It’s an indisputable fact that the recent death of Marlee Johnston is nothing short of utter tragedy – it beckons a sorrow so deep I won’t try to convey it in words here. When such heartbreaking events occur, as our human nature compels us, we struggle for answers and explanations.

The Dec. 3 front-page article about the person charged in the killing served as one way to silence some of our questions. The numerous quotations from Patrick Armstrong’s writing indeed paint the picture of “an angry and troubled young man.” The article relates that the 14-year-old endured a less-than-stable family life, a severed romantic relationship, had injured himself and listens to music that would make my grandmother tremble.

A broken (“dented”) family, painful breakup, poor coping skills and a preference toward angsty music – by themselves, these facts fit hundreds of adolescents (and adults) nationwide, and probably statewide as well. However, we are still able to say that tragedies resembling the recent one in Fayette are rare.

I believe the Sun Journal article aimed to offer an objective, inside view of Patrick Armstrong’s reality. I only felt it necessary to reiterate and remind readers that our world is not black and white. When events such as these happen, it can be tempting to point fingers immediately with the hope of solving some deep and dark problem. But there are no easy answers.

Perhaps that is why those sorts of crimes shake us to the bone.

Lorraine Brocker, Mechanic Falls