Hometown Shootings

          July 16, 2015 seemed like any other day until my mom called me to ask where I was with 

the kids that I nannied and was relieved to hear that I was not at my home or theirs. This relief was

because less than 5 miles away, a man had opened fire on two military centers. The entire city was

in panic mode. There were rumors that there were multiple shooters on the loose, that it was an act

ofterrorism, numerous numbers of how many were killed and injured, and many places were                   

under lockdown as well as the city being declared a no fly zone for a span of time.

          In the end it turns out that a man named Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez had killed four

Marines on the scene and a Naval officer later died in the hospital, he also injured a few other people.

Mohammod was killed himself by the police. Many people thought this was an act of terrorism

because of his name and other reasons as well.

But the real amazing part was what happened as

a result of the shooting. The entire city began to

come together to mourn the loss of these men

who lost their lives this tragic day. It became

natural to see the huge assembly of people at

the first crime scene each and every day to pray


and celebrate the lives and service of these men together.

          The assembly of people, flags, signs, crosses and even sentimental things like purple hearts

grew in numbers everyday and was even protected and blocked off by the FBI, police, and other

government organizations working to solve and figure out exactly what had happened. Being able to

be a part of this assembly with all types of people for one reason was an unforgettable experience. 

Having the right to assemble freely for any reason is something I used to take for granted until I got 

to experience first-hand the difference it can make during a serious event.

Some more information about this event itself can be found at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/shooting-confirmed-tennessee-navy/story?id=32494050