I woke up this morning and opened the paper as usual.

There are no words for what I felt, when I read this news. 

Not all the facts in this newspaper article are correct, but the gist of the story is true.

My oldest daughter and the oldest daughter in the family played softball together when Danger Boy was born and when the girl that did this was adopted at 6 weeks old. She and Danger Boy were "recess friends" and sometimes classmates all through elementary school. The mom and I were friendly in that way you are with someone that you were close to for a small time, but don't see much of anymore. The catch up for 20 minutes at Vons once a year kind of friendly.

I know that there were problems with this little girl--wrong crowd, bad decision-making problems, but I'm sure nothing that could have predicted this.

The mother was a school counselor and a genuinely wonderful person. I'm sure this family was doing all that anyone could for their troubled daughter.

When they say "if it could happen here, it could happen anywhere," this must be what they're talking about. I am stunned.

Comments

[JCK]

OH, Jenn, I am SO sorry. My heart goes out to the family. What a tragedy!

[dani]

jenn,
how horrible!!! you just never know; do you??? i will say a prayer for the family...
hugs,
dani

[Jules]

I'm so very sorry. What a horrid thing to happen to anybody.
(((HUGS)))

[Jennifer H]

I don't know what to say. Horrible, just awful for everyone.

[Chatty]

This is just more depressing than I can possibly express. I can't imagine what the surviving family members must be going through.

[Angela]

I just don't know what to say.

[Hilary]

What a shocker! What a sad and horrible event. I'm sorry it has landed so close to you.

[Reluctant Blogger]

Gosh Jenn, your life is very turbulent at the moment. Well, lots of turbulent and sad things are just on the outside of it.

What a frightening and depressing story. It is only when you read about such things happening to people you actually know that it brings it home to you that REAL people can do unfathomable things. When you don't know people - somehow, I dunno, you just assume that they are not like the rest of us. Oh I am not explaining myself.

[kcinnova]

How Awful. And no wonder that you desire to reach out to children before they go over that invisible line. Hurting hearts are everywhere.
Prayers for this family, and all those affected.

[kcinnova]

How Awful. And no wonder that you desire to reach out to children before they go over that invisible line. Hurting hearts are everywhere.
Prayers for this family, and all those affected.

[kcinnova]

How Awful. And no wonder that you desire to reach out to children before they go over that invisible line. Hurting hearts are everywhere.
Prayers for this family, and all those affected.

[Mary Alice]

You said it. No words. Just that punched in the gut feeling. I pray that family will have the strength to deal with this.

[debbie]

This is just so incredibly sad. No one will probably ever find out the whole story as to what happened...I join Mary Alice in saying that I hope the family has the strength and the support from those around them to help them through all this.

[Suzanne]

That is devastating news. So hard to comprehend. I am sorry for all of them.

[CircusKelli]

That's terrible. My heart goes out to this family and their friends.

[Claudia]

* shudders * That has to be the most awful thing any family has to go through. It defies all levels of sense and reality. So scary. SO damn scary.

[Janet]

such a scary and heartbreaking tragedy.

[melissa]

That is awful. I can imagine you're stunned. That poor family.

[Kristen]

Wow, that is horrid! I have no words, I am so sorry Jenn. I will be keeping that family in my thoughts and prayers.

[Minnesota Matron]

Oh my God - how horrible! I'm so sorry for your entire community, Jenn. That poor woman -- and the family remaining.

[Shelia]

That is awful. So sorry to hear about this.

[Kellan]

What a sad story. I'm sorry about your friend and I am sorry for this girl.

Take care - Kellan

[Deb]

I saw it on the news last night and instantly thought of you.

It's so sad. I think of the family and the girl, who probably never meant to take things as far as they went.

The whole thing gives pause to parents everywhere, but esp, when it happens in your neighborhood.

[Fannie]

What a tragic story. I'm going home and giving my girls a big hug.

[flutter]

That is so incredibly sad...and I had no idea that you are in san diego

[Melissa Q]

WOW, I don't know what to say besides what has already been said. I know we all have argued or disagreed with our mothers but to go that far. It's extremely sad. What could drive a teenage girl to kill her own mother? Unbelievable! We really need to pray for all the children of today, the world we live in is really changing.

[Just Jamie]

Oh my Gosh. How can that be? How can we live in that kind of world?

[Domestically Challenged]

Chilling - no wonder you are stunned.
Sending hugs
Hen

[Manic Mommy]

That poor family. We all feel insulated from the horrible stuff. But it's real and it happens.

[The Mom Bomb]

This kind of stuff is always exponentially unnerving when it hits so close to home.

[ms_teacher]

As parents, we can think we are doing everything right. When our kids do something wrong, we almost immediately question what we could have done differently. The reality is that at some point in time, our kids have free will to choose either right or wrong, throw any type of mental health issues into the mix, and no matter how well we raised our kids, tragedies like this can still happen.

So sorry that it has hit so close to home.

[AlphaDogMa]

Wow. Just wow.

[susan]

Oh my goodness...I can't even begin to imagine what must be going on with that poor girl to have so much anger in her to do such a thing. My heart goes out to that entire family.

I need to go hug my girls now...

[Amy the Mom]

Oh, Jenn. This is horrible. I have a friend who is dealing with an abusive son right now, and this sends chills up my spine.

[Grandy]

Oh my...I'm so very sorry!! This is horrible!! I'm very sorry for the family.

[LifeAsIKnowIt]

Oh My Gosh. Tragic. I'm so sorry...for everyone.

[stephanie]

It is terrifically sad to hear a story like this, and even moreso when you actually know the people involved.

Praying for all of you.

[magpie]

Oh, how tragic. I'm so sorry to hear of this.