BEVS

Karma for that sentence.

Floridablues

Just last year there was 2 different 'domestic' gun killings in my road. First was a young lady shot late at night on her driveway by her ex partner. Couple of weeks later at the community swimming pool on a Friday afternoon during a child visitation handover the ex partner/father pulls out a gun and shoots the new boyfriend. I actually heard the 3 shots and a few minutes later watched the police cars arrive. Pretty sure both were not reported on local news channels only local neighbourhood forums.

civilservant

I can think of at least one 2 shootings within a 20 mile radius of my home in the last 18 months. One was a Sheriffs Deputy shot by a suspect fleeing from a crime in Atlanta that had been cornered, the other was a brother shooting another brother to percent him inflicting injuries on the 2nds spouse.

Every day occurrence in the US. I personally don't think about it. I train with my pistol on a weekly basis, and it's always within 4 feet of me, but the training is something that I enjoy rather than do it just because I might need it.

As always, if you stay in the 'decent' parts of town you are very unlikely to encounter gun violence.

civilservant

Gun violence is highly localized, there is data to support that.

thanks for the insult though. Sticks and stones.

kimilseung

The access to a gun was something we considered, in our family debrief. First the shots came unannounced and unseen, though heard.
Then the conflicting feedback, the Sound definitely sounded behind to our left.
But ahead to our left was where people were diving for cover.
They dived to our left, which suggested the the threat was from the right.
The escaping person came from behind to our right.
All this conflicting data in just establishing were a shooter is, who already has a gun out, pointed, and pulling the trigger. the bullets find their destination according to physics. We went to our right, trusting our ears, I think that was correct. But the bullets were flying, from a never seen source. I don't think having a weapon within a few feet would have changed that.
2 incidents within 20 miles? Almost a war zone

Lion in Winter

Indeed. Who exactly would you have shot?

I have been at close quarters to gunfire several times, in Chicago, the closest being in a holdup in a hardware store. Any attempt to actually shoot someone would probably have resulted in multiple innocent people getting hurt. The guy behind the counter sensibly handed over the cash. I had nipped behind a stack of five-gallon paint drums. Stickup guy left, nobody got hurt.

Lion in Winter

Two good points.

spouse of scouse

That would have been scary as hell LiW. Very sensible counter guy. No inanimate object is worth getting killed for, nor killing for.

civilservant

I’m not suggesting that I would have shot anyone. Simply that you can’t avoid the risk, and therefore should be as prepared as possible.

kimilseung

You also said, by any reasonable inference, that hundreds of thousands, no, millions of people, should just suck it up, including my family, because they can't afford to be a nice enough bourgeois. In a nice bourgeois neighbourhood.

civilservant

.... that’s quite an inference. It’s also complete crap. By my own admission, there have been several incidents in my own area recently.

i wouldn’t consider it a war zone. It’s the cost of living in the US. I don’t spend any time worrying about it.

scrubbedexpat097

We were in one of the wealthiest parts of South Houston visiting a Mall with family visiting from England. It was early Sunday afternoon, the Mall opened at noon so not too busy. We heard gunfire and screams. The security guards were telling everyone to get into stores. We ran into a large Dillards with lots of other scared shoppers. The metal doors closed and we were all told to move back into the store.
The gunfire was a holdup in a jewelry store and the bad guys fired randomly as they ran towards the exit.

So good or bad areas really make no difference.

kimilseung

with a mere 2 incidents within 20 miles, and the finances to be away from such places, one wonders why you are unable to avoid it. You almost sound paranoid.

civilservant

Quite the opposite. I’m very comfortable and prepared but not paranoid.

Red_Wine_Fairy

We've been to Florida twice on holiday and never heard any trouble the first time (hubby has been all over on business). The second time (3? years ago), we took our youngest who hadn't been before. We told her not to worry as we'd never had any trouble and it was very unlikely we'd have any again. Coming out of the Arby's (first food place once we got off a flight that evening) we told her - keep your head down, shut the door as soon as you're in the car, don't stop lying down until Dad says you can. It is purely situational and I'm sure pretty rare. But when it happens it scares the daylights out of you. Glad your family is ok, Kim