Shootings feed fears, anguish and preparation statewide

Not long ago, movie theaters, churches, shopping malls and even hospitals carried an unspoken air of security and civility.

Today, a recent drumbeat of mass shootings and terrorist attacks marks those places and more as potential sites of mayhem and fear.

The latest target: A Fort Myers nightclub  where two people – including a 14-year-old – were shot dead and more than dozen were wounded.

Hardly more than a month ago, 49 nightclub patrons were massacred at the Pulse in Orlando by a gunman who pledged allegiance with ISIS.

Last week, the news of attacks shifted between Baton Rouge where three officers were killed in an urban ambush to a Munich, Germany, McDonald’s where the city's youth were lured into a trap of gunfire by the promise of free hamburgers.

This list grows seemingly weekly.

“It breaks my heart. No family should have to endure this kind of pain,” said Sylvia Bargouthi, a Fort Myers mother who didn’t know any of the victims. “Children should be able to enjoy their life without being brutally murdered.”

Amid the now-sickeningly familiar images of tearful prayer circles, flower tributes and stark news conferences, law enforcement agents, psychologists and others suggest that all of us must make a conscious effort to stave off the fear and anguish brought on by such attacks.

“In my practice, I’m seeing many more children who are coming in anxious, and kids who don’t even want to go to Orlando because of what happened there,” said Dr. Vicki Panaccione, an author and internationally recognized child psychologist. The issues facing young clients include questions about recent attacks, their safety in public and fears about becoming victims. There is also the political rhetoric centered on fears of terrorism and the targeting of law enforcement officers - visible symbols of law and order in any society - along with a host of other complex issues.

“When there is a war over there, you can show them the globe to point it out. But now, not only is it here, but it’s at the movie theater, the church, at schools, in our towns. The parents are even afraid. But it is important to be reassuring, for (youth) to hear that we will keep them safe. It’s also important to shield kids from as much of the media as possible,” the Melbourne-based psychologist said.

The fear and the urge to look over their shoulders may also be affecting people from Fort Myers to Tallahassee as they make decisions to travel or simply visit the neighborhood grocery store. To abate fears while refocusing on the need for preparations, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey is holding two timely sessions for businesses and congregations to learn how to survive potential active-shooter situations. Representatives from 170 Brevard congregations are set to sit in on the talk Saturday at New Life Fellowship in Titusville.

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“There used to be a time when you could say, ‘if I’m not engaged in criminal activity, then I don’t have to worry about it. It’s different now,” Ivey said.

Although some pastors and congregants might carry both guns and Bibles to church, other spiritual leaders believe the answer to the nation's problems and the trend of mass shootings and attacks is spiritual rather than political. "Fear continues to creep into our lives, and we continue to express it in unhealthy ways," said Rev. Rob Goodridge of the 300-member St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church in Titusville.

"With fear, we become defensive, and when that happens we block God out. And no, I don't think guns are the answer, and it's certainly not helpful to the police. We have a greater hope," he said.

Brevard County has had its share of active-shooter situations in recent years.

The most notable was the Palm Bay mass shooting that left two officers and four others dead in April 1986.

On July 17, gunfire rang out in the quiet of the early morning at Parrish Medical Center in Titusville. In that case, two unarmed security guards managed to tackle a suspected gunman who investigators said randomly shot to death an 88-year-old patient and her hospital sitter.

“It’s a crazy world we live in now,” Ivey said. “I’ve been a law enforcement officer for over 37 years and I’ve never seen it like this. We face terrorist attacks, mass shootings, law enforcement officers are being targeted. Right now, we are trying to bring awareness to our citizens that this is the society we face now.”

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The two sessions include working with security teams at churches and training them to search out the unusual in crowds. Ivey has also advocated that residents arm themselves and seek training as a precaution.

“We have the four A’s: awareness, avoidance, being armed and attacking. You may have to make a split-second decision to save a life. Remember, we’re on the way, we’re a few minutes away, so our citizens really are the first line of defense,” said Ivey, who says that the residents he’s talked to are not fearful. “It’s the opposite. We’re a united community.”

Thomas Owens, a 33-year-old Melbourne-based Realtor who also does event and concert promotions, points out that for some communities fear is not an option, even in the steady drumbeat of shootings and terrorist incidents dominating headlines and talk show discussions.

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“In some of the communities, you’ve had incidents where our kids have been shooting each other like this for years,” Owens said.

In recent weeks in Melbourne alone, there have been a number of shootings, including two last month, including one involving a 13-year-old found lying in a south Melbourne street or a 16-year-old high school football player wounded by gunfire in the same area.

“It’s become a normal situation,'' he said. "People have soaked in the moment and then they move on. So there’s no real fear. But the problem is that you stop fearing, and you suppress your feelings and soon, you don’t feel compelled to make a change in your environment, that’s what happens.”

Back in Fort Myers, Juan Santibanez and his family said he fled his Houston home for Florida seven months ago after he was injured in a shooting there. But early Monday morning, Santibanez realized that would prove more difficult. Santibanez and his family were unpacking their vehicle after arriving home Monday night from a vacation in Orlando when they heard gunfire across the street at Club Blu.

“I just feel bad because I ended up taking my family from that situation to find out I moved into that situation again,” the 21-year-old said.

Then there's Cpl John Martinez, a 36-year-old Brevard County sheriff's deputy. He points out that dealing with the unknown is a fact of life for law enforcement officers and that the rank and file are conditioned to trust their senses and to be aware of their surroundings and the potential for physical attacks. "That's why we have our training to remind us. It's always something on our mind, with everything, whether it's a traffic stop, foot patrol whatever," Martinez said. "It kind of goes with the territory."

Ivey, however, says everyday residents - those without such specialized training, who must now educate themselves to adapt to a new world without fear.

“We must be prepared. I wish I could say I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I don’t,” he said. “It’s about being prepared.”

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642, jdgallop@floridatoday.com and Twitter@JDGallop