At a serene Chicago beach, an ordinary day descends into chaos as a mass shooting leaves a wake of destruction. In the shadow of this tragedy, 'Parabellum' chronicles the lives of four distinct individuals in the year leading up to the horror. A disengaged computer programmer, a former college athlete with a precarious history of concussions, a dedicated Chicago police officer with military experience, and a troubled high school student each find themselves entangled in the web of potential suspects. As their stories unfold, readers are drawn into the intricate tapestry of their lives, each a possible origin for the shooter. With each detail, the novel peels back layers of their personal struggles, societal pressures, and the search for meaning in a world prone to senseless violence. 'Parabellum' is a literary exploration that fuses the suspense of a crime mystery with a deep psychological dive, creating a poignant narrative that questions the very nature of inevitability and chance in the acts that shape our lives.