I witnessed a shooting

[Dorothy Wood]

well, my ears did.

my gentleman friend and I had a dinner/movie date and we ate a restaurant directly across from a theater. we crossed the street and dude was smoking a cigarette. I was looking at some police officers that were hanging out outside talking to the security guards from the movie theater. then I heard, *POP POP, POP POP POP*. and saw this this car swerving around. I was like in slow mo, thinking, "are those gun shots?" and my dude was like, "get inside! now!" and we ran into the theater to take cover.

some other people came in and the people inside were like, "were those gun shots?" and the people were like, "uh, yeah". then like 20 cop cars come blazing in. I couldn't stop shaking because we were on the other side of the street where the shots hit literally 2 minutes or less before it happened.

no idea what happened though, we went in to see national treasure. ha, we were afraid to go outside. the movie wasn't very good. and it kind of sucked because in the chase scenes with gun stuff, my heart started beating fast and i almost cried. :mad:


anyway, I don't know how to find out what happened and why? does anybody have any suggestions? I know I asked you guys about the murder that happened by my house before, but this thing was a bit more public considering it was friday night and people were all around. I don't think anyone got hit, I didn't hear any screams.

I gotta get out of that ghetto ass neighborhood, jesus.

[TurdBerglar]

gunshots are like crickets to me

[Knuckles]

Time to move.

Both of you.

[ericlee]

it would be in the paper for sure. Pretty much anytime there's a discharge of firearms, it will hit the press.

I really hope I don't see or hear guns anymore but living where I'm at atm, it's highly probable. Cops are always bustin thugs outside in the am hours.

I had to call 911 one night cause there was a freakin huge fight outside at like 4:30 am. Fuckers were distracting me from my guitar playing and I couldn't keep a tempo.

[TOY]

Where I used to live, I witnessed/heard two shootings. And all on the same block.


First time was fun. Well, not really. The entire street was blocked and taped off 'cause some guy went crazy threatening to kill himself, wife and kids. I remember being pissed because we couldn't leave our house for HOURS, and I needed an after-school snack or something from the am/pm. Anyway, it sounded similar to big fireworks- but no. Guy shot himself. The end. Wife and kids were unscathed. Good, good.


Second time was very tragic. This family lived right across from us- two daughters, one son. The one daughter was doing very well for herself, and she was going to be leaving for something military-related. I remember, like, a night or two before the incident they had thrown a big party for her. I met the boyfriend. He seemed all right- but once again, no. :"\

Yeah.. Boyfriend went psycho, took his father's shotgun and chased her two houses down from ours where he shot the girl and himself. A few days later they had reported he had left a note saying something like "If I can't be with her, I'll make it so." Sick fuck. After that, everything seemed so.. Just sad.

And worse? Both of their obits were side-by-side following the shooting.

[ericlee]

god damn TOY, that was a nice read. Too bad that a story involving guns made a nice story but the first one indeed shows that guns are somewhat useful. In my perspective, if you have even the slightest instinct that perhaps you could go out and destroy many of families lives, it's better off for you to decide your own path.

Yeah, it will keep the survivers in shock but, they are alive to tell the tale. All in all, it's a brutal and morbid story but, it's a good one.

As for the second story, just goes to show. Not everything plays out like rainbows. And being that the guy was going to the service should show that the military really, really needs to spend more time evaluating people before they place a gun in their hand. See what kind of goon they almost had standing beside me?

[ericlee]

Sorry, i read it as if the guy was about to join the military. He should have and learned fire arm discipline.

[TOY]

Sorry, i read it as if the guy was about to join the military. He should have and learned fire arm discipline.

Actually, it was the girl who was going off to the military. Maybe I wrote it wrong. From my understanding, he didn't want her to go and saw it better they be together in death. It's all kinda vague, now. Happened, like, 3-4 years ago. I remember there being excerpts in the paper after it had happened. He wrote this winded letter and shit, which was found in his back pocket at the scene. They determined he had this planned for some time I guess.

What was really sad too was seeing her mother puking over the side of her front porch on the same night the following year. Just sobbing crying.

[Helvete]

Gunshots are boring. Even before I joined the Army I'd hear them all the time, because we live in the country and all the rich bastards go shooting at the weekend. Now, artillery, machine guns and cannon fire is cool!

[Planetary]

gunshots are like crickets to me

That's the life of a G i guess... :(

[ericlee]

Gunshots are boring. Even before I joined the Army I'd hear them all the time, because we live in the country and all the rich bastards go shooting at the weekend. Now, artillery, machine guns and cannon fire is cool!

artillery and shit gets old too. I used to love watching and hearing the howitzers go off and shit. The AT4 used to be cool too.

I dunno though, you can only take so much of it heading your direction. It sucks going to some of the bases like in Mosul and the bastards are outside the camp constantly firing mortars inside. You get used to it real fast though and once you do, it's kind of like walking through the middle of a flock of bats.

[ericlee]

Actually, it was the girl who was going off to the military. Maybe I wrote it wrong. From my understanding, he didn't want her to go and saw it better they be together in death. It's all kinda vague, now. Happened, like, 3-4 years ago. I remember there being excerpts in the paper after it had happened. He wrote this winded letter and shit, which was found in his back pocket at the scene. They determined he had this planned for some time I guess.

What was really sad too was seeing her mother puking over the side of her front porch on the same night the following year. Just sobbing crying.

oh no, you wrote it perfectly. I was just a little tired when i wrote my response and it just dawned on me after i posted it that the girl was going to join.

Damn thats so tragic. Shit like that just makes me stop and think deep
thoughts.

In my hometown there's two similar cases where guys have just gone nuts and killed the whole family and then themselves.

My friend bought the house of where one of these occurred. Creeps me out everytime i stay over there.

[Randetica]

when i was a kid i heard shootings but i dont know if the shooter was actually shooting his shooting object

[beastieangel01]

gunshots are like crickets to me

same here.
My parents house, man. Gunshots every week at the very least. I think a few people died right across street, and at least 5 people have been hit my ricochet bullets.

good times.

[befsquire]

it would be in the paper for sure. Pretty much anytime there's a discharge of firearms, it will hit the press.
there's not enough print space or time to run an article for every discharge of a firearm. if the shots didn't hit anything, there's no real story to print.

where we live, unless there's an interesting back story, they pretty much only print the homicides that are gun related.



sarky, try making a public records request at the substation that is nearest to where the shooting occurred, and give them the approximate area and time of the shooting.

[BangkokB]

In the early/mid 90's I lived in a really classy apartment complex and heard gunshots one night right outside my window. Like a fool I called the police and reported it and they wanted to know who I was and where I was calling from. I told them You're 911: Don't ask questions you already know the answers too~I'm not Nuts and Don't want you to show up at my door bc I don't want to be the next person outlined in chalk

And I've been shot at once: But that's another story. Nothing makes the frivolous Day to Day Bullshit take Pause and have you Reevaluate your life like being shot at.

[Lex Diamonds]

Gunshots ranged out like a bell, I grabbed my nine all I heard was shells....

FALLIN' on the concrete real fast, jumped in my car, slammed on the gas!
I wouldn't listen to all the people saying move, it's not like you witnessed a high level mafia hit and you and your entire family are in danger. You just saw/heard some chumps being mindlessly violent.

[RobMoney$]

What the..??
I've never posted some wiggified shit like that?

[Lex Diamonds]

Alright STOP! Collaborate and listen.

[Helvete]

Gunshots make it hard to sleep.

[Bob]

I wouldn't listen to all the people saying move, it's not like you witnessed a high level mafia hit and you and your entire family are in danger. You just saw/heard some chumps being mindlessly violent.

wouldn't mindlessly violent chumps be more of a reason to move than high level mafia hits? at least professional assassins can aim

[Yetra Flam]

exactly man. mafia hits don't generally affect the wider community.

[Dorothy Wood]

well, I'm not moving yet, but I don't want to stay in that neighborhood when my lease is up.

the shots were fired outside of a movie theater in front of a busy restaurant, there were people everywhere, kids, teenagers, old people.

besides the random shooting, a kid was hanging out on our back porch a few weeks ago and got arrested, AND my friend got carjacked/kidnapped (they drove around, went on a drug run, argued over whether or not to kill him, then dropped him off in the middle of nowhere after about an hour) recently, all in the same neighborhood.

all that plus 2 murders, my old roommate getting followed in her car and harassed by thugs, and huge gang fights in the street within the last year really kind makes me want to get out of there.

[The Notorious LOL]

What neighborhood do you live in?


Minneapolis crime is segregated into a few choice areas of the city, the worst of them starting about six or seven blocks to the north of us.

What bugs me is that the "ghetto" here is not obvious. For example (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=2600+James+Ave+North,+Minneapolis,+MN&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.495706,82.265625&ie=UTF8&ll=45.009447,-93.300598&spn=0.009299,0.020084&z=16&om=1&layer=c&cbll=45.006015,-93.30061&cbp=1,124.58199356913175,,0,3.842443729903537), the block pictured here is extremely rough, yet it does not look that way at all...well manicured lawns, maintained homes, etc.

Its pretty common place to hear shots pop off in the summer when Im outside smoking. It bothers me that it doesnt really phase me, if that makes any sense.

[marsdaddy]

If you're like me, what bothers you (MOA and Sarky) is the availability of guns. I hear gun shots too often and read about armed robberies, gun fights, and what not all the time. Here in SF, we have neighborhood associations with online boards and they post up every reported activity -- probably someone has filed a request for public information for the neighborhood like befd described.

It's not really a recent phenomenon, though. My mom tells a story of hearing gun shots, then finding bullet holes through my crib, when I was a wee one.

No matter where you live, guns are there and will kill someone. You can increase and/or decrease your chances, by moving on up, but what about the people who take your place?

[Lex Diamonds]

Ever since I was little I tote my gun, cuz it made no sense where I was from to walk around with none. Nigga you would be crazy, cuz niggas is crazy, and I'm a 80s baby. You should be proud of me.

[RobMoney$]

No matter where you live, guns are there and will kill someone. You can increase and/or decrease your chances, by moving on up, but what about the people who take your place?


WELCOME TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY & GEORGE BUSH'S AMERICA!!

[Dorothy Wood]

I live in logan square. it has manicured lawns and hardly any gates or bars windows, but it's pretty much run by latin kings. there was a kings tag on the back of my old house and the house across the street once got one full side of it tagged with stuff like, "we own this block", etc. it was the house of this tough-looking latino dude in a wheelchair who kinda seemed like he kept an eye on stuff. not sure why they tagged his place though. stupid kids.

the thing that pisses me off is that all of the gang stuff seems to be out of sheer boredom. these families aren't poor, they're driving cars and eating enough food to get fat and wear clean clothes. boredom+teenagers+drugs= stupidity.


also, thanks for the tip beth. I haven't figured anything out as of yet.

[Helvete]

You need to get yourself a gun and do some Charles Bronson shit. The killing, not the dying of pneumonia bit.

[Dorothy Wood]

You need to get yourself a gun and do some Charles Bronson shit. The killing, not the dying of pneumonia bit.

no way! I'm a clumsy oaf. I'd end up killing someone who didn't need to be dead. :(

[Randetica]

I'd end up killing someone who didn't need to be dead. :(

but thats the point!