This past Saturday at Columbia Mall in Columbia, MD, there was another mass shooting that followed a week of violent behavior in numerous universities around the nation. These shootings are becoming more and more ridiculous. They’re senseless and I will never understand why someone like Dorien Marcus Aguilar, the gunman who killed 3 victims in the fatal mall shooting, would result in killing someone because of built up sadness within. Counseling should be given free to everyone, courtesy of the federal government because there are too many teens who need help, and we’re not paying much attention to them.
One of the victims in this shooting was Tyler Johnson. I chose to write about Tyler because he taught me a lesson. I did not know him very well. In fact, I didn’t know him at all. But the week before the shooting, I saw Tyler at Zumies while I was shopping with two of my friends. He said hi to me. But the cruelness within my heart that day didn’t allow me to speak back. I actually was rude to Tyler, ignoring him each time he spoke. He said goodbye to me as I left the store, as well. I continued to walk out without saying nothing back, though I heard him. When I left Zumies, there was a feeling inside of me that made me feel terrible for not saying something, as a simple hello, to him. But I shrugged it off and went about my week as normal.
There’s a reason why I remembered Tyler’s face and that incident after seeing him only one time in my entire life. I believe it was to look at myself to see what I really am, a rude senseless individual, too. The only thing that made me different from the person who shot Tyler last Saturday was I did not shoot him. I never spoke and now I feel bad for being that rude person who walked in the store that day.
I wanted to publicly acknowledge the lesson I’ve learned through Tyler Johnson. There is no excuse to inflict how you feel inside onto someone else. I could’ve had a bad day when I saw Tyler, but that didn’t mean I could push my pain onto him. He didn’t know. He did not deserve that treatment from Dorien or me.
Though I know Tyler isn’t around anymore to see this apology, my condolences goes to his family and friends during this difficult time. My prayers are with them along with the other victim’s, Brianna Benlolo, family and friends. It’s a tough world we live in. I can only hope, as a human race, we can all become better to cure its cruelness.
Ironically, His first and last name Tyler and Johnson has the same last names as the presidential successors, Tyler (he took over Harrison) and Johnson (he took over JFK)!