Along with millions of us, I was in shock and heartbreak over the Newtown shootings.

Then I read about the 16-year old who committed suicide by gun in the parking lot of Skyline High School. This student has not been identified by the local press out of respect for the family, and properly so.

[See this story for a link to Help centers.]

I know nothing of this student and I don’t suggest or imply anything at all about this statement: I could not help but think, There but for the grace of God…some other student, with sinister motives, could easily have gone from the parking lot into the school at a time when classes were in session and shot students before taking his own life.

It wasn’t too long along that there was a sick hoax in which a former student threatened a gun shooting at Skyline.

I can only imagine the heartbreak of those families and friends in Newtown, and of the family of friends of this student at Skyline–and I can’t imagine this heartbreak very well. How can you, unless you have gone through this set of circumstances? Losing a child, which no parent is supposed to do–your kids are supposed to survive your death–happens through auto accidents, sickness and other circumstances. This is part of life. But to lose a child to this? Something so senseless?

How do you cope? There are few answers.

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