Homicide up close

Have you ever wondered or imagined if a murder would happen to someone you know, near you, or even to you? Well, I experienced this yesterday morning as I drove to work at Clinton Elementary for summer school. I heard on the radio that Clinton and Plum St. in Burnaby had a few blocks taped off because of a "police incident" but I didn't know where Plum St. was, so like any other typical citizen, I assumed it would not be near where I was going.

I was so wrong.

Plum St. happen to intersect my school and I didn't even realize although I've been driving pass it for 8 days already. So apparently someone set a car with a live person in it on fire nearly outside our school...so of course the driver died and our staff parking lot was taped off. Yet, because it only happened early in the morning and it didn't happen INSIDE our school...it was too late to inform parents and summer session went on as usual beside the fact that students kept asking what happened and why they weren't allowed to go outside.

Lucky thing for us though is that we didn't have to go to work today because our school had to be closed off for investigation! Even the students were bewildered and at least half my class wrote in a detective perspective about the incident in their free-write journals. And as I left the school early Thursday afternoon, I was surprised to see the numerous reporters and cameramen around the taped off areas and hidden in shaded areas all waiting for some action. But, actually, I didn't know what action they were waiting for...didn't the action (homicide) happen already at 4am?