Parents pulled into the circle in front of the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kan., at a steady pace to drop off their prechoolers at the Child Development Center Wednesday.
It was the first day the center was open since a gunman took the lives of William Corporon, 69, and his 14-year-old grandson, Reat Underwood, in the parking lot before killing Terri LaManno, 53, at a retirement community down the road.
The only reminder of the horrific event were several police cars lining the driveway and a handful of law enforcement officers inside the building.
Overland Park Police and the FBI are working with other agencies to provide security for Thursday’s interfaith memorial service. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will be among the speakers.
President and CEO of the Jewish Community Center, Jacob Schreiber, says thousands of people - 40 percent of whom are not Jewish - use the services at the massive center. Aside from the preschool, there is a fitness center, a theater, and a program for seniors.
Schreiber says the killings at the Jewish Community Center as well as the Village Shalom retirement home were traumatic , but they won't scare people away.
“There was a tragedy here and we’re coming back,” Schreiber says, “because this is our home and nobody drives us out of our home.”
Strangers are dropping bouquets and notes at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center, and people are walking in off the street with cards and flowers for the families of the shooting victims.
Frazier Glenn Cross, who also goes by F. Glenn Miller, is charged with the murders and will face federal hate crimes charges.
