The text from a friend in New York came in at 11:25 a.m. on July 16. “Did you hear about the shooting in Chattanooga? It’s at a naval facility. It’s still happening. Thought you’d want to check in with your mom.” I was at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street in New Orleans attending Tales of the Cocktail. The crowd was lively as you would expect at a massive cocktail conference. I read the text and felt strangely disoriented. I stepped into a small courtyard to make a phone call to my mother and check breaking news in Chattanooga.
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