Thursday marked one year since a gunman took four innocent lives at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa.
Countless Americans have had to heal from mass shootings in their hometowns. Tulsans also walk the path toward closure.
Moving on is a constant struggle, sometimes it feels like it isn’t possible. Time may heal all wounds, but scars do not mend.
It’s impossible to forget the chaos, the sirens, or the realization that home may not be as safe as we once thought it was.
“June 1 changed us,” said Saint Francis CEO Dr. Cliff Robertson. “The wounds from that terrible day will never fully heal. The losses from that day will never be overcome.”
You close your eyes and you still see yourself there, clear as day.
“When I woke this morning, I really just wanted this to all be a bad dream,” Saint Francis associate CMO Dr. Ryan Parker told NewsChannel 8 last year. “But this is the reality of our world right now.”
When you jolt out of bed in a cold sweat, you remember the thousand-yard stare lasts for as many years.
“In the first few hours and days, the adrenaline of the moment somewhat numbs the pain initially,” Parker said Thursday. “But the process of healing, physically and mentally, is excruciating work. Painful, messy, and prolonged.”
Four innocent lives were taken from us, but the numerous witnesses – doctors, patients, first responders, those standing across the street – a piece of them died, too.
Many woke up on June 2, 2022, forever shaped by what they witnessed.
“For the rest of my life, I will always remember the immediate response to this tragedy," Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum admitted.
“Where would we be without memories?” Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin asked rhetorically. “It’s something that I think about quite often.”
As time passes, many hope those memories will fade, but there will always be something that reminds people of what happened.
“When we lose someone that we love unexpectedly, an anniversary like today can be a day of despair and pain," Bynum said. “Healing from this type of life-changing trauma takes time,” Robertson added. “And frankly, it may be with them for the rest of their earthly lives.”
A lot can change in one year’s time, there’s also hope there will be change.
“That’s what drives everything, is hope. We hope that tomorrow is better. We hope that tomorrow is better than today," Franklin said.
“Our scars and our sorrow will always be a part of our story,” Parker said. “Our scars might be evident to you moving forward, and that’s okay with me.”
But one year after senseless tragedy arrived on Tulsa’s doorstep, some things have stayed the same.
“There’s nothing more this community could do for us than to pray for the families, and the loved ones, and the victims,” Robertson told NewsChannel 8 shortly after last year’s shooting.
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“I ask that you continue to pray for Saint Francis,” he said Thursday. “We will continue to pray for you.”