Ten years ago this town was different. You could leave your front door unlocked and not worry about it.

That was back when people still thought twice before pointing a loaded gun at someone else for fun.

Last night, that all changed again as the sound of gunfire echoed through our streets once more, signaling another tragic chapter in what feels like an endless cycle of violence. A man reportedly killed a teenager during a dangerous game they called 'quick draw.'

It's getting to be old hat now, seeing these incidents pop up with alarming frequency.

The victim was just a kid, playing along without knowing the stakes were as high as they turned out to be.

Some folks here are talking about how things used to work differently. I've lived in this town for 40 years, and I can remember when we held each other accountable for behavior like this. That's not so common anymore it seems.

The police say the accused was playing a game with guns they called 'quick draw', which is just another way of saying he recklessly pointed his firearm at others without regard for human life.

They didn't use to have these kinds of games back when people respected guns and knew better than to treat them like toys. But then, things changed. People started buying guns more freely, thinking they could handle them safely.

The pattern here is clear: more guns on the streets leads to more recklessness with firearms. It's not hard to connect the dots anymore.

When you hear about another tragic shooting like this one, think about what it all means for your community and its future.

I've watched as our once safe streets turned into places where these senseless tragedies can happen at any time.