We Are Providence - Lauren Lee Malloy
Lauren Lee Malloy, Guest MINDSETTER™
We Are Providence - Lauren Lee Malloy
Last night, that heart was shattered.
A coward walked into Brown University and stole human lives, targeting innocent people gathered for finals, on the cusp of the holidays, in a place meant for learning, safety, and our state’s motto — Hope.
Within moments, Brown University Police and the Providence Police Department rushed toward danger, joined quickly by the Rhode Island State Police and numerous other agencies — representing the very best of our state. In those critical minutes, they embodied the truest meaning of providence: running toward harm to protect others, caring for the wounded, guiding students to safety, and ensuring the fallen were treated with dignity as a massive investigation unfolded.
The same can be said for our EMS professionals and hospital staff, who answered calls no one should ever have to make or receive. There is no doubt that acts of quiet heroism unfolded in the backs of ambulances and on operating room floors throughout the night.
Our local journalists also stepped into the darkness, working tirelessly to inform a frightened public, keeping facts at the forefront and helping prevent further panic. Through their reporting, we learned of small but powerful acts of courage: a professor urging a nearby business to lock down; students sheltering together, comforting one another in classrooms and storage rooms; law enforcement officers who did not hesitate or retreat.
This morning, as daylight reveals the full weight of what occurred, our hearts are broken. We grieve the senseless loss of life and pray for those injured. We hold the families and friends of the victims close, and we think of the students who sheltered in place for hours — unsure if they would be next, unsure if their terrified text messages to loved ones would be their last.
For those of us born and raised in Rhode Island, there is a shared disbelief: we never thought this would happen here. Not in our home. Not in our house. And yet, it did.
The act was meant to terrorize, to confuse, to destroy. But the response revealed something far stronger: the courage, compassion and resilience that define our city and our state.
Today, we pray — for the victims, for the injured, and for their loved ones. We pray for the first responders and witnesses who saw things no one ever should. We pray for Brown University. We pray for Providence, in all its meanings.
Though much remains unknown, one truth is clear: we will stand together. We will look out for one another. And we will emerge from this tragedy with an even deeper appreciation for our small but mighty state, full of dreamers and thinkers, doers and leaders.
The pathetic act of one coward does not erase the courage of hundreds of heroes. While he ran away, others ran toward danger. While he hid, others stood tall. He does not define us. His violence does not steal our identity, our unity, or our Hope.
We are Providence.
Pray for Brown University.
Pray for Providence.
Pray for our home.
#ProvidenceStrong
