TUCSON – On a bright Saturday morning, one month ago, a lone gunman walked up to a community event at a Tucson shopping center and opened fire. He killed six people and wounded 13 including a U.S. Congresswoman. The shootings changed lives but people are also finding ways to move on.
It's hard to believe what happened here one month ago. For two weeks, the country's stunned focus was on Tucson. Life is slowly returning to normal. Last week, a cold snap grabbed everyone's attention. Parts of Tucson had no water or natural gas. People spent Saturday night cheering for the University of Arizona's Wildcats.
The killings have made some people cautious about strangers around them. It's made others stop to think about the random choices made that day. More are moving on. They're grateful for the Old Pueblo's community.
John Bratsakis is an assistant manager at this Safeway. He's worked here 14 years. Met his girlfriend here. Customers passing by keep saying hello. He seems to know everyone by name. Every day, he walks by the spot where the shooting happened.
"A couple of customers forgot a list so they had to turn back home. You know, there was a person who was taking a long time ahead of them in the bank so they weren't here. It's just those little stories," he says.
Mark Allen has shopped here for 15 years. He thinks Tucson's moving on but he's also more wary when he's out.
"I notice myself, when I go into places, public places like fast food restaurants, I always watch who's coming through the door," Allen says.
Monday night was Tara Moore's first time back at the store since the shootings.
"So many times driving back and forth to work it's just difficult, I cried," Moore said.
"Now I'm on my way home and I'm thinking, I have to stop by the store, I think I'm finally going to come here."
That's how she'll heal, she says.
