Last night at dinnertime, I got an alert on my phone that two men had robbed an Auto Zone store and one person had been shot. As I looked at the alert, I realized it was an Auto Zone that was less than a half-mile from where two of my daughters live, and a little further from one of my brothers.
Way. Too. Close for comfort!
As the story develops, it turns out that one of the robbers was pistol-whipping an 18-year old employee, so a good samaritan customer who had a carry conceal license pulled his weapon. The robber turned his weapon on the customer and shot him. He later died at the scene.
The good news, if you can extract any, should have been a fire department one-half mile in one direction and a police station just beyond where my girls live. It was also 6:00 in a hugely busy area of town, but they got away.
Fast forward another twenty or so minutes and another alert comes through that someone was shot at a grocery store about a mile from my third daughter’s house (oldest). This one was a little less disturbing because the victim was the criminal. Two police officers were helping a woman in the parking lot who was locked out of their car.
An employee of the store came out and pointed to a woman who was getting into her vehicle with arms full of alcohol bottles. Did I mention she was pregnant? No? Hmm. Anyway, she got in her car and one officer stepped in front of it while the other stood to the side of her drivers’ side window. She was ordered about a dozen times to get out of the vehicle. She locked her doors and started her engine.
She drove toward the officer in front of her and as he backed up, he shot at the window, hitting the driver and ultimately killing her.
While *that* was going on, just outside that store, there was a vehicle accident where a car was overturned. No doubt gawkers.
I live outside of Columbus Ohio in a northeast suburb. Crime is everywhere. I’m not dumb enough to think it isn’t. A few years ago, two of our officers responded to a domestic dispute call and both were shot and killed. It was terribly tragic and this entire community mourned. The man got life in prison, I believe.
About two years ago, a woman who had been missing from a neighborhood across from ours was found in the woods across the street from the entrance to our neighborhood. While the husband was tried, there wasn’t enough evidence to convict and he now writes about being a victim.
Crime happens. I wish it didn’t, but I studied criminology in college and had an option of declaring that as my major when I graduated, but I chose a much less pigeon-holing sociology degree. I understand the criminal mind a little better than some and not as well as others.
Still, when it happens so close to home and repeatedly, it’s a little unnerving. One of the responsibilities I take very seriously is keeping my parents safe from harm, including crime. We’ve had a few close calls, but so far, we’ve been fortunate.
One of the last texts I sent to my middle daughter that night was, “I’m so sick of people” meaning criminals and people who are impatient, unkind, and unwilling to be decent human beings.
Today was just a rant. I really don’t have a question for you today. I appreciate you ‘listening’ to me complain.
Tomorrow, I’ll be happier – promise!