Halloween fireworks display caused fear

I would never have thought I could be a fearful person. But on Halloween when the fireworks went off in town, I jumped a mile, myheart sank and I seriously thought there was a shooter in town. I was ready to dive into Northwest Sports, where I was standing. Severalothers also were frightened until someone said it was fireworks.

The next day when I told someone about the fireworks and my fear, they said, “This is Vashon, that wouldn’t have crossed my mind.”

And today I wake with the news of another mass shooting. It took place in Thousand Oaks, California, considered the third-safest townin the United States. Parkland, Florida, was also considered a very safe place to live.

We here on Vashon, unfortunately, are not immune to violence. Please consider how frightening unexpected fireworks can be thesedays.

— Lornie Walker