Senselessness That Hits Home

I woke up this morning and turned on the computer, which in and of itself is just like any other day. However, after checking fantasy baseball scores (and being once again disappointed) I logged on to Facebook and found some rather shocking news as posted by a college friend of mine. An English professor from our university shot and killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=242044

What is particularly horrifying about this is not the fact that I was close with this professor. In fact, I had never taken one of Dr. Okafor's classes while at Kutztown. The extent of my association with the man was to give him a cursory glance as he stood outside Lytle Hall smoking a cigarette in the middle of the afternoon. Maybe I would nod or say hello and most likely he would say hello back. I had the chance to watch him talk to some of his students, and at the time I felt that he was a little aloof, a bit distant. Back then I attributed this feeling to a perceived "superiority complex" that I felt a lot of professors had. After having worked the groves of academe for the past three years I realize that he is like the majority of lecturers or professors that roam these hallowed halls. While busy plying his craft, researching, writing poetry, articles, essays and dissertations, he left his social skills (if there were any in the first place) behind. But there was obviously more going on than anyone could have known.

The horrifying aspect is that his wife had to deal with domestic violence in the past.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=242091&obref=obinsite

Cheryl Okafor's first husband "battered her for years" according to court records. After they separated her estranged husband shot and killed her boyfriend at the time. From being beaten with a baseball bat, to watching her boyfriend shot and killed, to marrying again and falling victim to the ultimate case of domestic violence, the story is truly tragic beyond words. To know one of the participants in this grisly and cowardly act, even though not well, lends greater credence to the event. Hopefully more will come to light than what has already been written about, but it seems unlikely.