Killings at Town & Gown

I am devastated by events in Athens yesterday. Three talented people were shot and killed at the Town and Gown picnic, in the afternoon, in front of 20 or 30 witnesses. All three were people I had known and worked with and admired. Marie Bruce, a lawyer and mother of two, director and actress, elegant and smart, was shot by her husband. Ben Teague, a tireless worker at the theater, builder of sets extraordinaire and a gentle soul. And Tom Tanner, who had played Watson in the current production, which we saw last week. It is such a shock! The killer has not been found. He left their children at a neighbor's, saying there had been an emergency. I understand being upset, I know that people lose it. But without guns, no one would be dead now.

As far as my day yesterday, Ray left early for a field trip, driving 6 students to Providence Canyon (200 miles south?) and back by 9 pm. Captain and I had watered the garden some and worked outside a little, but it got quite hot even by 11 am. I had showered and dressed when Kelly called me. I had emailed her because she needed a car and I thought the Protege might work for her. She called to say she would love to come see it and would call when she was on her way later in the day. She called me back within minutes. Steven Carroll had just called to tell her the news. She told me Marie's husband had just shot and killed Marie and Ben Teague and Tom Tanner at the Town & Gown homecoming. I said, Kelly, no, that can't be...she was crying. I said let me know if there is any way I can help. Very soon my cell phone rang and it was the UGA alert system warning that a UGA professor was a suspected killer and describing him and asking to call 911 if you see him, but not make contact. And soon after that a few details began appearing on the Athens Banner-Herald web site.

Liz Conroy stopped by to see if I knew. She had been at a meeting downtown and had heard that Fran and Ben were killed trying to get the gun away from him. I told her I had heard differently. She talked about how she and Laura had worked with the Teagues on a Shakespeare show a few years ago. She was happy to have known them, but very upset. Skipper called me.

Mary Jean came to get one of our giant lemon balm plants and to visit. She is getting chickens next month and we went to visit Paul and Tanya's chickens. Miles and Paul gave her a tour of the coop and we got eggs from them too. It was great to see her. She had not know the people who died, although she had seen a lot of police cars and knew about the shooting and manhunt.

It was on TV and other newspapers' websites. I talked to Janna some. I couldn't eat most of my dinner. I didn't know what to do with myself. Amelia called--she had seen it on Facebook. I called Molli, who did not know anything about it yet. I called Ray about 7 when they had still not caught the killer to make sure all the kids knew what to be aware of. He had not heard the names.

I watched some TV and read some. I didn't sleep very well and don't feel very good. And they still have not caught him.