I am very relieved this was a hoax but I hope it will cause more people to speak up and demand better gun control. No one should be constantly on alert for this to happen to them, especially kids! Maybe that was the reasoning behind the swatting- making a larger population experience the tiniest fraction of what that horror is like. Doesn't excuse it but what the hell will it take for us to value lives above weapons?

You can also look at donating to humane food pantries- many people going to the pantry also have pets.

Oh, I can relate so much to this! Grew up in the North Hills as well, just slightly older than you (34). One of the cons of the suburbs is that you will likely need to travel to meet people outside of the MAGA cult. I would recommend looking into activities that you enjoy, our classes or a team sport, and find a local group that does that. Meetup or even the local Y may be a good place to start. Next comment might be a little controversial, but your parents should not be expecting you to take care of your brother every weekend. If you are just taking care of other people all the time you will burn out. It is not selfish to take time for yourself. I understand the desire to give them a break but maybe have a talk with them about getting a caretaker every once in awhile so that you all can get a break. I wish you the best of luck and feel free to send me a message if you need to vent or would like to hang out, I usually spend my free time walking in the park with my doggo.