Tuesday was a typical day.
I got up early to journal, read my bible and devotion to start the day off on a positive note. As I got up from my chair, I realized that it was trash day. Rushing to my closet to throw on a baseball cap and sweatshirt, quickly slipped on shoes, ran outside to pull my garbage cans out to the curbside, and hoped that no one would see me. I heard a spraying noise near the porch. Ugh...one of the sprinkler heads was busted so I went into the garage to find some tools and a new sprinkler head. Trying not to get sprayed by the water streaming out of the tubing, I clamped it shut with my left hand, simultaneously I pushed the new plastic piece onto the end that I had just cut.
I was not successful in staying dry.
“Good Morning!” I heard from behind me and turned to find David Brown, my friendly neighbor, walking with Bliss, his black lab, smiling as he always does when he sees me. David is always out early walking or biking. He has a thin frame and wire-framed glasses, but the most distinguishing part of him is his smile. David always has a kind grin, a little nerdy and goofy; he is a great neighbor who would drop whatever he is doing to not just loan you a ladder but bring it over to help you change the lightbulb in your ceiling.
“Hi David, good morning! How’s it going? I’m just fixing a broken sprinkler! Enjoy your walk!” I say as I try and finish the job at hand and he waves and follows Bliss’s lead up the sidewalk.
It was a typical day.
I didn’t realize that would be the last time I saw him.
Four hours later, Addison and I are at Costco, shopping for a few groceries and soil to put into my raised beds. I was surprised, that on spring break I managed to get my 16-year old out of bed before 11. We had to meet her older sisters by 12:30 and I wanted to hit Costco first before heading down to the University area. My phone buzzes and I look down to realize it’s my neighbor, Terri, who lives 4 houses down from me. I find it odd that she is calling me. Terri is a second mom to our dogs, walks them and gives them tummy rubs when we aren’t home. We normally communicate via text, so a call from her tipped me off that maybe she was calling because something was wrong with our dogs. Did one of them get out? I wonder. I am going through the checkout at Costco, trying to manage a few too many things at once and miss her call.
Navigating my cart through the busy parking lot, I call her back. She asks me if I’m home. I hear concern in her voice, and it starts to make me worried. “No, I’m not, why?” I ask.
“Oh good, well there is a situation in the neighborhood and there are police cars and the SWAT team is all around your house. They have the street blocked off and I think there is a hostage situation. Guys with assault rifles are pointing at the house across the street from yours.
“What? At Oscar’s House?” I ask in disbelief.
She tells me there was a shooting and then someone ran to his house. Oscar, my sweet neighbor. A quiet 62 year old man who lost the love of his life 2 years ago. Patty was on a lung transplant list and housebound with an oxygen tank as she waited for a lung to come available, and then she got COVID. 3 days before Christmas, she got a bacterial infection in the hospital and died. Since then we’ve seen Oscar occasionally outside, always friendly, chatting about his upcoming trips to see family or friends in Mexico. He came to see Addison’s musical, Moana, 2 years ago and gave her a beautiful Moana statue. I was so touched by his thoughtful gift.
I get to my car and tell Addison what’s going on in our neighborhood as she looks at me in shock as she sits in the driver’s seat. Our mission that day was to get more driving practice so that she could take her driver’s license test. Once settled into the car, I text Oscar, “Praying for you Oscar and your safety.” I think he’s being held hostage. I don’t know what to do, but to pray, we stop and pray over the neighbors and this crazy situation. Knowing that the neighborhood is on lockdown, we drive around town to our next errand. I am texting neighbors, calling, everyone is peering through their windows and giving me the updates through text, videos, and pictures. Multiple police cars, SWAT team members with assault rifles standing on our front porch pointing at Oscars house, a policeman’s voice heard loudly,
“Oscar Baca, You are under arrest! Come out with your hands up!”I can’t believe this.
My neighbor texts me, “Oscar shot David, then went back home.” David? My neighbor to my left that I just saw hours before? I can't believe it. David and Oscar are like best friends. After Patty died, David and his wife Terri would have Oscar over for Christmas and Thanksgiving. They were always chatting outside, laughing, talking about bikes. They went to the same church and I've never seen either one of them even remotely at odds with anyone, let alone each other.
No. That is not possible. I know Oscar, he wouldn’t do that.
“They are sending in a robot.” I read on my screen.
Addison and I finally decided to stop at Panera. We are not really hungry, but we need a place to sit and focus as things unfold. We sit in a booth, looking at each other, and have no words. She is getting texts on her phone from friends in the neighborhood. People are realizing that this is all happening right by our house.
We wait. I text our FAM chat and tell the girls and Brandon what’s happening. Oscar shot David. Unbelief. What? What? Oh my Gosh. No. I called another neighbor, Jenette. Our kids were good buddies in elementary school, but we haven’t really talked in a few years. “Are you guys ok?” She is out of town with her family, except for her oldest daughter who is home with a friend. David’s son, Jake, ran over to their house and is there now. He came over, pounded on the door, and screamed,”Someone is shooting at my dad!!” They called 911, and 8 minutes later the several police cars and SWAT team trucks to arrive.
Another text comes through from a neighbor with a screenshot of a post from Marana PD, this is still very active, one deceased on the scene. I cannot believe this. It’s probably David. I had texted Terri and David earlier when I had heard there was a shooting,
“David and Terri, I am not home, but hearing about what’s going on. I am praying that everything is OK with you guys. I’m so sorry that this is happening. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do.” Terri responded, "I am heading home now. I don't know what is happening. Oh my God." Now I know why I didn’t hear from David.
Addison and I sit as we wait to hear more, the chimes from the phone interrupting the silence. I pick up my phone, more texts from neighbors and friends asking about our safety. I manage to send out some short texts with the information that I know. I put the phone down. I don’t even know what to say.
We pray.
My phone chimes again. “The robot is coming out. My husband is going to find out what happened.” I put my phone down again.
Chime.
I look at the screen, and my throat tightens, I can’t talk. Addison looks at me and says, “what happened?” then takes my phone to read the text.
“Oscar killed himself.” We look at each other, devastated.
When we are allowed to return home, I see my next-door neighbor outside, and I go to talk to her. Staring in disbelief, she shows me the video that her Ring camera captured showing Jake sprinting across the street. Two seconds later, you hear a gunshot, then silence.
“I’m shot! Help me!” A desperate plea for help from David. Bang!
I am in shock. Looking around at the crime scene, yellow tape strung across my front porch looped through the garbage cans that I pulled out that morning, and stretched across to the stop sign in Oscar’s yard. It is surreal.
Two of the nicest men you’d ever meet, two of my neighbors, two of my friends - just died … and it was just a typical Tuesday.
I later learned that Oscar had been suffering from mental illness which I never would have suspected. He was a little quiet and shy, but we’d had dinners together and he was very friendly and talkative. Last October we grabbed a meal together and caught up like old friends do, I never thought anything was amiss.
His son said he hadn’t slept in 4 days.
I hadn’t seen Oscar in a few weeks. I was too busy to stop and check in, send a text, or bring him some cookies. We didn't see each other that often, but when I would see him outside I would walk over and say hello. I wished I had slowed down just a little to be a better friend and neighbor.
It was just a typical day… until it wasn’t.
There is no understanding this situation because it just doesn't make sense, but knowing that God is in control brings some peace. The Brown family are strong in their faith in God and have a supportive church family as well, for that I am grateful. Please hear my message that even if it’s just a typical day, please hug your dearest ones, your friends, and even your neighbors. Tell them "I love you" before you leave. Stop to talk to your neighbor and ask, “How are you?” and wait to listen to the answer. Make peace with anyone you’re at odds with. Don’t wait for a special occasion to phone someone you care about.
The road ahead for this family is long. David homeschooled Jake, taught him about bikes, drove him to Karate, and supported him through his drum phase. That day was their probably the best homeschool day they had ever had, and they had just returned home from walk to Dairy Queen as a reward for a 98% on a math test. They were in the garage when Oscar came over, asked to borrow a bike pump, and shot David as he turned around.
Please pray for this precious family and consider donating to this GoFundMe for the Brown Family. David did not have life insurance.
You can also make a TAX Deductible donation through their church here: https://newlifetucson.com/give/ - (write BROWN FAMILY in the memo line)
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12: 30-31
Commenti