.....at the murder scene, and need to correct a few errors I wrote in the confusion of the moment.

My friend Gerry was shot by his son Steve, but thankfully did not suffer. He died instantly. According to my friend Ben who was the first paramedic responder on the scene, there was absolutely no chance that Gerry could have survived for even a few moments.

Steve went on to shoot his brother Patrick, not his son as I had mentioned earlier. There were all sorts of rumors going around that morning, but there is little consolation here. I spoke with Patrick yesterday, and he is basically still in shock, and severely traumatized. He is out of the hospital, but truly in need of emotional support and probably PTSD counseling. His appearance is actually horrifying, he has gone from healthy and active to looking as though he just left a concentration camp.

I also spoke to the third party who was present, a Mr. Fullen. I’ve heard of him through Gerry, but somehow had never met him. Steve tried to shoot him too, but missed. What occurred after that moment wasn’t able to be discussed, as Patrick was present and not doing well.

Gerry’s wife is distraught and not making much sense. That is to be expected given the circumstances. She is being cared for by her step-daughter from Gerry’s first marriage, and his oldest son Michael is on his way to help.

The funeral date is still unknown as the authorities still have the body for an autopsy. Under the circumstances, it will probably be an outdoor service as there isn’t a facility short of the fairgrounds that can accommodate the expected crowds. I cannot emphasize enough how truly beloved this man was in our town. The obituary I posted earlier only covers a portion of Gerry’s accomplishments, he touched the hearts of thousands of high school students over the years as a mentor, father figure, and at times a savior. He constantly gave, and gave, and gave again of his time to all and sundry.

He will be sorely missed.....