Oikos Widower Mourns Victim of Mass Shooting

Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Oikos University that killed seven people and wounded three others.

“Sometime I terribly miss my wife,” said Efanye Chibuko who lost the love of his life one year ago in the mass shooting at Oikos University.

Doris Chibuko was one of the seven victims of the mass school shooting in Oakland. The rampage also killed students Lydia Sim, 21; Sonam Choedon, 33;  Grace Kim, 23; Judith Seymour, 53; and Tshering Bhutia,  38, as well as 24-year-old Katleen Ping, who worked at the school.

Chibuko says it’s very difficult to continue on with a life he says will never be normal again.

 “I’m the only parent the kids have so I have to show a happy face for them,” Chibuko said.

Showing a happy face to their four young daughters, is close to impossible he says, after losing his wife and best friend.

The 40 year old Oikos University student was one of the people gunned down on April 2, 2012.

One L. Goh has been charged with the shooting.   Goh, a Korean national who lived in Oakland, had been seeking a  tuition refund after leaving the school voluntarily, prosecutors said. He was charged with seven counts of murder, three counts of  attempted murder and 10 special-circumstance allegations, including  committing murder during a carjacking. He has since been deemed incompetent  to stand trial and remains at a mental hospital.

“Every time you turn on the TV you see someone got shot or killed you just don’t know what it is like what the family is going through until it happens to you,” Chibuko said.

Now that it’s happened to his family, he says it really hits home when he sees people killed in mass shootings here and abroad. Now he says he has a position on gun control.

“If it was up to me, yeah there should be tougher gun laws but I know it’s not up to me.”

Instead he says his main focus on life is being strong for his children.

"When my wife was alive she was taking care of all of us we were really spoiled by her we don’t have that anymore,” Chibuko said.

A school employee said there are no special events planned at the university to mark the sad milestone, but that there are two concerts scheduled for this Saturday and next.

Bay City News contributed to this report.
     

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