Yesterday afternoon, at quarter to five, in the middle of rush hour, outside a Starbucks on the main street in my city, about one and a half miles from my building, there was a fatal shooting. Less than a month after the last fatal shooting (the one that happened across the street from my building, in the parking lot of a rec centre right after a hockey game finished) my city has been hit with another.
You guys, my city is not a murdery place. Our police department doesn't even have a homicide unit. We have to bring in the Vancouver homicide unit to investigate our murders, that's how few murders my city usually has.
They're saying both shootings are gang-related, targeted hits. Which is somewhat comforting, I guess. I mean, it's better than someone randomly shooting people on the street. But is it comforting to know that there are warring gangs settling their disputes on our streets in broad daylight? No, it is not. Are we supposed to be confident that they know how to shoot a gun with precise aim and that innocent bystanders aren't in any danger?
Look, I know that there are much scarier places than my little city. There are people living in much more dangerous places dealing with much scarier things. I get it. But I chose to live here. I have walked past that Starbucks a hundred times with Grady. The farmers market we go to is in that same rec centre parking lot. It feels like the steps I normally take to reduce my risk (step one: don't join a gang; step two: don't make anyone want to shoot my face) are no longer enough. But what can I do to protect myself in a situation like this? Don't leave my home, ever? It's tempting.
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What a bummer, Hillary. If you're anything like me, then parenting has given you new perspective on life. It's not that I lived recklessly before I had a baby, but I am definitely more aware of my surroundings and the people inhabiting them now that I'm a parent. I always use Gavin as a barometer - what kind of life do I want for him. My answer usually involves words like seeing the world, cultured, exploring, trying new things ... and that's when I know I have to keep trudging forward, despite some of the more marginal parts of our society.
ReplyDeleteGranted I live not far from DC where sadly there are murders daily (I'm not exaggerating). But I know what you mean. You try your best to pick a place that is safe, get use to it, visit shops and restaurants on a regular basis, want your little on to be safe, but crap like this happens. I hope this gang takes there "business" elsewhere and are removed off the streets soon.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, don't lock yourself up. Keep doing what you're doing, just keep being aware.
it seems so much worse when it's personalized. Wee Guy and I are frequent flyers at that Starbucks/SHARE shop, and we're often in and out of the library/rec centre. i drove past the police action shortly after the shooting last night and my heart sank that the action was so close to home (again - one of the whacked-a-few-years-ago lived just up the street from me, opposite a daycare!)
ReplyDeleteBut ... it's still an OK place to live.
I'm getting reeeeaaally tired of all these gang related problems plaguing Vancouver and the surrounding cities.
ReplyDeleteScary!! Sorry to hear that happened so close to you guys :(. Last year there was a fatal stabbing here on the basketball court right BESIDE our farmers market and like 2 blocks from my current office. It was also gang-related but very scary nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteThat's so scary. I agree it feels "better" when it's gang-related, because at least you know no one would...MEAN to shoot you. ...Not that we could do a comforting cross-stitch of that. But still.
ReplyDeleteugh, how terrible. i don't think you have to justify the whole not wanting gang-murders on your doorstep thing. maybe the gangs will... move on..? migrate..? blargh.
ReplyDeleteI agree, totally scary. I drove by there today on my way to the mall and it just felt creepy knowing what had happened there yesterday. It doesn't fit the city's usual image. I know it's targeted and it's unlikely others would get physically injured in these cases, but what I wonder is - what if you just walked out of Starbucks as the guy was doing the shooting and he felt startled? What then? Or are they just so focused on getting the one person that they don't really care who's in the vicinity? I don't know...but it's scary and even if the risk of getting shot is low because you're not the target they're looking for, witnessing that would be a lifelong trauma. Yikes. I hope all this gang shooting calms down around here...
ReplyDeleteThis has been happening a lot in Seattle, too - not in my neighborhood but in the one adjacent to where I live. For a "safe" city, it's getting pretty dangerous out there.
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