A mass shooting claimed the lives of 12 people in Thousand Oaks Wednesday night. Authorities say a gunman opened fire at a crowded country line dancing bar called Borderline Bar and Grill before turning the gun on himself.
Depending on where you live, on average, Thousand Oaks is around 2-2 1/2 hours away from the Central Coast, which could bring up a conversation at home.
Coraline Robinson is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the program director at Balance Treatment Center and says it’s important to open up the conversation about the mass shooting with your kids, especially if they are asking questions about it.
“Remind them that every day these kinds of things don’t happen as well and that there’s a lot of things in place, protective measures, people that are fighting to make sure these things don’t repeat,” Robinson said. “So there are people out there really thinking about our kids, whether it’s politicians or looking at gun ownership, looking at access to lethal means, how to make that less fatal, how to make that less accessible.”
Another point to bring up, according to Robinson, is if your child is in school, remind them there are protocols and measures in place to protect them in the event a shooting does occur at school.
For information on counseling, or other ways to talk to your family or friends about mass shootings, click the links below.
