Community members gather for a candlelight vigil for the IHOP shooting victims on Sept. 6, 2011.
In the days following the shooting at the IHOP five years ago Tuesday, Carson City and the region came together to heal.
In a stories that followed, many were quoted in the Appeal discussing how to go about healing and the (long) path it takes.
Healing — in the mind of the author — is something that takes places internally but can be helped together. Recalling the events of Sept. 6, 2011, some statements from the days after the shooting seemed to be spot on as we continue to heal and remember those who we lost five years later.
“It’s harder to process because it’s just unexpected,” Nevada National Guard Champlain Cpt. William Ohler said. “When it’s oversees in a combat zone, it’s a little less of a surprise. When it’s a deranged individual doing it at home, it’s a little harder to deal with.
“We’re a very strong family in the Nevada National Guard. While this is a traumatic event we will remember for generations to come, we will pull together. We will recover and we will continue the mission.
“Don’t go at it (healing) alone. Talk with your friends and your loved ones. Don’t internalize anything. Draw near to God in this time.”
“It’s a good time to explore ways to look at issues in ways that are productive and not destructive,” Superintendent Richard Stokes said about speaking with staff and students of the Carson City School District. “To realize to the humanity of trying to get along with each other.”
On Tuesday, it was Sgt. 1st Class Miranda McElhiney’s father, Ken Curtzwiler, who summed up the healing. Curtzwiler brought up the rear of the runners during the annual remembrance run, handing off his flag and plaque with his daughter’s name on it:
“We brought Miranda home again.”
— Adam Trumble