Ten years ago this town was tight-knit, everyone knew each other's kids by name. The thought of something like last night's shooting would have been unimaginable.

The tragic incident unfolded in Saulsville, where a senseless act of violence left eleven people dead and fourteen injured. Among the victims were three young children who will never know the joy that used to fill this neighborhood.

It was back when people still locked their doors at night, but tonight it didn't matter. The shooter walked right into homes as if they belonged there.

This is not the first time we've heard such news from South Africa; gun violence has been on the rise in recent years. It's almost like every day brings a new story about lives shattered by gunfire.

And it makes you wonder, how did we get here? Not long ago, there were stricter measures to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Now it seems anyone can lay their hands on one without much effort at all.

The pattern is clear: looser regulations mean more deadly results. And yet, it's always the innocent who pay the price.

I've lived here 40 years and watched as our town became a stranger to itself. People aren't as likely to stick up for one another like they used to. We can't go back in time, but we can learn from what happened.

So tell me, when did it become okay to sacrifice the safety of our children for convenience? When did we decide that easy access to guns was more important than keeping them safe?