Americans were devastated today by the shooting massacre in [name of suburb/town/city and state]. As we watched the horrific images of survivors running for safety out of the [school/mall/movie theater] while police and paramedics ran in to save others, we could not help but feel tremendous grief and sorrow for the families of the victims. In all, [#] people were killed, including [#] children—some as young as [age], making this the [numerical order] worst shooting in our nation’s history. Today we learned that even in the quaint [suburb/town/city] of [name of suburb/town/city], evil can make itself known.
As we search for answers, we must remind ourselves of our commitment to help the survivors and victims of this terrible tragedy. Over the coming days, it is imperative that we open up a national dialogue about [gun control/second amendment rights]. The sad truth is, this could have been prevented if [the guns had not been sold to him/someone had a gun and was on the scene to take the shooter out]. By opening up a discourse and looking for solutions, we are [honoring the memory of the victims/exploiting a tragedy for political reasons and making no real progress toward reducing the frequency for these massacres].
We now know that the alleged perpetrator, [name of shooter], suffered from [mental disorder] and [came from a broken home/had few friends/was bullied in school]. His [neighbors/family/friends/teachers] observed that he was becoming more [hostile/detached/misanthropic]. We now know that his [school counselor/psychologist/parents] tried to get him help, but our system failed to stop him before the unthinkable happened. We know that the weapons were [legally purchased/stolen from] [Wal-Mart/a gun show/his parents’ gun cabinet]. Yet no one ever thought [name of shooter] would do something so despicable.
“He was just an average guy who blended into the background,” said [name of shooter’s estranged friend from high school]. “I never thought he could do something like this.”
We may never know what motivated [name of shooter] to take the lives of so many innocent people. Was it our [culture of violence/failing mental health care system/national obsession with guns/heavy metal music/video games] that pushed him over the edge? At this point, it is not clear. However, that must not stop us from [seeking answers/speculating/pointing fingers].
As [name of survivor] said to reporters, no one “ever thinks that this could happen at home.” It could have happened anywhere. To the residents of [suburb/town/city], know this: America will not forget you.
We must not let this happen again [this month/year/decade/ever].
—
(After today’s events, I felt compelled to put my thoughts into writing. My heart aches for the residents of Newtown, Connecticut and the families of the victims. The views represented in this essay reflect my growing resentment and anguish over a particularly American phenomenon that does not appear to be going away anytime soon. – FMB)
Forrest M. Burnson 
So sad that “school shooter” has become part of our American vernacular.
The trauma, grief and loss that has been inflicted on the families of these victims is incomprehensible. Beautiful, innocent children and dedicated, selfless educators (six adults, all women) dead, gone forever because of the deranged, horribly violent actions of a young male. As Forrest Burnson’s article suggests, the generic pattern of these attacks is maddeningly familiar and completely unacceptable. Can we as individuals, as parents, admit that this incident is a deeply disturbing example of how life in America has changed? Instead of distancing ourselves by automatically riffing on our personal opinions about gun control, etc., could we take a lesson from this tragedy? Can we stop for a few minutes of personal reflection and consider whether we ourselves are really paying attention to the people around us?
If we own guns, are they locked up?
Is it possible that someone in our own family has mental health needs that are being ignored or downplayed?
Was our last interaction with a teacher critical and condescending? Or did we pause to extend a genuine thank you to someone whose exhausting daily work on the behalf of children is a priceless, much overlooked benefit to society?
Do we really know how much time our kids spend watching violent movies and playing demented video games, or are we just relieved that they are occupied?