My story began on October 9, 2015. I was getting ready for work, listening to the news, when I heard a story about a shooting at NAU college, where my nephew Colin Brough attends. I instantly had a terrible feeling in my stomach. I left for work, and as I was driving, I saw a double rainbow and thought today will be a good day. Once I got to work, I called my sister and asked that she call one of our other sisters in Colorado to find out what was going on. Within minutes of hanging up with my sister, my phone rang, and it was Colin’s brother Douglas. He was hysterical, screaming, “He’s dead, he’s dead, they shot and killed Colin.” I screamed “No!” and fell to the floor, screaming “No, no, it can’t be!” Our Colin was shot and killed by another student. Not only did this student kill Colin, he shot three other boys. The shooter was arrested on the scene.
Over the next week I had to plan my nephew’s funeral while trying to keep my emotions in check so my sister and her family could fly back to Maryland without having to handle anything. To this day, three and a half years later, our family still has not gotten justice. The trial has been postponed four times, and the shooter remains free. How is this justice? We are broken. There is a void within us that will never be filled. #LiveForColin. #JusticeForColin.