SEBASTIAN, Fla. -- The mass shooting in San Bernardino is hitting close to home for a Sebastian woman.
Margaret Asboth’s son, Gus Asboth, is a San Bernardino deputy, tasked with making sure the public was safe as shooting suspects were on the loose.
Asboth says her son was inside the San Bernardino Court House as it went on lockdown. It’s located close to the site of the shooting at Inland Regional Center.
His job, she says, was to make sure no one came inside and no one left.
She got a call from him shortly after the shooting telling her he was okay. Then, she stayed glued to the TV for any updates.
She says her son has a daughter and a wife. His wife also works for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office.
"Thank goodness they're both okay. With him being a sheriff's deputy, I worry every time there's an incident," Asboth said.
Asboth says it’s not an easy time to be the mother of someone in law enforcement. She says it seems violence is only increasing across the country.
"You hear of all these things happening all over the world. To have it happen so close to someone that’s special to you, it's kind of spooky," Asboth said.
She’s grateful he’s trained to handle violent, stressful situations.
Asboth says her son has worked for that department for nearly 20 years, but says she is grateful recently switched positions to be a deputy in the courthouse.