Remembering Ben Banky

Ben Banky - a friend. He attended SVI last year. Part of my community. One of my people. My facebook friend.

Kirkpatrick - my neighbor. Like next door apartment neighbor

Shock. Tears. Confusion.

Watch this news report: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081213/christmasparty_shooting_081213/20081213?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

The apartment building in the news clip is mine. The news crew interviewed the dude outside just before I walked out. Then they started asking me questions. I didn't know the man, but that didn't keep them from shoving the camera and mic in my face and asking more questions. at the time I didn't know what had happened. They were just asking about something something Kirkpatrick. I did my errand and went home to look it up to find that he was the shooter in a murder last night. A murder that killed a friend of mine. Granted we were not close. But we know each other. We are in the social change community here. It is small. We had a great, great connection last year at SVI and ran into each other a few times since I moved here. We became facebook friends. He was invited to my work holiday party tonight. I noted last night that he had RSVPed 'no' and was sad to hear this. He could just make people smile. Chill. Wonderful. Full of life. One of my people. I noted to send him a message to say we would miss him at the party. And then this news...

Senseless violence. why? To good people. I don't understand. It is a sad day. A day when horrible reaches too close to home. It reminds you that... life is precious.