On Happenstance

[pecunium]

A man was murdered three doors down from here last night. I can't say as it's bothering me all that much; which is perhaps a bit strange. The police don't have any (public) reasons for it. I heard it happen. I passed by the location of the shooting about half an hour before it happened.

I was in the garage when it happened, three pops; the sort which don't sound like gunfire. The sort which don't really sound like gunfire even if one knows what gunfire sounds like. The rhythm was right, a short of syncopated triplet. No echo. It was a small caliber, either a .25 ACP, or perhaps a .380 (since it was pointed away, some of the echo might have been lost.

It was followed by some fast moving tires, and a car leaving the area.

Les asked what it was, and I said it sounded like small caliber gunfire.

So I killed the lights, and stepped onto the porch, where I saw someone moving to cover, and answering a question about seeing people. So I came in, told Les she needed to leave the garage, and went to look out the kitchen window until I saw people moving in the open.

Then the cops showed up, and I heard the ambulance arrive. I was, actually, pretty sure there was a fatality, because I didn't hear them leave. The news report said he died at Stanford, but the way things were being handled, I'd say he was dead on the scene. Three to the chest is what was reported.

Oddly, or perhaps not, it wasn't until someone else pointed out that I'd ridden right past the location that I thought about that aspect of it. It didn't happen when I was there, so it doesn't really matter to me. My only real concern is knowing why it happened. Not so much a prurient curiosity, as wondering if there is likely to be a vendetta going on in the neighborhood.

Today there is a shrine at the end of the block. There are at least a dozen candles, and a black board, with inscriptions like a headstone. He was just shy of 21, which seems to be pretty typical of the sorts of killing which happen in the area. Random? A personal beef? A case of mistaken identity? I don't know.

I'll probably be a bit more wary of occupied cars on the side of the road, for at least a while; esp. after dark, but there's not really a lot I can do.

Shit happens.

Comments

[sylphslider.livejournal.com]

You seem to be handling it well enough. I'm sorry for the trouble on your block.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine was mugged near her home in West Oakland. Now she and her husband are certain that crime has shot up drastically in Oakland and they both think Oakland is a terrible place to live. Really, it hasn't changed that much in the 10 years I've been here. Only their perceptions have changed.

Is it because you were in the military, that you're handling it the way you are?

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

To answer the question... no, and yes.

I've been shot at, and missed by inches. The first times weren't related to the Army. I was just in the wrong place, at the right time.

But the sense that, "it missed me, move on" is probably related to having spent time in a combat zone. Lots of things might kill you. Lots of things did kill people (or maim them, or just do damage). What didn't get you was not so much of a problem.

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're taking it matter-of-fact-ly... I guess. It seems weird to me that you're not having a stronger reaction. But your experiences are vastly different from mine; I'm not sure what's "appropriate".

"What didn't get you was not so much of a problem" if it's a one-time thing. If it's a recurring event... that could be a serious problem.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

If it's recurrent, it leads to PTSD.

For all the VA says any PTSD I have can't be service related (because I didn't complain of it at the right times; and even worked to avoid any sense of it when I was being examined while it was nascent), there is some, and it manifests in odd ways; one of which is a much more casual attitude toward some sorts of risk, even when my means of mitigation are better.

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

This. The sorta casual approach toward some kinds of risk is something I see in many cops, firefighters, and EMTs, especially EMTS who work the rougher parts of Oakland.

I mean... what almost killed you or what coulda killed you doesn't matter. What matters is moving on to the next thing and getting it done.

As a civilian, yeah, it breaks my brain sometimes, but honestly - what are you going to do? Freaking out doesn't get it done.

[urox.livejournal.com]

I used to live in a place for around 8 years where there was a shooting within a block of me every year. I'm pretty sure that each one of them was targetted to a specific person rather than random violence.

I moved about a year and a half ago because while I was never a target, I didn't want to either be near elements that caused that frequency of shootings, nor did I want to have to "actively" think about not be a target so frequently.

[feonixrift.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested in an explanation of the reasons behind the actions you took in response - maybe even something more general on risks and responses when there is gunfire in the immediate neighborhood?

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

1: I was tolerably certain is was gunfire.
2: I might have been wrong.
3: I wanted to assess the situation.
3a: I didn't want to get shot.
4: I needed eyes on the problem to be sure.

So I went outside, so I could see/hear. Since there had been the sound of someone leaving, in an apparent hurry, the preliminary risk was low. Since it wasn't completely nil; (someone might have been fleeing because they saw, not because they were involved), I made sure there was no light behind me when I opened the door.

As soon as I saw there were people reacting as if they expected more gunfire I removed myself from the realm of obvious target. I told Les to go to her room because the garage door is zero protection from bullets. The back of the house puts at least two walls between someone and the street.

I turned off all the lights, and stood off-angle to the window for the same basic reason as I killed the living room light before I stepped outside. I also waited a moment before taking station at the window, in case anyone thought I might be setting up to shoot; since I didn't open a window the odds of my drawing fire were slim.

When people were walking about,in the open, the odds of more shooting was low enough that I didn't think being in the front of the house was a risk.

[feonixrift.livejournal.com]

Thank you. This answered my curiosity quite thoroughly. :)

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

What he said. I've learned this from living in neighborhoods where you hear the pop pop pop about once every six weeks.

It's a funny little sound, and at first takes learning to know what it is.

But yeah. Lights out, and behind cover. Often the bathroom is the best room, because it's inside and may not have windows.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

If things get locally ugly, or one expects them too, flat on the floor, feet toward threat, is the safest position.

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

good to know. thanks.

it's about every six weeks, and it's never been in front of the house, but I'm relocating soon anyway.

most of what I know I learnt from spending time with an ex EMT who used to work rough parts of Oakland. They send trauma surgeons to Highland Hospital in Oakland because there are enough GSW there that they have a lot of patients to learn on. My EMT friend's reflexes were permanently jacked up, years after the fact. PTSD in a civillian. They were useful tho, and helped me get through several very weird situations in those years.

Cops... never around when you -need- one. Strangely, the weird situations became less part of my life when the EMT and I stopped hanging out. Part of me thinks he was somehow cursed. The amount of freaky shit that happened around him... just amazing.

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

Indeed, shit happens... keep having it not happen to you, though!

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

you know, while I'm unsettled by this, I'm way LESS unsettled than I was by the plane crash in the neighborhood.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I seem to be reacting about the same to each.

[traumentwerfer.livejournal.com]

I think I would be with you on that.

[foms.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that nothing came closer.

http://foms.livejournal.com/14770.html

[cavyherd.livejournal.com]

Terry, you live the most...interesting life. (Well, I suppose somebody has to. You, at least, seem equipped for it.)

Makes me appreciate quiet, boring nights at home all the more.