In the blink of an eye (updated)

In a split second, your entire life can change. I was reminded of this today when I heard the news of a shooting in my county. A lady, who I didn't know personally but had heard her name before, was shot by someone who was supposed to love her. By reading the postings on facebook, I found out we went to the same high school. I also learned that she left behind children. This man who was supposed to love her took away their mother. Their lives will never be the same. This same man also shot a very young man who left behind a wife and two children. Their lives will never be the same.
Our laws regarding domestic violence need to be changed, but more importantly people need to change the way they live their lives and they way they raise their children. This man's anger and his behavior have caused two families more pain than they ever deserved to bear. If he had changed the way he responded to things he didn't like, he could have saved these two families a lot of suffering. Does it sound too simple?  Yes, maybe. But didn't these children deserve to grow up with their mother and father? Why wasn't that important to him? Why wasn't another person's life more important to him?
I will continure to pray for these two families but also for this man. He needs it. He needs his heart to be changed.
So today I am thankful for the non stop talking and question asking and the sweet little singing voice I heard coming from the bathroom; Call of Duty playing at top volume coming from the living room; the tearful phone call from a teenager when she got hurt; and for the text message I hope to get later saying my son loves me. I guess sometimes we need a reminder to be thankful for all the moments we share-even for the aggravating things.
Rest in peace Nicole "Peaches" Kingsborough and Deputy Roger Rice

Update: WSPA is reporting this: "

The magistrate says he did not know about the two prior criminal domestic violence charges because he did not have his criminal record when he made the decision.

While a recent state law says bond judges must have a copy of the suspect’s record when setting bond, Judge Tommy Copeland did not.

He says the jail did not provide him with a copy in Brown’s hearing and he did not think to ask because the law is relatively new.

Copeland says if he knew about the previous charges, he would have set his bond much higher."

 Much higher??? Really?? wouldn't take much to be higher than personal recognizance-where all it takes is this guy signature. Wow...this judge and our system really failed Nicole's family and Deputy Rice's family.