Surviving an American Mass Shooting: A Survivor's Story (Introduction)

Exposing the realities of a politically and racially motivated mass shooting while remembering the fallen heroes.

After a political protest on July 7, 2016, a deranged mass shooter opened fire in downtown Dallas, a block from where Lee Harvey Oswald murdered President Kennedy and only feet away from me. Five police officers were killed in the massacre - imagery I will never forget. While I will share details of the shooting and its aftermath, discuss resiliency, explore the radicalization and motivation of the shooter, to whom I will refer by his initials, MXJ, I first ask you to remember the officers’ and their families:

• Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens

• Officer Patrick Zamarippa

• Officer Michael Krol

• DART Police Officer Brent Thompson

• Sergeant Michael Smith

Photo by Dan Russo on Unsplash

I’ve waited eight years to share this story. While I intended to wait ten, after the attempted assassination of former President Trump on July 13, 2024, I’m obliged to share my story of survival, the aftermath of the shooting and how I continue building resiliency to beat victimhood. We will explore realities of PTSD, cop…