Life is very fleeting. None of us knows when our existence will end on this earth. Last week, 44-year-old Mun Hyuk Cha, a kind, hard-working businessman and owner of Magnet Package Store, and 39-year-old Otonicar Jimquez Aikens, a father who had just stopped by to pick up some things, were probably discussing the weather or exchanging pleasantries when Jeffery Pitts, a disgruntled customer, stormed in with a gun and ended their lives.

There was a time in this country when if a customer was upset he or she just never came back to your business. Mr. Pitts apparently decided that he wasn’t happy with that. After a confrontation in the store, he went home, loaded up his guns, drove back to the Magnet package store and took out his displeasure in a bloody, vengeful way, and then went home where he lived with his parents and shot and injured his mother and father.

Out of this tragic story, two positive things happened. Another customer in the store, Todd Scott, instead of cowering, fired back at Pitts with his own gun. If he hadn’t gotten involved, there is no telling how many other people, including our law enforcement officers, might have been gunned down.

Mr. Scott didn’t intend to become a hero but he became one, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his actions on that sad day.

Other heroes on that sad day were RCSO deputies and Conyers Police officers who possibly saved many lives.
The customers, neighbors and community of the Magnet package store proved without question that we have a very caring, strong community that takes care of its own. They came out in droves to support the family of Mr. Cha and Mr. Aikens.

There were tears aplenty as folks hugged Mr. Cha’s parents, who flew in from Korea to mourn their son. There was a collection made to be split with the two families and the Cha family gave their share to Jimquez Aiken’s 15-year-old daughter, another special sign of love in itself.

We are sorry that there are sick people like Jeffery Pitts in our community, but we are grateful that we have good people like Mun Cha and Jimquez Aikens and Todd Scott.

We all have to keep praying that good guys will always outnumber the bad guys.
To the Cha and Aikens families we are sure that the whole community has your families in their special thoughts and prayers.