaving.
911: OK. Do you see what kind of gun he has, sir?
Caller: It's a black gun. I don't know. He's wearing a blue shirt and blue shorts. He has got -- he's got -- he's got a -- oh shit he is still shooting. I hear guns out there.
911: He used to work there?
Caller: Yeah, until I just fired him.
911: Today?
Caller: Today, just now, before he started shooting. He is chasing people out in the parking lot.

7:43 a.m: From an injured man in building
Caller: Hi, I am at Hartford Distributors. I am at one of the offices. Can you find out if it is it safe for me to come out yet?
911: It is not sir. Are you bleeding heavily?
Caller: No, not heavily.
911: You feel OK right now?
Caller: Yeah.
911: How many people do you have with you?
Caller: My son, just me and my son.
911: I need you stay in there. Is the door locked?
Caller: Yes.
911: Stay in there and stay down. Have your son keep an eye if you start to become less awake have him call us right away.
Caller: I am fine. I know for a fact two people are dead in here inside the building, not in my office, in the hallway. They were both shot right in the head.
911: Sir, just stay in the office with your son, please.

It is being called the Manchester Massacre.
I am incredibly grateful that my father's life was spared that morning as he was loading up his van to make deliveries for his employer, Hartford Distributors, when he heard gun shots coming from inside the warehouse next to him. He ran for his life across the field bordering the warehouse, dropping his cell phone along the way.

My mother woke up that morning to a phone call from a woman from church. "Is Charlie alright?" My mom had not heard of the tragedy yet, and struggled to put in her contacts with shaking hands. Since my dad dropped his phone, my mom's multiple attempts at calling him were no use. She had no choice but to sit by the phone and wait for it to ring. It did--with good news.

Police held the survivors who escaped the warehouse across the street in safety. [in this photo, my dad is mid-right in the white striped shirt.]

I can't even express how differently I look at family, at life, at death.. it's hard for me to sleep at night because every time I close my eyes the thought goes through my mind-- What if my dad had gone into the warehouse? I know I shouldn't be thinking "What if this" and "What if that", but sometimes we need to in order to slap ourselves in the face and shape up in the way we treat those we love. I can't even imagine how the families of the victims are feeling. As the names of the victims have just been recently released, my father (along with the community) is just heartbroken over this tragedy.

I went to high school with Ryan Pepin. Ryan's father was shot that morning as he saved his fellow employees. Craig Pepin was a hero, and his family can be sure that he is an angel for his heroic act. Continued prayers to his family as they go through this hard time.