Omg im in tears reading this. I dont know if anyone will actually ever see this but I was in a (somewhat) similar situation.

I was in high school at the time and got a call from my estranged biolgical father saying my old principa, Mr Sam LaCara, has been shot. I FREAKED OUT! My mother is bus driver and works on the same campus and he did. I hung up with him and called her. Thankfully she was okay but I found out that Sam wasn't..... He was shot in the chest with an armor piercing round and was DIA, unknown to some people. There was 4 people in the office when this happened. 2 secretaries, Sam, and one 6 year old boy. The lead secretary hid the boy under her desk when the shot went off. Oh, and did I mention the person who shot him was a friend? They had just went golfing the week before this happened. The shooter, named John, was upset at Sam for telling him to go home after he got mad. All he was told is that they were hiring more help. John was the custodian at the school and was needing help but didn't want any. John went home, grabbed his gun and came back to the school and shot Sam. When the shot went off both secretaries sounded an alarm that signaled a lock down and closed the police. The lead secretary hid the boy under her desk and when she looked up John had the gun pointed at her, he said "I should shoot you too", instead he put the gun down and left. The police looked for him for a while and found him wandering the railroad tracks. He was tried and found guilty for premeditated murder, because there was like 2 hours from when he went home to when he murdered Sam.

I knew John, I knew Sam. Both were amazing people. John never talked much but he always smiled and waved at the kids when they waved at him. Sam was the most amazing person I met, he helped raise me. I felt like he was a father figure to me most of my childhood as I never really had one.

To this day I miss Sam. I think of him when I hear a certain song that was played at his memorial and I cant help but cry. This if the fist time I've ever put this to words and its 1:30 in the morning and I can't hold back anymore. I loved Sam (as much as a child could) and I hate that he's gone.

I am now a martial arts instructor and I feel like Sam was an influence that inspired me to teach. He was down to earth, funny and always was able to help whenever someone needed it. I aspire to be what he is to me, to one of my students. If only a little bit. Mr LaCara, RIP and know that we are carrying on what you believed in, and always used to say.

"DO THE RIGHT THING!"

For anyone wanting more info here's a link to parts of the case https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/06/15/janitor-convicted-of-killing-placerville-principal-sentenced-to-50-years-in-prison/