West Palm Beach Paramedic Killed At Wendy's

Yesterday I received a call just after lunch from a friend of mine in Philly checking to see if I was ok. Apparently there had been a shooting at a Wendy's in West Palm Beach and it had made the news there. Now I was no where near the place where the shooting took place; but, I do live in the city and it has definitely affected my community.

A gunman opened fire in a Wendy's for what seems to be no apparent reason, then committed suicide, leaving no note or hint as to why he committed such an unthinkable act of violence.

Rafael Vazquez (pictured to the left) a father of five and paramedic had reportedly just returned to the store to get a toy for his son when he fatally was shot from behind. Three other victims were shot as well, but not killed.

A local radio station covered this story pretty heavily this morning and it really brought tears to my eyes. Friends of the victims called in as well as eyewitnesses and what they conveyed was almost unbelievable. When the gunman opened fire people began pouring out of the Wendy's. People in the drive through abandoned running cars which are still sitting there today- a full day later. From a gas station across the street onlookers watched in horror as they saw the whole thing unfold.

Even as i write, right now, I am listening to Rafael- Ray's daughter Tiffany speaking to Wild 95.5 through tears and grief. Her dad was the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back and ask for nothing in return. He was the kind of guy who was the backbone of his family and loved by everyone who he came in contact with. Even as he was going back into the Wendy's, he was only trying to return a toy from a kids meal that his son did not want, so that some other child could enjoy it.

For those of us who live in West Palm Beach, this hit's a little too close to home. We're used to hearing these kinds of stories from other places like Texas or Illinois - not here. So, how should we respond? As a community what should we do to bring about change and protect ourselves at the same time?

What would you do if this happened in your community?