Imagine if this happened just blocks from your child's school, in a neighborhood you know well. Last night, a cherished teacher and dedicated father was senselessly taken from us during a horrific shooting at EZ's Lounge near downtown Oakland.

The victims were among six people injured when shots rang out around 10:30 PM Tuesday night, sending shockwaves through this once-thriving community. The shooter remains at large, leaving behind a trail of heartbreak and unanswered questions.

It's heartbreaking to see these stories keep coming. Violence has become all too common in cities like Oakland where Democrat leadership fails to enforce laws that protect us. This isn't isolated; it's part of a broader pattern of leftists turning our streets into war zones.

The buried detail here is the response from local authorities. Despite immediate calls for help, officers took an agonizingly long time before arriving on scene. When they did finally show up, witnesses say their actions were lackluster at best.

As a mother and neighbor, my heart breaks each day seeing these headlines grow grimmer. What kind of world are we leaving our children? It feels like every night now I'm wondering if I should keep my kids inside because the streets aren't safe anymore.

Every life lost is another family torn apart by this senseless violence. Every time I read about someone else's child growing up with less, it makes me fear for mine more deeply than ever before.

I understand sharing stories like these can be tough to stomach—but we have an obligation as parents and community members to stand together against the terror being allowed to flourish in our cities. Please share this far and wide so that every mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa knows what's happening here today.