What is wrong with people today? Has everyone gone crazy? Or is it that there are a lot of sick individuals out there? We hear about crime constantly in the news, but when it hits home it becomes surreal. You generally think terrible things happen to someone else, you don’t imagine it happening close to you. But when it happens to someone close, someone you love, be it family or friend, reality hits like a punch in the gut. So when another teen is a victim of violence, it’s too close.
On Friday, 9/2, Lauren Landavoza and Makayla Smith walked home after school, side by side, most likely chatting about their plans for the big 3-day weekend. In Wichita Falls, Texas, ranked the 3rd happiest city in 2014, who would have ever thought something so horrible could ever happen?
Multiple gunshots rang out, striking the girls mercilessly! Lauren suffered 14 bullets to her body and died at the scene. Makayla was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition. I’m sure Makayla’s physical wounds will heal much sooner than her emotional wounds, if it’s possible for her to heal from something as tragic as that.
Those on the scene gave Police a description of the pickup the shooter was driving. Two days later a passerby saw the suspicious truck and contacted police, who picked him up a couple of blocks away. A horrible man, Kody Lott, 20 years old, confessed to shooting the two girls. He stated he he had a reason; that he was frustrated with being single, and had talked to the devil prior to the shooting.
A candlelight vigil was held in remembrance of Lauren where everyone was asked to wear her favorite color, purple. Her family and friends remember her as a social butterfly who loved life, and was compassionate and caring. She will be terribly missed by everyone in their close-knit community.
Senseless murders and assaults such as these leave the victims and their loved ones broken hearted and grieving. You have to wonder, are people that commit such crimes as these criminally insane, or are they just plain evil. Unfortunately, until Christ returns to rule in peace and love, we’ll continue seeing stories such as these.
Till we meet again, Natalia
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