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How Can We Even Process the Footage From the Uvalde School Shooting?
It will probably stay with me for the rest of my life.
Ahead of the scheduled release of footage from within the school during the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two of their teachers slaughtered, The Austin American-Statesman and its television partner, KVUE, published some of the video.
After making the mistake of watching it before I went to bed last night, needless to say I barely slept.
I’ve been a writer for twenty years. As I’ve said before, it is my outlet of choice. It has always been the best way for me to articulate what I’m feeling, and how I am the most comfortable doing so. It gives me clarity, catharsis, and healing. It is how I process the events of the world around me. But when it comes to that video footage from Uvalde… “processing” doesn’t even seem possible.
Obviously I tossed and turned all night after watching it. I laid awake regretting the fact that I hadn’t waited until morning, thinking at times how strange the mind is, and becoming convinced that the certain details mine had fixated on were never, ever going to leave my mind.
Personally, I will never forget the shooter’s walk.
