Gunshot outside my apartment

[mlmooney89]

As a lot of you know I live in Austin Texas, the state capital and one of the biggest cities in the country (ranks #11) It's not a safe city but I live outside city limits and in a good part of town not to mention in a gated apartment complex.

My bedroom is up against the staircase to the second floor and my bed is against that wall. At about 0125 a gunshot rang out on the staircase, something fell down the stairs, someone ran down the stairs after, and ran to a car before driving away very fast.

It so happens that my 6'4" paramedic husband is on a 48 hour shift and I'm home with the baby and the dog alone. I called the cops and they found the casing I heard him say it was a .38. There was no blood or body so they have no idea what was being shot at.

Now I'm wide awake, scared of my own front door, and wishing my gun wasn't in my truck. Granted I wouldn't need it cause I'm not going outside anytime soon and anyone coming in would need to get past an extremely protective 75lb husky but I feel rather defenseless right now. I hate living in a big city.

Sorry I just needed to get this all out so I could possibly get some sleep before needing to be up for work in 3.5 hours.

[KittyAnn]

I think I understand you ..
living in a big city is neither easy nor pleasant...especially if we're dealing with crime on a daily basis.. i know something about this.. I'm so sorry Mooney!!!
I hope now it's everything all right and that you had a chance even for a small quiet nap... lot's of hugs!!!

[Cod]

That is scary. Hope you managed to sleep ok.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Be safe!

[mlmooney89]

Thanks y'all, I laid down about 2ish and fell asleep sometime after three. Charlie decided she was hungry around 530 so I'm up for work now.

I was mostly scared about the what if which I know you shouldn't do because that just fucks with your head. I saw an episode of 48 Hours (which is a show that documents real crimes and the detectives that work them) and someone shot into a house and accidentally killed a six year old boy that was asleep in bed. If they had shot sideways instead of straight down the staircase myself and my daughter would have been in the bullets path. Only a thin wall was between us. I'm not used to crime.

I'm from a small town full of soldiers. You can leave you car unlocked in my childhood neighborhood. I've lived in Austin for five years but it's always been on the outskirts, like I said in the op it's a safe neighborhood. I mean I wouldn't leave my car unlocked but I feel safe enough my gun stays in my truck because I'm more scared of needing it down town. I've never heard a gun go off anywhere other than the shooting range nevertheless a few feet from my head while I slept.

[Brian37]

As a lot of you know I live in Austin Texas, the state capital and one of the biggest cities in the country (ranks #11) It's not a safe city but I live outside city limits and in a good part of town not to mention in a gated apartment complex.

My bedroom is up against the staircase to the second floor and my bed is against that wall. At about 0125 a gunshot rang out on the staircase, something fell down the stairs, someone ran down the stairs after, and ran to a car before driving away very fast.

It so happens that my 6'4" paramedic husband is on a 48 hour shift and I'm home with the baby and the dog alone. I called the cops and they found the casing I heard him say it was a .38. There was no blood or body so they have no idea what was being shot at.

Now I'm wide awake, scared of my own front door, and  wishing my gun wasn't in my truck. Granted I wouldn't need it cause I'm not going outside anytime soon and anyone coming in would need to get past an extremely protective 75lb husky but I feel rather defenseless right now. I hate living in a big city.

Sorry I just needed to get this all out so I could possibly get some sleep before needing to be up for work in 3.5 hours.

Gun violence is not limited to big cities, it is also in the suburbs and rural areas too. It is way past time we stop looking at this as a city vs rural issue, it has been a flooded market and ease of access issue. I live in the sticks comparatively speaking and I hear stories of shootings here on a regular basis.

Hopefully it was just some idiot making noise for fun.

[mlmooney89]

All I know is that I lived next to a military base for 23 years and never once had an issue or had to call the cops.

[Brian37]

All I know is that I lived next to a military base for 23 years and never once had an issue or had to call the cops.

Um maybe you sure, but in the history of mass shootings even military bases have been targets. Navy Yard in D.C. is one example, I think Ft Hood was another.

I feel lucky myself I am 51, have not touched a firearm since I was 19. I did have some idiot walk between my house with a riffle up his coat sleeve a couple years ago. But even where I live I do worry about the possibility. And it is very rural compared to where you say you live.

And again, I have not, nor will ever call for a 100% ban on all firearms. But we make way too many and they are way too easy to obtain.

[brewer]

Does your gated complex have surveillance cameras? Or electronic logs for gate entry/exit?

And what does this have to do with mass shootings?

[Brian37]

Does your gated complex have surveillance cameras?

And what does this have to do with mass shootings?

Ugggggggg, nice distraction.

The Navy Yard had cameras and security and gates.

The issue isn't security, the issue has been for far too long ease of access.

I think our government should sit down with Scotland and Australia and LISTEN to what they have done to reduce gun violence. They allow firearms and they are not fascist dictatorships and they are western and open societies. 

The amount of firearm injuries and deaths are due to an unhealthy obsession with them. It isn't that one can get rid of them 100%, but our attitudes do need to change and we need to put public safety above industry profits.