On October 1, 2015, Chris Harper-Mercer fatally shot an assistant professor along with four students at Umpqua Community College (UCC) in Roseburg, Oregon. The 26-year-old then engaged in a shootout with police before committing suicide. To date, The 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting is the deadliest in Oregon’s modern history.
Kindra Neely was on campus when the shooting occurred. Her car was near Snyder Hall, where shots initially rang out. Neely gives her account of the tragic day along with the aftermath, which followed her to Georgia and beyond, in her graphic memoir, Numb to This.
From Texas to Oregon
Kindra begins her memoir in Texas. The author shares how money problems led her mom to move near the outskirts of town where gun violence was the norm. Kindra’s mom determined enough was indeed enough after a drive-by shooting tore through their home. It was then that she moved the family from Texas to Oregon.
Oregon initially proved to be a change for the better. Kindra was able to connect with nature and truly delve into what she potentially wanted to do without militant security at school and the heavy presence of guns in her neighborhood. She ultimately decided to stay in Roseburg for community college.
October 1, 2015
Kindra was heading from one building to the next on October 1, 2015, when she heard gunshots ring out on the Umpqua Community College campus. At first, she couldn’t believe her ears. Then, the visuals began to match what she thought was happening. An active shooter was on campus.
The Aftermath
Kindra and her friends survived the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting but not without consequences. Neely found herself dealing with PTSD and suicidal ideation in the aftermath of the life-altering event. She even reached a point of losing purpose because of the mass shootings that followed the Umpqua Community College shooting.
Here For The Journey
Kindra Neely presents what happened on October 1, 2015, while also taking readers on a much-needed journey through the effects of being a survivor of a mass shooting. The author does not shy away from the trauma attached to such an incident, which lingers for many years. Neely gives us the light at the end of the tunnel in the form of her continuing to heal from that fateful day. Still, the author calls us to do more than give thoughts, prayers, and rage.
Conclusion
Numb to This is not for the faint of heart. Neely gives raw emotion that is meant to offend. You may want to skip this book if you are not willing to hear a different perspective regarding gun violence in the United States.