When Someone You Know Gets Shot and Killed

Just found out that one of the guys I knew from dancing back in my hometown was shot and killed the other night. Apparently he was an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two groups of people started shooting at each other and a stray bullet hit him and he died at the hospital.

He wasn't a close friend, but the dance community can be closely knit. Saw him every week when I was dancing and at a lot of social events that we both went to.

Just completely tragic random senseless bullE36 M3 for something like this to happen to a guy.

http://www.news10.net/news/article/205520/2/Innocent-bystander-killed-in-Midtown-parking-lot-shooting

(and please please please do not turn this into any pro/anti gun thing)

Not too uncommon around here. Last one was a teenage girl outside a club. A few years back there was a 5 year old in a car that got hit in the crossfire as they passed a shootout. Many of these situations are unavoidable. Prayers to his family.

Pretty tough when someone leaves so suddenly . Makes you think. Sorry for your loss

Sorry to hear man.

Man, sorry to hear that. Best wishes for his family.

I feel a bit weird in that... I wasn't nearly as close to him as a lot of other people out there. I don't feel like the loss is mine as much as everyone else's in that dancing community. It's like if a coworker in the department next to your's died.

I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it all. Just really unnerved about something like that happening so close to home. Sacramento is not a place where I think of lots of gun violence occurring.

There was a shooting in my apartment complex Saturday morning at 2:37AM. I was asleep and heard 3 quick shots--I immediately sat straight up and wondered what I broke. About 20 seconds later, there was another shot, maybe a 5 second pause, and maybe 3-5 more quick shots. It turns out that a girl was hit, but is in good condition.

I'm currently scouring the lease to find if there is a way out. There isn't

In reply to mtn:

That sucks right there.

Condolences to you, and his family. TRoglodyte is right, something that sudden is just such a shock.

mtn wrote: There was a shooting in my apartment complex Saturday morning at 2:37AM. I was asleep and heard 3 quick shots--I immediately sat straight up and wondered what I broke. About 20 seconds later, there was another shot, maybe a 5 second pause, and maybe 3-5 more quick shots. It turns out that a girl was hit, but is in good condition. I'm currently scouring the lease to find if there is a way out. There isn't

Random gunfire sounds like an escape clause to me.

mtn wrote: There was a shooting in my apartment complex Saturday morning at 2:37AM. I was asleep and heard 3 quick shots--I immediately sat straight up and wondered what I broke. About 20 seconds later, there was another shot, maybe a 5 second pause, and maybe 3-5 more quick shots. It turns out that a girl was hit, but is in good condition. I'm currently scouring the lease to find if there is a way out. There isn't

Don't bet on it. In most states if they can't guarantee your safety then there's an out that's not printed in the lease.

That does suck, and sorry for your loss. Yeah, it happened here, too. A guy I used to ride BMX with back in the day moved home to run the family store. One night, he was gunned down. Last I heard, no one was charged. Out of respect, his name/number are still in my phonebook.

I have driven through a gangshootout.. in an E350.... how the van did not take a single shot, I will never know.

Condolances to your friend's family

Beer Baron wrote: I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it all. Just really unnerved about something like that happening so close to home. Sacramento is not a place where I think of lots of gun violence occurring.

It may seem a little blunt, but then again that's how I am. It's not to be mean, but for crystal clarity on my feelings.

I drop it in the "E36 M3 happens" bucket. No reason for you to stress it, but spend a minute or two remembering him. Death is just a process of life and sometimes it happens when we think it shouldn't.

carguy123 wrote:

mtn wrote: There was a shooting in my apartment complex Saturday morning at 2:37AM. I was asleep and heard 3 quick shots--I immediately sat straight up and wondered what I broke. About 20 seconds later, there was another shot, maybe a 5 second pause, and maybe 3-5 more quick shots. It turns out that a girl was hit, but is in good condition. I'm currently scouring the lease to find if there is a way out. There isn't

Don't bet on it. In most states if they can't guarantee your safety then there's an out that's not printed in the lease.

Carguy is right. Your lawyer is your escape clause. They will tremble in fear at your lawyer.

I hate being woken with gunfire.

mad_machine wrote: I have driven through a gangshootout.. in an E350.... how the van did not take a single shot, I will never know.

Really?

Removed hotlink

Same sort of weird acquaintance/coincidence here.

The bar across the street where my girlfriend and I used to live (and obviously frequent) had a charismatic youngish bartender, Mike, who knew us well - in the sense that any great dive bartender knows his loyal drunk patrons. He was in the early stages of MS but still 98% ambulatory, and still very much an awesome, salty bartender.

We moved away from stumbling distance and only visited the bar infrequently, but it was always still like old friends and good times.

He moved to another bar a few months later. On a Sunday night when he had a couple customers at his bar, he was held up by two guys. Given a tiny window of opportunity, Mike made a run for it into the kitchen - speculation was that he ran to grab a gun. One of the thugs followed him, caught him, and shot and killed him. Thug #2 either didn't appreciate turning a robbery into a murder, or didn't want any witnesses that could name/blame him, and fatally wounded Thug #1 at the same scene. That's loyalty for you.

Knowing a guy from the same industry, in the same place (we moved 4 blocks from his new place; one of us was following the other) at the same time...very weird.

Mikey Dolan, rest in peace, my man.

N Sperlo wrote: I drop it in the "E36 M3 happens" bucket. No reason for you to stress it, but spend a minute or two remembering him. Death is just a process of life and sometimes it happens when we think it shouldn't.

That's about where I am. Mostly "What the berkeley?!?" And I really hope we don't start having more shootouts in Sacramento.

Feel a bit disappointed that I'm not able to be in Sacramento tonight for the memorial dance folks are having in his honor.

Very sorry, man. I dread thinking that E36 M3 could be on my doorstep some day.

In reply to Beer Baron:

Gangbangers never seem to hit the targets they're actually aiming at. It always seems to be people who are just going about their non-gang-related business.

What kind of dancer are/were you Beer Baron? (I'm not a dancer--just curious).

Sorry for your loss. Senseless.

gamby wrote: Gangbangers never seem to hit the targets they're actually aiming at. It always seems to be people who are just going about their non-gang-related business. What kind of dancer are/were you Beer Baron? (I'm not a dancer--just curious). Sorry for your loss. Senseless.

No kidding. Two groups fire off who knows how many rounds. Only one hits anyone, and that person is totally the wrong target.

I'm a social/partner dancer; primarily Blues, Tango, Lindy, and West Coast Swing (WCS).

I knew him from Blues and WCS nights. I think he did salsa as well. Where he was shot is a half block from a popular dance club that does a lot of salsa. Wouldn't have surprised me if he were on his way to/from there.

For the dance this evening, everyone is supposed to come dressed as much like him as possible. Someone originally suggested "come to [the dance tonight] as if Joe picked out your outfit." but the response to that was, "everyone would come naked..." So the plan was amended.

gamby wrote: Gangbangers never seem to hit the targets they're actually aiming at.

It's that stupid sideways hold they love to use. Nobody can accurately drive a car with the seat laid all the way back and hanging off the door and steering wheel, either.

I don't know anyone who was shot - but back in the mid-80's I drove a newspaper delivery van for the big local paper. My helper was a funny dude named Joe. He stood at the side door and tossed bundles to the carriers waiting on corners and got them ready while drove between stops. We never hung out outside work but I spent a year worth of 8hr workdays in his company.

I hadn't given a thought to him until about 3yrs ago - I saw him on the front page of the paper. He had been beaten to death with a hammer in his own kitchen in the middle of the day by someone looking to steal stuff.

How berkeleyed is that?

Unfortunately, I've experienced this a couple of times, although it's been awhile.

First was one of my mtn biking friends. He was shot and dumped into the Schukyl river in Philly. As far as I know, no suspect was ever found but the police believe it may have been drug related (he was known to play a bit with pot). Whenever we do bike rides that pass by the spot where he was killed, we make a point of stopping to reflect. This happened about 18 years ago.

Second was the lead singer of a band we used to play with. He was shot along with his boss execution-style in the back of the head at work. His boss was a lawyer and had possible ties to the Philly mob. We we're close, but I still think about him when I drive past by the house he grew up in once in awhile. About 15 years ago.

For some reason, I don't think you ever really forget it.

@mtn: Even if there's no out, if you don't feel safe I would move. What are they going to do, keep your security deposit? Compared to getting shot I'd say that's a bargain and a half. But yeah, if you had a lawyer write a couple notes to them I bet you could get out without a black mark on your rental history.