shots fired on my block.

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dark.zero.x

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Dec 18, 2011
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This evening I, and my roommates, had an intresting experiance. Someone fired off between 9 and 13 rounds this evening. Due to not hearing the sound of a car, I belive they were on foot, and the lack of an ambulance tells me no one was hurt. ( police were on scene in less than 5 minutes) most of us were playing a video game together on our computers, using voice chat to communicate, on hearing the shots we all asked if we heard them and on conformation we moved into action. The two upstairs roommates immediately came into my room were I was readying my ar 15, my brother was smart enough to also run upstairs into my room, I gave my brother my 870 wich he loaded. We stayed in my room away from the windows waiting to hear anything. Didnt hear sirens but saw the spotlight around 5 minutes later. None of us had our phones immediately near us (I left mine In the car, not something I'm going to be doing again.) So I told them to stay as I went downstairs to see if i could get a handle on the situation. We waited about 30 min before we stareted to move around and made sure that the house was secured. This neighborhood is normally very quiet but about 10 blocks from a "bad" part of town, this is starting to happen more frequently, and ill have more information in the morning. Needless to say, its time to get the roommates shooting more often than we do. If anyone has any better idea about how to handle things like this, please chime in.
 
Seems to me that you did every thing right. Only thing else I may have done would have been to shut off the interior lights so I could look outside without revealing myself.
 
keep your AR ready, and thr 870 loaded would help. A "readied" AR on two bike hooks on the top inside of your closet is a great place to keep it tucked away from prying eyes, but easily available
 
If you are concerned of errand shots, you might consider positioning the heavy furniture against the walls facing the street to stop, or slow down, rounds. Bookshelves, dressers, desks, etc. You might also lay prone - maybe excessive but it's a tactic. Makes you a smaller target.

As far as other tactics, you did fine. Weapons ready, lights off, alert, phones handy.
 
Very scary. I am glad no one was hurt but I'd be sleeping with an eye open for a while.
 
Get a police scanner of some sort. In some towns real time crime reports are online.
 
So, I looked into it. My city has a "shotspotter" system, too bad the system works poorly. No police report to be found, No victim, no crime I guess. (great)
went into the alley way were I thought the shots came from, and found brass. Federal .40, didnt see any holes around from what I could tell.
 
Sounds like you did right

Make sure the guns are quick and easy to 'ready'.

Inside lights off. Have portable light at your discretion.

Don't leave the house unless you have to get your brother inside (from the car or yard).

Retain cell phone (you knew that).

Post watchers to keep track of approach routes.

Information is King. Also Queen, crown prince and jester. Do as little as possible without knowing what is happening.
 
Stay low. Dark is your friend, watch your six.

We have had eight murders within 1,000 yards of our home since 2008. Yeah, I measured them. Hood is across RR and big road, but we are within rifle range. Used to try and talk to wife and daughters about numerous "what ifs". But they thought I was crazy. Oh well, I was and am prepared.
 
Why are you loading guns? a baseball bat is more effective than an empty gun. I dont get the impression theres little kids around.
 
You handled it fine. You made ready and didn't go out or do anything stupid.
As you said, getting everyone out shooting more would be a plus. Also, keep the guns loaded if there are no children around which there doesn't seem like there is. If it makes you more comfortable, just don't keep one in the pipe.

Stories like that make me glad I live out in the sticks. Of course, I do hear gunfire all the time. I'd think it strange if a day went by that I didn't.
 
Living in the country with a lot of gun-toting meat-eating folk living around me, I've grown so used to the sounds of gunfire at all times of the day that I don't even notice anymore. I was out gardening the other day, and over the course of a two hour period, heard gunfire from 7 different directions. I count the shots and try to guess the neighbor and caliber. "BOOM BOOM BOOM"... wait... yup, that's Jeff with his 12 gauge. 8 shots, delay, 8 shots.. yeah, that's across the lake, guy with a 1911. 17 shots.. Bill's 9mm..

50 shots in rapid succession.. yeah that's that guy Trent with his damn P90...

:)

Also, I like to play a game with it too. When I have company over, sometimes they'll want to shoot a few rounds off the back deck. 99% of the time, there will be an answering volley of gunfire sounded from one direction or another. Like fireworks on the 4th of July.. once the first guy starts, the rest jump in.

I post this up because when I first moved out here, hearing gunfire loud and clear out my window at night would leave me scrambling for a rifle, like in the original post. Now? Not so much. Not unless it's REAL close. :)
 
Good job of staying safe and by reacting with caution!!

I lived in a neighborhood in Yuma, Arizona about 5 yrs. ago that was incredibly violent. We had shootings all the time, and unfortunately someone usually got hurt. It was so bad that at least once a month I had LE chasing suspects through my fenced property. One time my neighbor got shot by a stray bullet, which was when my wife and I decided to pack up and move.

You might think about moving to a better neighborhood if things continue to escalate.

GS
 
dark.zero.x said:
This evening I, and my roommates, had an intresting experiance. Someone fired off between 9 and 13 rounds this evening. Due to not hearing the sound of a car, I belive they were on foot, and the lack of an ambulance tells me no one was hurt. ( police were on scene in less than 5 minutes) most of us were playing a video game together on our computers, using voice chat to communicate, on hearing the shots we all asked if we heard them and on conformation we moved into action. The two upstairs roommates immediately came into my room were I was readying my ar 15, my brother was smart enough to also run upstairs into my room, I gave my brother my 870 wich he loaded. We stayed in my room away from the windows waiting to hear anything. Didnt hear sirens but saw the spotlight around 5 minutes later. None of us had our phones immediately near us (I left mine In the car, not something I'm going to be doing again.) So I told them to stay as I went downstairs to see if i could get a handle on the situation. We waited about 30 min before we stareted to move around and made sure that the house was secured. This neighborhood is normally very quiet but about 10 blocks from a "bad" part of town, this is starting to happen more frequently, and ill have more information in the morning. Needless to say, its time to get the roommates shooting more often than we do. If anyone has any better idea about how to handle things like this, please chime in.
Click to expand...
I would hop into a bathtub with my gun if I was you.
 
Lights out shades drawn, and stay away from windows. That's all you can do until police arrive on scene. I alerted police about 2 years ago. they caught 3 "kids" between 17-19, a girl and 2 boys, who had ditched their guns in the bushes.
Nothing ever came of it after the cops caught them. One of my neighbors went down to review the Police Report, and there was none. Either someone knew someone on the force, or squashed it.
No one seemed to remember what happened.
If you do find them, make sure you press charges yourself.
 
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Hey gamestalker, I used to live in Yuma. Lived there from 82-2000 or so. My neighborhood was daily quiet. Around 16th and Ave B. Only trouble like that I found I had to go look for. My parents moved me there from East LA, to try to avoid "noisy" neighborhoods.
The only gun fire I hear now is the same as a few others here, neighbors just having a good time. I'm in southwest MO now.
 
Depending in where I lived at the time changed the way I reacted to shots in the neighborhood. Living in east LA, a shot in the neighborhood wasn't too uncommon. I waited to hear for a scream or tires squeeling before I ventured out. Either way I always had a pistol ready incase it was a "propper" shooting and the was the possibility of a shooter in the "hood". Out here in "the country", depending on the direction, usually not something to worry about. And I'm usually the one shooting, with the kids, these days.
 
Speaking of booms in the night. I think one of the neighboring farms is using dynamite to clear some land. Been some spectacular, low, thunderous booms the last week or so. Followed by the sound of distant cheering.

While gunfire doesn't get much of my attention at night, the sound of moderately large explosions that rattle my windows sure does!
 
Living in the country with a lot of gun-toting meat-eating folk living around me, I've grown so used to the sounds of gunfire at all times of the day that I don't even notice anymore. I was out gardening the other day, and over the course of a two hour period, heard gunfire from 7 different directions. I count the shots and try to guess the neighbor and caliber. "BOOM BOOM BOOM"... wait... yup, that's Jeff with his 12 gauge. 8 shots, delay, 8 shots.. yeah, that's across the lake, guy with a 1911. 17 shots.. Bill's 9mm..
Click to expand...

Funny as I do this too with my neighbors... Christmas day usually sounds like a war zone out here. course I do think one of them acquired a 50BMG or other big bore, recently as holy heck is that thing loud.
 
I generally know, as my neighbor across the street shoots cowboy action. You can tell when a competition is looming because of the steel plates being shot at his practice range. There's the pistolas, the rifle, and then the unmistakable boom of the shotty at the end.

I keep meaning to go over and introduce myself, but haven't yet.
 
Here's a situation that haunts me. I hear shots fired, or some sort of commotion in the neighborhood. I secure the house, move away from the windows, grab my firearm. The police, for whatever reason, kick in my door and find me sitting the middle of the living room with a shotgun in my hands. Game over.

We've seen it played out before - I recall a former Marine who was shot when police conducted a no-knock raid on the wrong house and he went to investigate with an AR in his hands. Still haven't figured out how to resolve this concern, other than building a safe room...
 
All I have to say to that is, drop the gun quick, or shoot back if they shoot at you. Just so it is clear I am not advocating shooting at police officers, but I would rather live to suffer the consequences than die. Its entirely up to you.
 
Arkansas Paul said:
I generally know, as my neighbor across the street shoots cowboy action. You can tell when a competition is looming because of the steel plates being shot at his practice range. There's the pistolas, the rifle, and then the unmistakable boom of the shotty at the end.

I keep meaning to go over and introduce myself, but haven't yet.
Click to expand...

The guy a couple houses up the road from me was having an afternoon gun-party in his backyard about a year after I moved out here. I loaded up a duffel bag and walked down the road. Got there, introduced myself, they asked if I wanted to shoot and I pointed at the bag, "Brought my own boomsticks."

It took all of about 2 minutes before I realized all of them were heavily inebriated. Dozens of beer cans laying about the back yard.

I didn't stay very long.

It would have been easier to depart (gracefully) if I hadn't brought the shooting irons with me. But I managed without any hurt feelings. I even made a point, when they offered me a beer, I accepted and said "I don't drink and shoot, so I'll take the beer, but after that I'm heading home."

Not a bad group, just a bit irresponsible about mixing alcohol and guns.

We don't mingle much now, 5 years later. Wave when we see each other but that's about it.
 
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