In Off-topic

A few years back, I met a kid a couple years younger than me. He was staying at my neighbor's house for few weeks, and I hung out with him. He was a bright, nice kid. He was just a good guy.

So, he left, and I promised to hang out with him should he ever come back.

He's dead.

Apparently, he was helping teach little kids at his synagogue, when a member of his congregation, an elderly woman, walked in and shot him in the stomach.

I don't know why she did it, no one does, but that's not what's important. What is important is that his mother had died the previous year. He had no siblings.

So now his father is all alone.

I don't know how he can get through this, and I want to pray for him, but I'm really not religious. I just don't think it would be sincere.

I would ask that you pray for him. He needs all the help he can get.

Wow. I'm really sorry to hear that.

Wow.. thats horrible. I dont know what to say

If you guys are religious, please pray.

It's just that he was a nice kid. He shouldn't have died that way. And his poor father...

I'm really sorry to hear this...

That is the most heartbreaking story I've heard in ages....
Have you visited his father at all (to give condolences)? I think in times like that people like to hear good/happy stories about thier family that has passed.
I'm sure the man's wife and son are watching out for him.

man that sucks . if you can't visit the father, atleast give him a call or an email or something.

I'm not sure whether I should contact him. I never met him, but I would like to share my regrets. However, he's probably just finished with the funeral arrangements, and I imagine that he is now in the beginning of the legal proceedings involving the murder.

It's just...

I think it's ok if you never have met him. Just go up to him, shake his hand and tell him that you wanted to pay your respects. Tell him what a great person his son was, and how upset you are over this. And if you're feeling extra super nice, you can ask if there is anything that he needs help with (like mowing the lawn, chores). Because you know in such a hard time things like that don't ever get done.
Death brings people together and I can garentee that he's had people come up to him giving condolences that never even knew his son (or his family), they just wanted to let the person know that they were thinking about them in their time of need.