The Enormous Trauma of Children who lose parent(s) in a Mass Shooting

http://www.thetrace.org/2015/12/children-of-mass-shootings-aurora/

The Impossible Grief of Children Who Lose a Parent in a Mass Shooting

Hailey and Maximus Blunk belong to a growing group of American kids enduring what one childhood trauma expert calls a "particularly difficult struggle."

Hailey Blunk couldn’t wait to see her dad. It was the middle of July 2012, and the 4-year-old girl had spent the week making welcome home signs in preparation for Saturday morning, when her father was coming to visit. Jonathan Blunk, a Navy veteran, had been working odd jobs in Aurora, Colorado, and preparing to join the Army reserves. His wife, Chantel, lived with their two children in Reno, Nevada. While her parents worked out their relationship, Hailey and her younger brother got to see their father every few months.

By Friday night, Hailey had picked out the dress she would wear to the airport: white with red and pink flowers, spaghetti straps, and a lace ribbon sash. She was playing with her brother and didn’t notice when several FBI agents dressed in plainclothes pulled up in front of the house. The men had come to give Chantel the news in person. The previous evening, Jonathan, 26, had decided to catch a late-night showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.” About 30 minutes into the film, a man armed opened fire in the theater, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. Jonathan was among the dead.