Tags
america, crime, domestic violence, guns, medication, mental illness, mentally ill, police, schizophrenia, shooter, violence
I heard gunshots yesterday morning at about 9. I got down on the floor and stayed there for a while. After several minutes of silence and sirens I made my way to the window. I could see the police blocking off the streets. My neighbors were outside beneath my window. I heard more sirens.
I called my husband at work and said, “I don’t know what is happening but I am okay. There were gunshots and now the police are blocking off the street.” We talked for a minute and then we hung up.
I looked out the window again, and my neighbors were gathered and talking on the street. I decided to put on some jeans, go downstairs, and ask my neighbors what was going on. I headed out my condo door.
On the street, I joined a group of my neighbors. “Did that wake you up?” One of my neighbors asked.
“No, I’ve been up for hours.” I said.
“There is a shooter somewhere.” One of my neighbors said.
“I am going back in. It probably isn’t safe on the street.” I said and headed back toward the front door.
When I got back upstairs I heard the police tell everyone to get inside, “Now!”
I heard more gunfire.
I went into the back bathroom of my house with my tablet and cellphone. I called my husband. I told him I was hiding in the bathroom. He looked up the news and told me there was an active shooter in our neighborhood. While I was talking to him I could hear rapid gunfire. I told my husband the neighborhood was blocked off completely and not to come home. I said, “It is dangerous here, don’t come.”
My husband had to go to a meeting, so I called my mom and then my dad. While I was talking to my mom I heard men on the roof of my building. I heard loud voices and banging. I hung up the phone and walked into the closest to see if I could hear what the people somewhere in my building were saying.
The banging got louder. I heard people yelling, “Police! Open up!”
I crept into the front room and went to the front door. I opened it slightly, and there were about ten to fifteen officers in my hallway. One of them said, “Come here, right now.”
“Can I lock my door? Can I get my keys?” I asked.
They told me no, so I went down the hall to them in my bare feet and with my door open. I was terrified. I told one of the officers, “I have a mental illness.”
The officer shouted, “Wait, we have someone here with a mental illness!”
My neighbor, who was also in the hallway said, “Who has a mental illness?”
The officer and I didn’t say anything.
They put us in the elevator and told us to push the button for floor 1 and go to apartment 3. They told us officers would be waiting. We went to the 1st floor, and made our way to apartment 3 where several officers escorted us outside and down the street.
I borrowed my neighbor’s cell phone and called my husband. I told him I had been evacuated and I didn’t have shoes. My husband left his meeting, and started to run from downtown toward home. When he arrived several blocks away, the officers told him to go back. He finally talked to an officer and told him that his wife was close to the incident and that he could see me in a black t-shirt standing in a group of people. The officer started to escort him down the street, and I saw him and started walking toward him. Once the officer saw me coming toward them, he let my husband continue on his own.
At one point I told a female officer that I had paranoid schizophrenia and that I would need my medication by 5. The officer took my name, my apartment number, and where I kept my medication. She came back twice during the ordeal to update me on getting my medication. She was truly compassionate, took my illness and needs seriously and was more than willing to help me try and get what I needed.
We learned that the original call to police was a domestic disturbance and when the police arrived the man in the apartment building next to ours shot at the police barely missing an officer.
We spent the next 4-5 hours standing on the street, waiting for the stand-off between the shooter and the police to be over. The police were eventually able to take the shooter into custody. Thankfully, no one got hurt.
We were let back in our home at approximately 3. My feet were sore and dirty, my face was sunburnt, my back hurt, and I was on the verge of tears.
O_O That was indeed a very frightening experience. I’m glad nothing more serious happened.
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It was terrifying. Yes, it is amazing that no one was hurt. The shooter almost hit an officer – thankfully, that didn’t happen.
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And it was domestic violence. It’s amazing the person didn’t get to shoot a family member.
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The girlfriend was able to run out of the apartment shortly after it started.
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I am very happy that you are okay. If you need to talk please, let us know.
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Thank you so much!! 🙂
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I’m so glad you’re safe and that no one got hurt. How are you feeling today?
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I am a little teary this morning. It was a very long day. The standoff took about five hours.
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Wow!!
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Frightening! Glad everyone is ok
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Yes, it is amazing no one got hurt.
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I’m so sorry to hear about this. I’m so glad to hear the officer was so compassionate and that your husband was able to join you. I’m so grateful to hear everyone is safe.
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Yes, the officer that I told about my medication was very compassionate. She was great. I, too, am glad no one was injured.
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It just occurred to me, was this the incident that showed up on the national news last night (closing the airport)?
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Yes, I live in the flight path.
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Oh, my gosh. Take the very best of care. I hope you have a peaceful day today. I imagine it will take awhile to shake this experience off.
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Thank you. I am a little emotional today.
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Holy cow. Glad for the end result and the compassiom during, but … yikes.
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I know. It was terrifying for a while there.
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I really feel for you, I was terrified reading this, imagining myself in your shoes. I’m glad the police were so compassionate. So glad I live in Britain.
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I hope you are okay now.
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Thank you. I am a little emotional today, but doing just fine.
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Very glad to hear no one was hurt in this terrifying incident! I was rather taken aback when you wrote that the officer yelled out that you have a mental illness…I mean, it’s very good to hear of the understanding around your medication, but the one who announced it should have maybe not made that part public. I do see the urgency in the situation but still.. had you wished to keep your illness private from your neighbours, this would have been a gross violation of your privacy.
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I know. I think the first officer, the one who called out about my mental illness, realized his mistake. No, my neighbors don’t know I am mentally ill. At least I have never shared that information with them.
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Wow, you handled it very well. I hope you never have to experience anything like that again. And even though the experience was certainly very terrifying, I’m glad you also got to experience the compassion of the officer, and the support of your husband and parents. Thanking God for watching over you all.
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Thank you! Yes, it is truly a miracle that there were no injuries.
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So pleased you’re ok.
Take care.
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Thank you!
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Scary! Glad you’re ok and that they accommodated your needs.
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Thank you!!! 🙂
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I can’t imagine what you went through. Please take care of yourself. Will be thinking of you.
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Thank you!!! 🙂
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Woah omg that is crazy terrifying!! I’m glad you’re okay, and also it’s nice to hear that the police were so considerate about your illness!
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The police were really great – the officer I dealt with was so compassionate.
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Scary, so glad you and everyone else are OK.
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Yes, it is amazing that there were no injuries.
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I am so sorry you had to deal with this. Please continue to communicate your feelings and thoughts to friends and family. I am suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome. Talking candidly about the fear and shock go along way in abating further complications. Because of my bi-polar illness it is necessary to keep sensory overload to a minimum.
I’m wishing you peace. I am so sorry you were faced with such a horrifying experience.
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Oh my god! Terrifying experience and i am so sorry that happened to you!! Did they offer any of the people any kind of counseling after that? They should! :0 thank god no one was hurt
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No, they didn’t offer counseling. They did offer to have us go and wait at a Red Cross station to get water and food.
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Wow! I’m happy you’re okay. That is awful. I can’t imagine.
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Thank you. It was scary!
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I hope that everyone were find in the end. It must be frightening to experience it first hand.
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There were no injuries – thankfully. Yes, it was scary.
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That is such a great news to know! 🙂
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Yes! I was thankful there were no injuries!
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What a frightening experience! The thing I am glad about was that you got a positive, helpful, compassionate response from police. We hear too often of cases where that doesn’t happen. You also handled it in a really smart, practical way, all the way through. I hope I would respond as well in such a situation (hoping though never to encounter such a situation). I hope the fear and uncertainty of it will be able to wash over you and then pass away, something to be remembered but not to stay with you emotionally.
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Scary! I’m glad you and everyone involved are okay. It’s nice to read that your illness was taken seriously.
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I hope you are feeling a bit better now, it sounds so very scary
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Yes, I was a little emotional the day after it happened, but I am fine now. Thank you!! 🙂
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Unbelievable and surreal! Sometimes I am glad I live in Canada where there is much more gun control . . .
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It was unbelievable!
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What a terrible ordeal! I’m glad that you are alright!
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Thank you! It was frightening!
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