“I think I was in school. They brought TVs into the classrooms, and we all talked about it and took a moment of silence.”

— Serena Williams, server, Lawrence

“I was on South Padre Island with two other couples from our church. We had come in from a walk on the beach and the news reports came on. We were all just shocked.”

— Mike Brunsky, business owner, Olathe

“At Auntie Mae's Parlor in Manhattan with some friends. I felt stunned. I guess I just wasn't aware that celebrities could die.”

— Adina Scanland, tech support coordinator, Lawrence

“I think I was at home in Kingman, Kansas, when the news broke on the television, and my wife told me she had been seriously injured.”

— David Gaumer, retired lawyer, Lawrence