Last weekend’s fatal shootings in Texas and Ohio have caused our nation to pause and reflect. How did this happen? How will we heal? How should we respond?

When the worst happens, compassion must come first.

Washington Retail shares its grief and sorrow for the loss of loved ones young and not so young. Our thoughts and prayers are with those friends and families whose lives are forever changed.

Tragedy has refocused the nation on its values and ideals. We must learn together to understand and solve the issues arising from the shootings and be thoughtful and deliberate in our response.

Washington Retail is here to help. The safety library includes help on preparing for workplace violence. Association members also have personal logins to information including webinar archives on safety preparedness. Rick Means, WR’s Safety Specialist, is here to help companies prepare. He can be reached at 360-200-6454 or at [email protected].

The state Labor & Industries Department also is an excellent resource if you need to expand your safety plans. Its entire package of information is summarized here for further review and action.

Retailers and their employees showed great courage last weekend. First responders and employees alike made heroic efforts to get customers to safety and saved lives. In the days and months ahead, we must remember our customers, employees and communities as we help each other recover.