It should never come to this.

Today we are grieving. Keegan Brooks, nine years old, was hit and killed on Sunday afternoon while riding his bicycle near his home. We hold his family, his classmates, and everyone who loved him in our hearts, and we ask you to hold them in yours. Keegan was a fourth grader at Oak Grove Elementary. His family remembers a boy who made the people around him laugh, who was always there. His mother, Courtney, has one message for everyone who drives through Durham: slow down. A child should be able to ride a bike in his own neighborhood and come home safe. We are carrying that message forward, because no family should have to know this grief. Keegan's family also asked that we honor his memory with a simple act of kindness. Do one nice thing today for someone you don't know. Give a compliment. Offer a moment of grace. You never know what someone is carrying.