Parents are reacting after Thursday's tragic murder of 47-year-old Lori Bresnahan, of Liverpool.
SYRACUSE -- Parents are expressing shock and surprise in the wake of Thursday night's stabbing and rape at the Great Northern Mall in Clay, which killed 47-year-old Lori Bresnahan, of Liverpool, and left a 10-year-old girl in the hospital after being raped.
"That is surprising," said Joanne McNeilly, a mother of two young children. "You don't expect something like that at Great Northern Mall, certainly. And, you know, it's scary."
"Very disturbing, shocked, sickening," said Pamela Tabone of Weedsport. "I have four children of my own, and it's just disgusting what's happening in our world today. It's very sad."
The Great Northern Mall is a place many would consider safe. "Ironically, Great Northern is the only mall my husband feels comfortable with me going without him," said mom Jennifer Hayes.
Hayes is now questioning her safety out in public. "You just don't know where you can be safe anymore, or bring your kids anymore," said Hayes. "It's awful. You feel like you're only safe at your own home."
Thursday's tragic murder and rape is making other parents second-guess safety as well.
"I always thought I was safe," said mom Nicole Procino of Weedsport. "You always think in numbers. You know, even with my daughter, I would think walking out [of the mall] that I might be safe, that no one would bother us. But, evidently, that's not the case."
Procino also explained to her daughter that the tragedy reinforces her tendency to overprotect. "I told this is why I'm overprotective, because we have to worry about things like this happening to us," said Procino.
