That escalated quickly

At the end of the 2026 sections is dramatic irony. Lauren's initial conclusion on Wyatt Talcott and his fate is that "he may not live much longer" and what makes it ironic is the fact that the cul-de-sac gets raided in July of the next year (149). It's probably safe to assume that Wyatt lived longer than everyone else. This sudden onslaught of carnage should be as surprising to the reader as it was for Lauren as she lived through the moment. At this point in the story, the reader should have some kind of emotional connection to most of the characters who die and, if not the characters, then the cul-de-sac they all lived on which was, in a way, a character. At this point in the book, it may be that this destruction of the cul-de-sac is the turning point in the story, hopefully. What else could possibly go wrong?