Opinion

KTVU's Somerville left sleepless after funeral for teen girl shot dead in Oakland

Mattie Scott of San Fransisco hugs friends of Reggina Jefferies on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 in Oakland, California. Jeffries was killed on June 14, 2016 during a broad-daylight shooting. Mattie Scott of San Fransisco hugs friends of Reggina Jefferies on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 in Oakland, California. Jeffries was killed on June 14, 2016 during a broad-daylight shooting. Photo: Michael Noble Jr., The Chronicle Photo: Michael Noble Jr., The Chronicle Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close KTVU's Somerville left sleepless after funeral for teen girl shot dead in Oakland 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

I can’t go to sleep. I keep thinking about the funeral I was at this morning. I have so many thoughts running through my head.

The funeral was for 16-year-old Reggina Jefferies. She was shot and killed in Oakland last week for no reason.

This post isn’t me talking as a reporter. This is me talking as a dad. This is me talking as someone who lives in Oakland. And this is me talking as a white guy. Trying to understand a world that is so foreign to him.

I met so many people at (Thursday's) funeral. Good people. Really good people. But so many of them had one thing in common.

They had all been touched by murder.

So many of the people told me how they have lost their son, daughter, father or brother to violence. It’s very hard for me to relate. I only know one person killed by violence. And that was back in 1976.

I don’t know how people in the black community do it. I don’t know how they are able to deal with all the sadness. Their strength and spirit and support for each other is amazing to me.

Over the past few years I’ve probably gone to 8 or 9 funerals for young black men and women who were murdered.

It’s bizarre because as I drive through East Oakland now, I recognize the different funeral homes.

In fact when I went to the viewing for Reggina two days ago, someone came up to me and said:

"Hi Frank. Do you remember me? The last time I saw you was at a memorial service here for a little baby who was shot and killed."

He was right. It was the tiniest casket I’d ever seen.

I’ve asked some of the people I’ve met at funerals how many services they’ve gone to in the past year. One guy literally counted them out on his fingers. And finally said: “I think about 13.”

I was stunned. I asked a young girl the same question. She told me: “I’ve gone to so many that now I only go to funerals for people I ‘really’ knew.”

When I looked at Reggina in the casket I saw my daughter. (In case you don’t know my youngest daughter is black.)

I kept thinking that could be her. That could be my baby.

I don’t know what I would do if something ever happened to her. She is the love of my life. Both of my daughters are the love of my life.

There was so much sadness at today’s funeral. But at the same time there was also a spirit. It’s difficult to describe. But to me it’s a spirit that says:

“No matter how sad we are.

No matter how much pain we are in.

We will support each other.

Because we understand what it’s like.

And we will survive.”

I admire that. I really admire that.

Thank you for allowing me to attend the funeral today.

RIP Reggina.

Frank Somerville contributes commentaries to SFGATE and anchors the 5, 6, and 10 p.m. news on KTVU. This post originally appeared on his Facebook page.