“Suspect Charged – Nicholas Cruz faces 17 counts of premeditated murder.”
In the aftermath of the Valentine’s Day slayings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida, an astounded nation wakes up to read the shocking details on another mass shooter. Once again, a troubled teen’s warning signs are not caught in time to avoid tragedy. The most unsettling fact in this case, however, is that Cruz did not fly under the radar, unnoticed by authorities, the school, peers and neighbors. On the contrary, his angry and troubled mind was displayed in live colors for anyone to see.
As political leaders and a grieving community once again discuss issues such as gun control and how to better protect public establishments from future threats, investigators are piecing together the profile of a very public statement sent by the suspect through social media, the school and his neighborhood.
Indeed, something terribly sinister lingered over Cruz, everywhere you look. His now deleted Instagram posts contained pictures of handguns and assault rifles and violence against animals. Students are quoted saying they thought Cruz would be one to attempt something against the school. He was known for shooting chickens in a neighbor’s yard and throwing eggs at another neighbor’s car as she drove by.
The 19-year-old was a ticking time bomb ready to go off at any time.
Cruz had issues. Terribly dark issues. And he did not keep them hidden from anyone. It was all over social media and in his behavior. Yet, it seems as if not enough was done to stop him from acting on his threats.
Did people not believe him?
Did they choose to ignore it?
Did they look, but not see?
Or are we so desensitized as a society to violence, promiscuity and pain, that we easily look over the pictures on social media and move on to the next post?
Isn’t that a larger issue we face as a society these days? The fact that we are so busy with our own lives, that we do not make time to pay attention to our kids, often missing signs of depression or a troubled mind. Or we may be so used to seeing darkness, that it has become difficult to separate fantasy from reality. Indeed, God may be shining a spotlight on warning signs right under our nose, even in our own homes, and yet, we do not stop to pay attention.
Tragedies such as the Valentine’s Day shooting bring the old question boiling to the surface of many skeptical minds: “Where is God when tragedy strikes?” The question is posed because many do not understand that we live in a fallen, sin-filled world, one that will always be full of tragedy and pain. And every time it happens, God grieves, together with his creation.
He is grieving, hurting with every tear shed by the mom who now looks at her child’s lifeless body, wondering if she told her daughter that she loved her one last time. He is holding that dad, who is searching for answers in the midst of his anger and pain. He was close to that assistant coach, the unforgettable hero who used his body as a shield to protect his students, paying the ultimate sacrifice with unbelievable valor and courage.
And he is calling us, as a society, to pay attention to the pain and warning signs that may be right in front of us.
Yes, we must pray for wisdom for our leaders and for protection for our public places. But you and I also must learn to open our eyes. We must teach our children to be aware of their surroundings and not be afraid to speak out. We must teach them not to ever dismiss signs of despair or violence among their friends, and not ever to keep such warnings to themselves.
May God guide us as a nation, not to use this senseless tragedy as a mere political soapbox, but rather to help us become wiser and more sensitive to the environments around us.
May God comfort the families and friends of the victims, and help the Parkland community heal.
