What happened on July 17 is almost impossible to process. When news first broke that a fire had claimed the lives of four people, just about everyone had a deeply emotional and gut wrenching response. When we later learned that the victims, including two children, had been brutally murdered and that the fire had been an attempt to cover up the crime, the level of shock and horror reached nearly unimaginable heights.
Ten days later it still does. At the scene of the crime, the day before this issue went to press, the memorial display of fresh flowers was still growing. Candles were still being lit and new cards had been dropped off. But the tragedy was receding on one level. A few investigators were still working at the house, yet the street is no longer a hub of frantic activity. It was slightly jarring that apart from the charred remains of the house itself the street appeared so normal.
The street where the tragedy took place is not lined with million dollar homes. In fact, the homes on that part of Slater Avenue probably don't jibe with what most people think of when they think of Kirkland. Walk by and you'll see modest, single-family homes and duplexes that sit within a stone's throw of I-405, the noise from which is inescapable. It is not a stretch of waterfront mansions or huge lots, custom kitchens and three-car garages. For people who don't live in Kirkland, driving down the street could alter a common Eastside stereotype that often holds that everyone's wealthy.
The murders remain so hard to comprehend. But the sad and inescapable reality is that no one and no place is immune. Horrific and unspeakable things can happen everywhere, even here. Of course, most people intuitively know this.
Yet in Kirkland, especially on a nice summer day, it can be possible to momentarily forget that our quiet town is still a place where evil can intrude. When it does, such an event forces us to look inward, forces us to confront this reality. Everyone comes to terms with evil and reality in their own way. But reality becomes impossible to ignore.
For the family that experienced this tragedy, we can, as a community, offer support of all kinds. Our hearts, everyone's hearts, go out to Leonid Milkin and his surviving family. If you weren't aware, a memorial fund for the family has been established - donations can be made at any US Bank. (Ask for Kirkland House Fire Victims account.)
For the rest of us, we go on with the sadness and awareness that It Can Happen Here. We can remember. We can remember those we cherish, hold them a little tighter at night and be reminded never to take them for granted.
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