The San Bernardino mass shooting horror just came home to me this morning.

Many DUers know me here. I've been a star-member of Democratic Underground since November 2004. Many people know my political activism, my passion, and my dedication to get as many Democrats elected as we possibly can. Some even know me a little bit more than that.

But what no DUer knows is, I have a son who has cerebral palsy and autism since birth. His name is Mark. He's 34 years old and my oldest child. Mark is developmentally disabled with a mental ability of a six year old child. And we live in North Fontana. That's why I haven't been around much yesterday since 1:45 a.m. when I learned on MSNBC that gunfire had erupted in San Bernardino. I hadn't paid much attention up until the moment I heard the dire voices as I was going about my business.

Since my son is developmentally disabled, he uses services provided by the Inland Regional Center, and has since 2010. His consumer service coordinator works in that building where, yesterday, 14 people were murdered and 17 were injured. I don't know if his service coordinator was part of that group, but I know she was there. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.

Yesterday, after all hell broke loose, it ended in front of the facility where my son goes "to work" every day. I didn't know this. I believed he was safe where he was which, I believed, was a good distance from the Inland Regional Center. But the danger and horror was closer than I knew.

This morning, ten minutes after I said "have a good day" to my son as he walked out the door with his lunch pack and big smile to meet the luxury bus that had come to pick him up, I received a call from the transport service that he'll be returned. They just received word from his facility that they're closed and that the entire street is blocked off. Only this morning I learned that the gunfire that ended the lives of Farook and his wife happened in their street, right in front of their building.

My son never told me. I knew he'd come home a little later than normal yesterday since his work facility is in San Bernardino and the police, FBI, and SWAT had cast a wide security net in that area, but I never thought he could have witnessed the shootout. Naturally, I'm a bit more than just a little rattled by this news because nothing like this has ever happened to me or mine.

I don't know more than what I've written here or what's already being reported in the media, so please don't ask. It's all now just sinking in with me and I'm a bit more than just a little rattled after I learned about this. I'm just happy he's being returned home today, safe and sound.

Thank you for allowing me to blow off some steam.