A 19-year-old is charged with murdering Biloxi Patrolman Robert McKeithen. He allegedly walked up behind the officer and shot him in the back multiple times before fleeing.

The shooting occurred at the Biloxi police station.

Why? Because he was a police officer? Because he had his back turned? Because he happened to be standing there?

We may never know the “why” in this tragedy.

The man charged in the crime reportedly was having mental health problems. Even so, it is difficult to understand how someone could do this.

Law enforcement officers have a difficult job, made all the more difficult by the fear of this sort of tragedy. It’s often a thankless job that doesn’t pay enough.

But it doesn’t have to be. We can thank them every chance we get, and we can push for cities and counties to pay them a wage that reflects their service and sacrifice.