WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:03.279 We have an active shooter. We have an after shoots, 2 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:09.000 go ahead to clear with a mass casualty Welcome to 3 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:13.119 Active Shooter, a podcast that covers the wys, the hows, 4 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:23.079 and the aftermath of active shooter and mass casualty events. 5 00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:25.440 I have an active shooter in a building. A checking call. 6 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:31.160 That's our big attack. Six we got shots Fliers four 7 00:00:31.239 --> 00:00:34.039 fifteen al Brouge ninety one sounded like Oh I'm at 8 00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:51.920 a fire. Active Shooter coorts of an active shooter, Active shooter, 9 00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:58.039 Active shooter with mash casualty incidents. Thank you for listening. 10 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.280 You are listening to Active Shooter, a podcast that may 11 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:07.519 contain adult themes, explicit language, and graphic depictions of violence. 12 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:11.239 Portions of this show may be traumatic for those under eighteen. 13 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:14.200 Listener discretion is advised. 14 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:18.159 Each of the shooting and mass casualty events that have 15 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:21.640 been covered on Active Shooter podcast have qualified under the 16 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:26.680 FBI's definition of a mass casualty event, which is defined 17 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:30.599 essentially as a shooting by one or more individuals with 18 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:33.120 the intent to cause death and results in the death 19 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:36.480 of one or more people. On the other hand, according 20 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:39.799 to the FBI's website, a mass shooting is defined as 21 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:43.560 quote one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or 22 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:48.040 attempting to kill people in a populated area, the clear 23 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:54.000 difference being the attempt to take human life. Although Active 24 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:58.680 Shooters' cases have all been true mass casualty events, the 25 00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:01.519 case we are presenting today was a mass shooting where 26 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:05.719 no innocent people were murdered, but hundreds were still gonne 27 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:08.439 down by a man who had every intention of killing. 28 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:11.840 It is nothing short of a miracle that no one 29 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:20.400 was killed. However, there were are injuries, physical, emotional, and 30 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:24.120 psychological damage that will forever exist for those at the 31 00:02:24.120 --> 00:02:29.919 Brooklands Plaza splash pad on Saturday, June fifteenth, twenty twenty four. 32 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:34.199 Today's case is dedicated to the nine injured survivors, as 33 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:38.639 well as the hundreds of others who were either witnesses, bystanders, 34 00:02:38.759 --> 00:02:55.719 or otherwise related to those who were injured. Active Shooter 35 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:59.000 the podcast is a High five Holly production, and I'm 36 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:03.000 your host Jay. If you've listened to our prior episodes, 37 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:06.360 you know that the Active Shooter podcast team has taken 38 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:09.680 the no Notoriety pledge and we will not be sharing 39 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:13.319 the real name of the shooters that we cover. We 40 00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:16.080 will be giving the shooters a pseudonym and refer to 41 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:19.759 them by that name throughout the episode. This will help 42 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:22.800 in clearing up any confusion in the story while remaining 43 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.919 true to our pledge and not naming the shooter by 44 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:35.520 their actual name, we will refer to today's shooter as Felix. 45 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:50.719 The Brooklyn Splash Pad is located at fifteen eighty five 46 00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:54.280 East Auburn Road in Rochester Hills, Michigan, sitting with the 47 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:57.960 Brooklyn's Park neighborhood of Rochester Hills, which is a suburb 48 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:02.080 of Detroit. Rochester Hills the fourteenth largest city in Michigan 49 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:05.879 with a population of just over seventy six thousand, and 50 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:10.240 Brookland's Park is the oldest neighborhood in the city. Rochester 51 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:14.000 Hills is situated within Oakland County and is under twenty 52 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:16.959 miles away from Oxford High School, a shooting we covered 53 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:20.279 in episode eighty. The splash Pad is a part of 54 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:24.759 the plaza that offers several water features, restrooms and cafe 55 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.040 style tables and chairs, and sits across the street from 56 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:33.040 an ice cream shop. Saturday, June fifteenth, twenty twenty four, 57 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:37.199 the day before Father's Day, was sunny and warm temperatures 58 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:39.079 were in the mid to upper seventies, and it was 59 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:42.079 exactly the kind of perfect evening to gather the kiddos 60 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:44.639 up and head to the local splash pad for a 61 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:49.040 little aquatic entertainment. At approximately five pm, forty two year 62 00:04:49.079 --> 00:04:53.360 old Felix drove to the splash pad and parked. He 63 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:57.879 collected a nine millimeter glock handgun, exited the vehicle, walked 64 00:04:57.879 --> 00:05:02.000 a few feet and immediately opened fire upon hundreds of 65 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:07.639 people who were splashing, playing and having fun. They weren't 66 00:05:07.639 --> 00:05:09.920 paying attention to the person with a gun until they 67 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:13.519 had no choice but to. Some witnesses later reported that 68 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:16.720 Felix carried two firearms, but evidence has proven to show 69 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:19.800 a single weapon was used. He walked up the steps, 70 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:23.079 where he proceeded to reload the weapon and shot again 71 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:27.560 down into the splash pad area. As is so often 72 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:31.439 the case, people inexplicably thought fireworks were being shot off 73 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:34.720 when the initial shots were fired. When they realized the 74 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:39.160 horrifying truth, they ran, or hid or did whatever needed 75 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:42.360 to be done to ensure their own safety. The initial 76 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:44.839 nine to one one call was placed at five eleven PM, 77 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:49.920 and police responded instantly, arriving on scene only three minutes later, 78 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:55.319 Felix was already gone. By then police jumped into action, 79 00:05:55.720 --> 00:05:58.360 sending units to search for the shooter, while others stated 80 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:01.439 the splash pad to gain control over the chaos. People 81 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:05.199 were running wildly, desperately trying to figure out where safety 82 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:09.120 even was. After all, who wouldn't think there was a 83 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:11.040 certain level of safety at a place such as a 84 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:14.920 splash pad where there were mostly families and children playing. 85 00:06:15.560 --> 00:06:18.639 Why did this person choose this splash pad? Was there 86 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:21.439 a specific target there? Did he have some qualms with 87 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:24.439 the splash pad management? There was so much to learn, 88 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:30.519 but little would be discovered. Felix fired thirty six times 89 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:35.879 and reloaded his weapon twice. It bears repeating this is 90 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:40.079 an utter miracle that there were no debts. Injuries, on 91 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:43.160 the other hand, were a plenty. There were a number 92 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:45.839 of people's shot, while others were harmed when trying to 93 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:50.000 run from the shooting. For his part, Felix calmly walked 94 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:53.639 back to his vehicle, entered and drove off, as if 95 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:55.959 he'd only walked up to enjoy the sight of laughing 96 00:06:56.040 --> 00:06:59.319 children and wasn't a madman who just attempted to murder them. 97 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:03.839 He left behind three empty magazines and the weapon, dropping 98 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:07.160 them near a child's rainbow colored sandal and a toy car, 99 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:12.439 and he just walked away. The location of the splash 100 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:14.920 pad was essentially in the middle of the neighborhood, not 101 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:18.279 along a main road. Forty three year old Jerry Schmidt 102 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:20.519 was at his mother's home, which was just down the 103 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:23.480 street from the splash pad, when he heard shots being fired. 104 00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:28.040 Jerry sprang into action and raced towards the shooting, only 105 00:07:28.120 --> 00:07:31.680 thinking of how he might help. Jerry was a registered 106 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:35.040 concealed pistol carrier and he had a firearm on his person. 107 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:38.519 He snatched up a medical kit and ran towards the 108 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:41.480 splash pad. He stopped as he found people in need, 109 00:07:41.519 --> 00:08:01.240 providing compression bandages and tourniquets as he went. Police immediately 110 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:04.120 found the weapon Felix abandoned. They were able to run 111 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:07.920 the registration and obtain Felix's address, a mobile home park 112 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:12.639 called De Kindre Estates. It was located in Shelby Township, 113 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:16.879 only a half mile from the splash pad. Sure enough, 114 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:20.240 when police arrived, they saw a vehicle matching the description 115 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:23.240 of the one the shooter drove the swant team was 116 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:25.839 brought in to surround the home and they attempted to 117 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:29.759 communicate with Felix. There was a five hour stand off 118 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:33.159 with police where Felix refused to leave the house, and 119 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:36.639 out of an abundance of caution, police weren't going in. 120 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:39.720 They needed to be ready to react in the event 121 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.879 that Felix started shooting again at them. Yet, after so 122 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:47.519 many hours of trying to contact Felix with no response forthcoming, 123 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:51.159 police began to wonder. The home was eventually breached with 124 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:55.159 drones and several officers. Felix was found inside of the 125 00:08:55.200 --> 00:09:00.600 house dead from an apparent gunshot wound. He lived with 126 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:04.440 his mother, who wasn't present the entire time the standoff 127 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:08.440 and subsequent search took place. Another handgun was retrieved from 128 00:09:08.440 --> 00:09:11.519 the residence, which, for obvious reasons, police believed to be 129 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:14.200 the weapon the shooter used to take his life and 130 00:09:14.679 --> 00:09:18.679 not the attempted murder weapon. An AR fifteen style rifle 131 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:21.120 was recovered as well, and this, along with the other 132 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:24.120 evidence collected, led police to believe that the shooter was 133 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:28.559 likely planning another attack before. There were a total of 134 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:31.519 ten firearms removed from the house during the police search, 135 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:35.360 along with computers, thumb drives, and a phone back at 136 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:38.360 the splash pad, police blocked off access to the entire 137 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:43.200 area using yellow crime scene tape. Dozens of evidence markers 138 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:46.480 littered the scene like debris strewn about after a bad storm. 139 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:50.240 Before too long, police erected a temporary fence around the 140 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:53.879 perimeter of the splash pad area. The police response, besides 141 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:58.840 being incredibly swift, was massive. Over one hundred first responders 142 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:01.840 arrived on the scene to his sis assist. The shooting. 143 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:05.639 Victim's ages ranged from four to seventy eight years old. 144 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.159 Not a single injured person had a connection two or 145 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:12.879 knew the shooter. Immediately following the shooting, three of the 146 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:16.279 victims were rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, including 147 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:18.759 an eight year old boy who was placed in critical care. 148 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:24.080 He eventually made a full physical recovery, but the emotional 149 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:28.320 scars will likely take many years to heal. A four 150 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:30.480 year old was also shot in the thigh and taken 151 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:34.360 to the emergency room. His mom, Joanna Beiebout, was also 152 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:38.200 listed in critical condition at the same hospital. Six victims, 153 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:40.879 including a four year old boy, a forty two year 154 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:44.120 old male, a thirty one year old male, a seventy 155 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:46.919 eight year old male and a thirty seven year old 156 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:50.200 female and a thirty nine year old female were released 157 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:53.200 from the hospital about four days later, or the Wednesday 158 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:57.000 following the shooting. The eight year old boy was hospitalized 159 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:00.200 for a longer time, as was a thirty and thirty 160 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:03.399 nine year old female. The two youngest boys were brothers 161 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:05.840 who were playing at the splash Pad before their lives 162 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:11.919 were irrevocably changed. They did not ask for this when 163 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:15.919 the shooting began. Danielle and Mario Lefrate were at the 164 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:18.759 splash Pad with their three children, a seven year old 165 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:22.080 and teenage twin daughters. As the family was fleeing, Danielle 166 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:24.480 was clutching her youngest, the seven year old, when she 167 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:27.559 was shot twice, once in the back and once in 168 00:11:27.559 --> 00:11:31.519 the arm. A passerby saw Danielle and frantically motioned her 169 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:34.159 towards the car. Danielle got in and rushed to a 170 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:37.559 nearby hospital. Meanwhile, her husband, Mario was back at the 171 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:40.720 splash Pad when he was separated from their older twin daughters. 172 00:11:41.320 --> 00:11:43.879 One of the girls was hiding behind the ice cream shop, 173 00:11:44.039 --> 00:11:47.320 while one was literally hiding in the bushes. Danielle had 174 00:11:47.320 --> 00:11:50.080 surgery the day after the shooting and was released from 175 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:53.639 the hospital to recover at home. Danielle ran a home 176 00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:57.440 based daycare which was temporarily shuddered while she began her 177 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:01.720 healing journey. Mario and the children were physically unharmed, but 178 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:06.159 the level of trauma they endured runs very deep. Carlos 179 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:10.000 and Carina licud Borges went to the splash pad with 180 00:12:10.039 --> 00:12:12.879 their six year old son. The couple was each shot 181 00:12:12.919 --> 00:12:15.320 as they were the first to catch the shooter's eye. 182 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:18.000 They both started running to their son when Carlos was 183 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:20.519 shot in the knee and Karina was shot in the hand. 184 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:23.000 They made it to their son, however, and managed to 185 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:26.600 throw themselves over him as human shields protect their son. 186 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:30.080 They did both underwent surgery and were sent home to 187 00:12:30.120 --> 00:12:34.120 recover as a family. Joanna Beebout and her two boys, 188 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:36.080 a four and eight year old, were at a splash 189 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:39.879 pad enjoying a fun Saturday when the shots rang out. 190 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:43.440 Joanna also made herself into a human shield, protecting her 191 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:46.960 children as all mama bears do. She and the boys 192 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:50.399 were taken to Corwell Health's Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital, where 193 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:52.799 they each stayed in the intensive care unit for several 194 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:57.320 days before being released. Joanna was shot several times, including 195 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:02.240 in both legs, which were each broken her back, abdomen, shoulder, 196 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:04.960 and hand. Her eight year old was shot in the 197 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:07.039 head and had to have surgery to remove a piece 198 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:11.519 of his skull so his brain could properly swell. At 199 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:14.000 the time of this release, he is still recovering with 200 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:18.360 a protective helmet until the piece of skull can be replaced. Tragically, 201 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:20.919 he lost vision in both eyes as a result of 202 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:24.159 the injury. Joanna's four year old was shot in the 203 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:27.399 leg and had to have a bullet extracted. Mikaela and 204 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:30.159 Eric Coughlin had decided to take their daughters, a two 205 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:32.159 year old and a seven month old, to get ice 206 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:34.720 cream and then go to the splash pad. They thought 207 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:37.320 their little girl would get an absolute kick out of 208 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:41.200 splashing in the water with other children. The family was 209 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:43.200 only at the splash pad for about a minute before 210 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.759 the shooting started. Each parent grabbed a child and shielded them. 211 00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:50.960 Mikaela and Eric were shot a combined seven times. Their 212 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:54.039 girl suffered no injuries, and the blessing is that they 213 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:57.600 likely will never remember the heroism their parents exhibited that day. 214 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:02.639 Seventy seven year old Richard Schumborg took his granddaughter to 215 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:06.399 the splash pad that Saturday. He was shot twice, once 216 00:14:06.440 --> 00:14:09.440 in the thigh and once in the abdomen. Richard's granddaughter, 217 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:12.639 grasping the seriousness of the situation, ran to the bathroom, 218 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:16.200 where she hid with a friend and was ultimately physically unharmed. 219 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:33.879 Forty two year old Felix, a resident of Shelby Township, 220 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:35.600 lived with his mother and was the youngest of four 221 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:39.600 adult children. His mother was quote traveling the United States 222 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:42.399 when the shooting occurred, and by all accounts, she seemed 223 00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:45.600 completely unaware of what her son was up to. Felix 224 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:48.080 had no criminal history, and his neighbor's report that he 225 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:50.799 was pretty quiet and never really worked much After COVID, 226 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:53.679 he mostly stayed indoors with the shades drawn and the 227 00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:56.840 door shut. His father passed away several years prior to 228 00:14:56.919 --> 00:14:59.519 the shooting, but it's unclear what impact the death had 229 00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:02.879 on Felix. Some people who knew Felix said he suffered 230 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:06.000 from mental health challenges, but the extent of which isn't known. 231 00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:09.720 He wasn't formally diagnosed with any type of illness, but 232 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:13.399 his family says that Felix had started becoming increasingly paranoid 233 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:16.120 in the months leading up to the shooting. He often 234 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:18.559 told his mother that she needed to shut her phone off, 235 00:15:18.840 --> 00:15:22.120 and he would pace the house holding weapons, musing and 236 00:15:22.200 --> 00:15:25.600 muttering about the government listening to them and tracking them. 237 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:29.639 Despite the recent decline, Felix's mom said he was kind 238 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:33.000 and outgoing towards others, and there had never been interpersonal 239 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:36.000 or any other relationship conflicts that anyone seemed aware of. 240 00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:40.159 Court documents related to a twenty eleven bankruptcy filing were 241 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:43.320 discovered in research of this case. The records indicate that 242 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:46.519 Felix filed for bankruptcy after he lost his landscaping company 243 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:49.559 during the economic crash of two thousand and nine. The 244 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.600 business lost most of its clients and as such he 245 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:56.480 had to lay people off and let people go. Eventually, 246 00:15:56.519 --> 00:16:00.159 he couldn't pay bills and got equipment repossessed before finally 247 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:04.799 filing for bankruptcy. There are zero known reports of Felix 248 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:08.120 being angry or combative. There doesn't appear to be a 249 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:12.159 very long or lengthy history of mental health issues or decline. 250 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:15.240 In fact, the motive for the shooting is still unknown. 251 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:20.519 It does seem, however, that the isolation, fear, and uncertainty 252 00:16:20.519 --> 00:16:23.360 of the COVID pandemic played a role in the decline 253 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:26.360 of the shooter, though not necessarily the reason for it. 254 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:32.000 The splash Pad reopened eighteen days after the shooting on 255 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:35.960 July third. Before the reopening, the city consulted with mental 256 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:39.440 health professionals, who suggested that subtle changes be made, such 257 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:43.360 as repainting the main building, replacing the patio furniture, and 258 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:46.960 adding stripes to the polls. Joanna Biebout's mother in law, 259 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:51.519 Barbara Soften, hosted a blood drive on Sunday, September eighth. 260 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:56.399 She was quoted in an article for WXYZ News as saying, quote, 261 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:58.600 my daughter in law was shot seven times, and each 262 00:16:58.600 --> 00:17:01.240 of my grandchildren were shot. One my eight year old 263 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:03.559 grandchild is now blind from it because he was shot 264 00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:06.599 in the head, but it didn't kill his spirits. It 265 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:08.599 got me when I found out that we had not 266 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:10.519 enough blood on the shelves, that if we had another 267 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:14.279 mass casualty, there wasn't enough to help people. My daughter 268 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:16.279 in law took two units of blood that we are 269 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.839 aware of, and if somebody hadn't done that for her, 270 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:24.440 she wouldn't be here. You cannot hear about these injuries 271 00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:27.720 and horror stories without imagining how much worse this could 272 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:31.359 have gone. And yet these people have to live, some 273 00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:35.440 with life altering injuries, reliving the pain and trauma from 274 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:39.160 the most disturbing act any individual could live through. Each 275 00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:44.960 of these shooting survivors is just that a survivor who, 276 00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:49.000 against all odds, was attacked by a mass shooter and 277 00:17:49.079 --> 00:17:53.079 made it out alive, albeit changed forever. And that is 278 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:55.559 the thing we must not lose. Sight of mass shootings 279 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.200 cause more harm beyond the deaths of loved ones. The 280 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:02.839 impact reverberates throughout the lives of the survivors, families, first responders, 281 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:06.839 and witnesses. Although common sense gun reform is the most 282 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:09.359 obvious way we can make an impact, there are so 283 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:13.519 many other ways you can help, including donating blood, advocating 284 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:16.960 for mental health reform, and writing your local politicians that 285 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:20.960 you want to see meaningful change. Few people in modern 286 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:24.359 American society are untouched by such an event, and it 287 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:29.160 is past time that we take a stand, say and 288 00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:35.920 mean not one more. This episode is also dedicated to 289 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:38.799 the first responders of the Oakland County Sheriff's Department and 290 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:42.839 all other assisting agencies who recently completed a week long 291 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:46.720 trial and sentencing of Jennifer and James Crumbly, the parents 292 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:50.200 of the Oxford shooter. Those law enforcement officials were still 293 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:52.119 in the midst of dealing with the aftermath of a 294 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:55.880 horrific school shooting while responding to yet another shooting involving 295 00:18:55.880 --> 00:18:59.519 innocent children. We all have the unique ability to help 296 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.759 prevents such a catastrophic event from happening if we keep 297 00:19:02.759 --> 00:19:05.759 our eyes and ears open and never hesitate to report 298 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:09.519 when something or some one just doesn't seem right. With 299 00:19:09.559 --> 00:19:13.720 the delicate balance of mental health reform, education, active shooter training, 300 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:17.319 and common sense gun laws, we may one day realize 301 00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:20.160 the dream, the dream that there will be no more 302 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:25.720 active shootings. We pray that love will prevail over hate. 303 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:30.400 Too many have died, we should say to ourselves, not 304 00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:35.079 one more. In the meantime, we urge our listeners to 305 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:37.839 stay aware of your surroundings and keep in touch with 306 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:42.640 your loved ones. If you see something, say something, you 307 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:52.079 never know how many lives you'll be saving. Thank you 308 00:19:52.119 --> 00:19:56.480 for listening to today's episode of Active Shooter the Podcast. Remember, 309 00:19:57.000 --> 00:20:01.400 if you see something, say something, there's no telling how 310 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:04.440 many lives you may be saving. A big thank you 311 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.599 to Darren Curtis who composed some of the songs on 312 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:12.680 our show. You can find him online at www dot 313 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:17.119 Darrencurtis music dot com. Make sure to check us out 314 00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:20.319 on social media. You can find us on Facebook at 315 00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:25.359 Active Shooter the Podcast and on Twitter at podcast Active. 316 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:28.240 Thank you and be safe.