We miss you everyday, and would give the world to have you back.
So many questions and no good answers are part of what make it so hard. Kourtney Hahn, on May 15, 2013, was shot and killed by the Columbus Police Department. At just twenty-one, she spent her childhood like most children. She attended a preschool with her four year old friends, was an exceptional athlete, always a high scorer on the soccer field, was fast on the track, and had no trouble putting the ball through the hoop. She performed in school plays, was a member of the band, and Bits & Pieces 4-H club. She took dance class and loved performing at the recitals. She was a Christian and stood before the congregation at Groveport Zion Lutheran and announced Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. So, for all who referred to her as a thug, you are seriously wrong. She has parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and countless friends who all loved her.
So, what happened that morning? We will never know. We do know there were no warrants. Detective Custer explained to me, “She was afraid of this man.” Detective Redman said, “If she would not have been in that car she would be alive today.” The coroner said there were no drugs and no alcohol in her system. The CSI report said there was no gunpowder on her hands. The psychic Bertoldi said things got out of control too quickly and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, was Kourtney the perfect individual? NO… not at all. Like most of us, she had her problems, her hang-ups—which stemmed from her struggle with identity. Regardless of what we would like to believe, this would is very prejudice and not just with racism, but, religion, gender, marriage, abortion, politics, gun control… the list goes on. With Kourtney, she struggled to know who she was, where she was going, and how she was to get there. It is just really sad how people are so quick to judge when no matter how flat you make the pancake, it still has two sides. In this case, I’m afraid, we will only know one side.
A real concern for all of us is we can’t paddle our children, yet, the police are taught to “shoot to kill.” As we catch the nightly news it’s like we are living in the Wild West with shootouts every day. It is as if we are at the O.K Corral. Come on people, we are much bigger than this.
In every tragedy, there’s always a lesson to be learned. So what did Kourtney teach us: “When you hug, hug a little tighter. When you kiss, kiss a little longer. Never part without saying, “I love you.” And lastly, the decisions you make effect far more people than you can ever imagine.
Webster’s Dictionary defines a “thug” as a violent person, a criminal, a gangster, and a villain… All something Kourtney was NOT. The police shot 197 times that day. Kourtney was hit 18 times in the head and back and Gatewood was shot four times. In the police report, according to ballistic tests, he was most likely not the person they were looking for.
With all that being said, tearfully, I ask God, why? He gave me a hug and said, “I know, I was the first to cry.” So, Kourtney Latrice, God told us to forgive those who took you away and we are not there yet, but we are trying. God is a “just” God and He will take care of those that I cannot.
From our broken hearts down here on Earth to you up in Heaven, MERRY CHRISTMAS! You’re always on our minds. You’re always in our hearts. You’re loved andgreatly missed.
Love Always,
Mom, Dad, Family and Friends
