Have you ever been the victim of or witnessed a gun related crime?

[diva77]

I witnessed an armed robbery a few years ago. A mere couple of feet from me, a man with a slight build and a scarf over his face brandished a gun. He grabbed the money box at a crowded event and casually strolled out of the venue. I'm sure without the gun that he probably would lose at thumb-wrestling.

Yet, what he was able to accomplish with a gun was so easy and slick.

It would have been much worse if other people had tried to use guns to stop him. Since it was in an area with a high crime rate, the cops seemed unfazed by the incident and said that most likely, the assailant would get away with it.

[bettyellen]

1. Yep- had a gun pointed at my head one night. My brother had his newly issued NYPD revolver and I

knew, from helping him with his police academy studies that he could not draw his gun while there was one so close pointed at my head. So I did what he had advised and threw my money on the ground away from the both of us, and took off to take cover under a car. I watched the rest unfold- just their feet from the ground. Watching their feet turn and run was a huge relief!

[diva77]

2. How horrible!! Glad you got out of it unscathed!!

[bettyellen]

3. I was so freaked out I drank about 15 shots of tequila and the adrenaline just ate it all up!

And I was not allowed to talk about it, becasue it would have triggered an investigation and very possibly put an end to his police career. They hate “incidents” and you don’t get the benefit of the doubt while you’re on probation.

[diva77]

5. That really sucks!

I hope the tequila didn't give you a hangover on top of everything else!

[bettyellen]

7. It did not- felt stoned sober that night and fine the next morning. Go figure.

[rzemanfl]

12. You were robbed twice. They were watering your drinks. n/t

[bettyellen]

15. LOL! Its amazing what a huge rush of adrenaline can do to your body. Im sure I was not well

coordinated enough to do much, but I felt 100% sober and super woke. Nothing was going to take the edge off that night.

[Rollo]

36. I'm guessing your brother never pulled his gun and let the robber get away?

That's what I probably would have done, given his circumstances.

[bettyellen]

37. Hed aready moved it to his pocket and drew it after I ditched.

I’m so glad he was right that they’d run.

[sarah FAILIN]

44. That's good advice

Throwing the money on the ground.

[bettyellen]

54. In the opposite direction of where youre taking cover!

But he was mad at me, I gave up 30$ and he had to pay for my drinks all night. LOL

[Squinch]

4. I've had guns pointed at me or shot toward me on two occasions.

[B2G]

6. Nope. Nt

[sinkingfeeling]

8. About 25 years ago I witnessed, more heard than seen, a shoot out

across the street from me at an apartment. Then a car raced down the hill and onto a major 4 lane street without stopping. The hospital was about 4 blocks away. The driver had been shot and died a few minutes after he got to the ER.

[nolabear]

9. I was held at gunpoint by a truck driver who wanted a sex show.

I was about 20 and my ex and I had the stupid idea to hitch across the country. On the way back we were picked up in LA by “Big Daddy and the White Lightning Express,” his CB handle of course. He was going to Marfa, Texas (funny how trauma burns things into your brain) and at night told us we could go back into the sleeper and sleep.

In the wee hours, in the middle of the desert on some little road, we awoke to a 357 Magnum (he claimed-I have no idea but the damned thing was huge) and a demand that we have sex while he watched, or he was going to shoot us.

We refused. We argued with him. For some reason I had the presence of mind to say to him that if he shot us with that gun in that truck he would blow us all over the inside of it and could never get it clean.

Then he told us told us to get out and he’d let us go. That’s when it really got strange. We refused to get out because then he could shoot us. After a long and very weird standoff eventually we convinced him to take us to a public place and drop us off. Which he did.

I was very angry at him, but I was even more furious at the highway patrol when we told them and they acted as if we were trash and deserved what had happened. We knew all about him from what he’d said over his CB radio while we rode along, and they had no interest in catching him. I’ve ofren wondered how many others he had done that to.

[diva77]

23. unbelievably scary! good for you for some quick thinking under pressure!

[rurallib]

10. close - was staying overnight with my best friend at 12 years old

when his dad was murdered walking into a restaurant as a hold up was taking place. The restaurant was abut 20 feet from the business his dad ran. That night has lived with me forever.

Been shot at 3 times also as a kid - so far I have been pretty lucky.

Very close friend committed suicide when I was 21 - had lunch with him the day before and he was in great spirits - he used a gun. Felt like I was punched when I heard the news.

[grantcart]

11. My wife sustained a near fatal gun shot to the stomach 44 years ago

Her husband, a police officer, was mortally wounded a short time later in a friendly fire shooting by another officer (I did not know him).

My cousin barely missed the mass shooting at Fairchild Air Force Base 20 years ago.

[Hoyt]

13. Fortunately, in the OP, no cowboy had a gun to create a gun fight in a crowd.

[diva77]

14. yes, absolutely.

[Baconator]

53. Did you know the guy in the scarf from work?

[Hoyt]

61. No, but you keep leaving out the context of that post for some reason. Kind of like you gunners

ignore the entire wording of the 2nd Amendment.

[Baconator]

63. Under what 'context' should we ignore felony robbery?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1172&pid=45338

[diva77]

16. This thread is scaring the bejeezus outta me!

[Tanuki]

17. I was in a Dollar Store a few years ago when an armed robbery of the cashier took place.

The robber fired his hand gun to scare her into handing over the money and he also robbed the two people in line, but he did not actually shoot anyone. I was standing farther back in the store and was not directly involved. Ironically, the store had hired a security guard but he was in the back office chatting with the manager when the incident happened and the robber got away before the security guard made it into the main part of the store.

[NickB79]

18. I pointed one at my dad when I was 17

To be fair, he had just assaulted my mom, my sister had broken a coffee cup across the back of his head to get him off of her, and he was screaming about how he was going to kill us all, so there's that.

You know what you get for being a "good guy with a gun"? Years of therapy and meds to counteract the depression and suicidal thoughts from the trauma.

[diva77]

24. so very sorry you & your sister & mom had to be in that situation

thank you so much for sharing your story

[enough]

19. I have witnessed the decades of sorrow and the changed lives of one

family of very close friends whose child was killed in a random shooting at a school. The reality of this kind of crime never ends. The impact is beyond intense for everyone near the people intimately affected. The magnitude is beyond calculation. I know you weren't asking about this, but when I saw your question I felt I had witnessed the crime by living with the never ending results.

[diva77]

26. glad you shared your story - seems like the long term effects rarely get mentioned

[Iggo]

20. Yes and Yes.

Had a gun pointed at my face during a robbery at the 7-eleven I was clerking graveyard at. (Cypress, CA, behind the Orange Curtain)

Was standing out in front of a bar when what I assume was some disgruntled 86'd guy started shooting at the sign above my head. (Pico Rivera, CA, between the cities of Downey and El Monte)

Witnessed a running gun battle between the cops and some parole violator at my apartment building. I made it on TV for that one. I was on the live broadcast helicopter shot during a brief standoff they had when the guy holed up in an unoccupied apartment. The TV news people called me an idiot for watching from my balcony. (They weren't wrong...lol.) (also Pico Rivera, CA)

[tenderfoot]

21. No.

eom

[Tommy_Carcetti]

22. I heard a murder suicide take place in the office suite next to ours

Spent 5 minutes locked in my office wondering if it was going to be a mass shooting.

Husband stormed in to his wife’s office, shot her and then himself.

[diva77]

25. omg - unfathomably horrible!!!

[A Brand New World]

27. Yes, when I was 16, back in 1972, my dad shot my mom and step-dad.

He then killed himself. My mom & step-dad survived. The trauma never completely goes away, even if you are physically uninjured. These kids affected today have a long road ahead.

[diva77]

45. I am so very very sorry this happened to you

Thank you for sharing your story (sorry I'm repeating myself)

[Upthevibe]

55. Oh, A Brand New World, I am so sorry to hear that...

....I don't even know what to say.

[sarisataka]

28. I've had someone try

To rob me while I was carrying. I managed to not get robbed, he managed to not get shot.

[rawtribe]

58. One of these things

[Luz]

29. Yes, when I was 17 my next door neighbor shot and killed

his son (also 17) his wife and himself. The remaining kids were never the same.

[drray23]

30. got shot, had a military grade weapon pointed at me.

I got shot when I was 17 by another guy over a dispute about a girl. Luckily, he was using buckshot and I was wearing a heavy leather jacket. ended up with a big bruise on my belly.

In the army, I was the range officer and at that time, it was mandatory military service in France. Many did not want to be there and in order to get dismissed from the army would act crazy. I am not sure if this kid was acting crazy or really crazy but while we were on the range, he stood up from a prone position with his famas (french 5.56 auto , equivalent of the M16 ) and turned towards me, started yelling that he was going to shoot everybody, he had enough of it, etc.. etc.. I pulled my service weapon and pointed it at his head, telling him we would die together. He was shaking and my sergeant sneaked from behind, bear hugged him and smashed him to the ground.

[Chemisse]

31. I had a gun pointed at me and 3 guys told me to take off my clothes.

I was only 13, and was incredibly lucky that someone else came by and I was able to escape, fully clad and unharmed.

[applegrove]

32. Was carrying laundry back to my apartment when I came upon three men with

stockings or head masks with a rifle at the door of the landlords office. Ran away. Ran out to the garage and was about to go outside when the three bolted right by me outside. I scared them and we all ran in different directions and ended up in the same place. They jumped like gazelles over a retaining wall. Thank god there was a window and I saw them. Called the police. Despite the fact i was new to the area i knew they were running east because i usually have a good sense of direction. I could not describe them as they wore masks or stockings but they weren't fully muscled men. Police told my landlord later that they were probably teens with a pellet gun. Somehow that made me feel better.

[guillaumeb]

33. I was robbed while working as a clerk at a store.

The robber was very calm, and opened his coat to show me a .45 Colt revolver in a holster.

The owner had a .38 on a shelf under the register.

The robber asked for the money and left.

[Rollo]

34. Never witnessed a gun crime, however,...

Back in the 90's I was driving on a residential street near my home and saw a black 9mm semi handgun lying in the street. I drove slowly by, got to the end of the block, did a U turn, then stopped at the gun and picked it up and put it in the car. When I got home I gave it a full inspection (I'd never handled a hand gun before). I got a friend in law enforcement to find the registered owner. Even though the address was in a sort of dicey part of another town, I went there and tried to return it to the owner. He answered behind the closed door, said "Wait a minute". I waited 10 minutes and he never appeared, so I went home and thought about it. Finally took it to my local police station and turned it in.

In retrospect it was probably stupid to try to return the thing to the registered owner, esp in that area. But I still feel I did the right thing. I got the gun off the street where it could have been picked up by some kid or adult and used to hurt somebody. And finally I got it out of circulation.

Oh, and it was a bottom feeder gun. Not exactly a Saturday night special but I was told it was on the cheaper end of the spectrum. I never loaded it (didn't know how) and never fired it. Nobody has ever asked me about it since.

I don't feel any sympathy for whoever lost it, because they were so careless they shouldn't have had a gun in the first place.

[CottonBear]

35. I (white girl) and my black, Grenadian boyfriend, were shot at by racists in East TN.

We were on our way home from a camping trip with friends at a state park near Oak Ridge, TN. I decided that I wanted to see the Obed Wild and Scenic River (like the Chatooga River in Georgia) since it was nearby. We had a county road map which showed the river and various winding county roads. The roads were primarily gravel and dirt. The area was mostly wooded and very rural and wild.

We headed down a road toward the river. However, unknown to us, the road turned into what was probably a private driveway, 2 or 3 white men (think Deliverance) were standing by the road.

They saw us and yelled “Hey, nigger!” My boyfriend (who had fought for Grenada during the US invasion) quickly turned the truck around and hit the gas. We were leaving when they started shooting at us. I somehow got completely into the front floorboard of the small truck we were driving.

It was terrifying for both of us. I was so appalled that my foreign friend ane I were subjected to such an awful act of racist, domestic terrorism.

I never did see the Obed River.

https://www.nps.gov/obed/planyourvisit/paddling.htm

[marlakay]

38. My mom was robbed at a Circle K store

In Sacramento in her late 50’s, she is almost 90 now. I had worried about her working the night shift alone, some guy came in pointed a gun at her, luckily he took the money and left.

She quit the next day and got a job clerking inside a hotel gift shop.

[Leith]

39. I Was a Bank Teller

and a couple of guys wearing ski masks and waving guns around barged in and committed a "takeover" robbery. All I could see was a gun pointed at a coworker's head. I certainly didn't want to see him get shot, but I couldn't look away.

Our only physical injury that day was another teller who had got hit on the chin. Even she didn't know if he kicked her as he jumped over the counter or hit her with the gun.

The robbery happened at 11:55. The branch opened back up around 3:00 - which I do not forgive bank management for deciding to do.

[hardluck]

40. Yes. As a bank teller

Was a teller during a takeover robbery. They wanted into a bank vault that required two keys and the other key wasn’t present. He gave the manager two minutes to open the vault or he would shoot me.

I lucked out. Another teller arrived early to work - she had $100,000 in her vault. Her arriving early saved my life.

[BigDemVoter]

41. Had a gun pressed to the back of my head by a 14-year-old in New Orleans. . . .

Got my wallet stolen and was happy to not be shot in the head.

[utopian]

42. I was robbed at gunpoint while delivering pizza

It was about 2:30 in the morning, and someone called for a delivery to what ended up being an unoccupied house. Two guys jumped out of the bushes, one with a gun. They took my money, my car keys, and the pizzas. And the guy with the gun told me to run, so I did, and he chased me, waving the gun and yelling "I'm gonna kill you mother fucker!" Over and over, for two or three blocks. I didn't know I could run so fast.

I was scared shitless, and when I made to to a payphone and dialed 911, I could barely talk I was shaking so badly.

I don't think I've ever been more frightened.

[jberryhill]

46. None that I havent had an alibi for, no

[gopiscrap]

47. twice, I was sort of close to a car on a two lane moutain highway

and this guy kin the back seat of the car in front of me, lifts a piece of cloth on the back dash board and points a gun at me. Fitrst it happened we had guns held on us as I traveled in a music team of seven in downtown Detroit. They stole our music equipment

[Takket]

48. No. Fortunately

[Kablooie]

49. My son was robbed at gunpoint in a parking lot.

It was about 3 years ago and he still is shaken about it.

All they got was a collectors edition Japanese portable gaming system.

[Lucinda]

50. Held up twice - two different jobs when I was much younger.

First time I was working a drive up fast food window. I was about 20. A car was back a bit from the window, and one of the guys got out and walked towards me...I thought their car had stalled until I saw the gun. Gave him the money and they left. I saw him, when I was on the street walking a few weeks later...he didn't recognize me, and I just kept going.

The second time was when I was working at a hotel on the night shift. Someone hit the night buzzer (we were expecting a late arrival) so we buzzed him into the lobby. There was a glass wall between us, so unless he shot the glass we would have been safe, but we were expecting the family due to arrive, so we gave him the cash and he left.

Definitely not fun.
My BIL was also murdered during the same time frame, but we weren't present.

[meadowlander]

51. No.

I did see two men beat the shit out of each other with badminton rackets but that's probably the closest I've come.

I also lived in an apartment above a couple where for a few months I had to call the cops a least twice a week to stop the guy from beating his girlfriend. If he'd had a gun, I'm sure my answer would be different.

And my cousin was robbed at gunpoint on his honeymoon. He and his bride were ambushed in the hotel hallway, forced to open the door, tied up but managed to escape when the robbers were searching the bathroom.

[Baconator]

52. I'm sure the first caveman to lose his dinner to a smaller rival with a big club...

... felt the same way.

[LompocDem]

56. I witnessed a stabbing...

Camden City Hall PATCO station February 1974. My coworker and I were about 30 feet away at an intersecting underground corridor. We saw 2 guys attacking an elderly 80+ man and one was stabbing him in the back of his neck with a knife. We both yelled and ran towards the scene and both perps bolted towards the blind corner that led to the stairs to the street level. A White Castle was at the top of the stairs that is now the Camden Sea Food and Deli. I followed the perps while my coworker tended to the old guy. Fortunately because of the sub freezing weather he was wearing a thick overcoat over his suit jacket and shirt and tie. The only wounds were less than a half inch deep the cops told me later. I took a wide track around the blind corner chasing then thinking either a knife or maybe a gun was around the corner, I was scared shitless BTW. Racing to the top of the stairs and searching for any sign of the perps I saw city cop coming out of the White Castle. While telling him what I saw I spotted someone passing in a car that made eye contact with me as I was talking to the cop. I told him and memorized the plate number of the car and then was asked to go to the main city station with them for a formal statement. Turns out the guy in the car knew the cop I was talking to and his eye contact wasn't at me but the cop. The guy was stopped and taken to the station so I could ID him but there was no anonymity, we were less than thirty feet away in an open office space. Fortunately, the guy had no resemblance to the real perps. The detectives were relieved because that guy was known as a good guy in the neighborhood and attended the same church as many members of the Camden city police.

We missed what we called the 'Speedline' train to Lindenwold and had to wait a bit for the next but both Lanny and I felt good on the ride home knowing some old guy we never got the name of was able to go home that night.

This is a vivid memory of mine from almost 45 years ago.

[askyagerz]

57. I've been shot at out in the middle of nowhere,

Had a friend murdered in chicago.
While in a town of 300 visiting my mom I was standing out on her porch when I heard gunshots and screaming. A block away a jealous guy murdered a family friend in front of his ex as they walked out to their car.
Also had a friend accidentally shoot his sister killing her baby and my exes uncle shot himself while cleaning his pistol.
Gun violence is everywhere...

[diva77]

64. yes, gun violence is everywhere; can't bring more than a couple ounces of shampoo aboard an

airplane, yet it's legal to walk around in public with a concealed weapon.

Forty-two states generally require a state-issued permit in order to carry concealed weapons in public (“CCW” permit). The remaining eight (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming) generally allow individuals to carry concealed weapons in public without a permit.

[nocalflea]

59. Sorta.

My mom was held up (bank teller) when she was pregnant with me. I didn't see anything, but I probably heard the short convo btwn/her and the robber. She immediately quit. My mom blamed my idiosyncrasies on the stress she was under.

She had two interviews with the FBI which scared the hell out of her, though nowhere near as much as the robber did. The fact that she quit her job that soon after the hold-up peaked their interest.

Dad was a teacher so he had 25 or so witnesses to his whereabouts at the time of the robbery.

This was in a city of about 45,000 people, so the FBI guys were probably stoked to get to work a bank hold-up. More what they signed up for than the occasional Fed.background checks they did. (Though I'm sure that they knew about local organized crime and it's broader affliations. I don't want to minimize their work, but small town USA in the '60's).

[raven mad]

60. Yes.

[CozyMystery]

62. Yes. Kidnapped, age 19. Same year, my boyfriend was shot by a robber at his deli. Months in ICU.

He was shot at close range by a .36 pistol (sorry don't know much about guns). His nephew and I cleaned the store. Blood spatter was everywhere. His store had 2 parts -- one a deli, and one with grocery items. There was blood everywhere --- amazing how far it flew. He lost He was shot in the gut from a couple of feet away. Perp was caught, got 8 years in prison.

[Solly Mack]

65. I've seen people get shot. I've been robbed at gunpoint.

I've been shopping when multiple shots rang out, causing people, myself included, to hit the pavement. I was a child at the time.

I've had a gun pointed at me during a domestic between another couple. I had grabbed the infant child to get him away from the fighting couple and the husband turned his weapon on me.

There was a shooting on the next street over during the evening of the 4th of July. The victim crawled to my driveway. The police arrived. With all the bangs going off, the .22 sounded like just another firecracker.



I don't own a gun. Never have.

[H2O Man]

66. Yes.

I had a person who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia hold a double-barrel 12 gauge shotgun to my head. It was unsettling, to say the least.

[diva77]

68. Profoundly disturbing! (as is the rest of this thread)

[H2O Man]

69. Right.

The above experience took place when I was a college student. I had another when I was a forensic psychiatric social worker, assisting a co-worker on a community crisis call. Luckily, seven police vehicles responded.

I've also had two friends murdered by a man who was angry about a card game (he murdered a third man, who I was not familiar with, who happened to be in the parking lot). And about 30 months ago, in a "road rage" incident, a creep shot my cousin and his son. The son died in my cousin's arms, and my cousin, though seriously injured, survived.

I'd note that regarding people with knives, I've had two experiences. In one instance, I did get a cut on my hand. But I was able to disarm both before help arrived. One was inside the mental health clinic. I could not have done so if they had guns.

[xmas74]

67. I was told he had a gun and his friend had a knife.

I saw the knife and did as I was told.

[nolabels]

70. In Jr High about 45 years ago two friends got shot just outside of campus

Some newly transferred in guy wanted to be in our group as the toughest guy going. He got beat up a couple times with guys that he picked a fight with. In within a few weeks from coming there, he got suspended from school. He got very angry with our click I would guess and came back to school locked and loaded to deal with it.

He had a 44cal pistol but fortunately only had target practice rounds from when he would go with dad to the range. Our friend Doug was shot in the chest twice and Chad in the lower back. Both survived easily because they were practice rounds. Doug's blood was spurting out at first because it hit a fair sized artery in his lung and one just missed his heart. Doug still had some problems for about six months after and spent some time in intensive care.

We lived in the heart of white suburbia so it kind of seemed out of ordinary for me at the time