Grief of a Community

Editor:

Our heart felt prayers go out to the families and friends of the victim and perpetrator, as well as our entire community.

Once again the community is shocked to hear of a senseless crime involving our young people.  We are now faced with the difficult, but important, need to grieve. Grief is a crucial part of healing. It is essential to recognize that we must honor our grief reactions whatever they may be. While we all experience the general stages of grief: shock, denial, bargaining, anger and finally acceptance, we all grieve differently.  The families and friends of both the victim and the perpetrator are beginning a journey that is often frightening, painful, and overwhelming. Their lives will be forever changed by this trauma.  It is important to come together with family, friends and the community to know that we are not alone with our grief.  The St. John Community Crisis center offers both grief and trauma counseling to individuals and families.

We at SJCCC hope individuals affected by this tragedy find comfort, and support in their journey toward spiritual and emotional healing.

Sincerely,
Shelley Williams
Director
St. John Community Crisis Center