I'm guessing the first gun was an AK-47 or something similar, since there aren't many guns that can fire 17 shots without reloading, plus it was loud as fuck, and the next shots sounded more like a shotgun.
It happened a little after midnight. I was about to call it but the sound of gunfire kept me wide-awake, for some reason. It came from the same direction it usually comes from, about two blocks away.
There's a stand of trees in between here and there, which provide some cover (damn, it sounds like the jungle, which I guess it is), but distance-wise I'm well within the range of a bullet, stray or otherwise.
This time I didn't walk out onto the deck to get a better look like I usually do, possibly because of the sheer firepower, but I did open the door and look out through the screen. I was waiting for half a dozen cop cars to show up, but nary a damn one showed. The same thing happened last time...not a single cop showed up, that I could see anyway.
Twenty shots from high-caliber weapons fired, and not one cop shows up. I've seen them swarm the place, for fewer and lower-caliber shots than this, but again I guess they're getting jaded. Maybe I'm getting jaded too...I didn't bother to post the last time it happened. How nice.
A while later I went outside to see it I could see or hear anything, and besides one flash from a bright flashlight, I saw and heard nothing. A kid who'd been visiting downstairs walked by. I'd never met him but he seemed friendly so I said hello. "What'd you think about those gunshots?" he asked. "That was some serious firepower. There were two guns too" I said. "Yep, I heard. It was close man" he said. "Too close" I said. "Like, less than a football field" he said. "Yep."
"The first gun fired about 15 shots, and I'm guessing it was an AK-47" he said. "I'd agree, and I counted 17. The other one sounded like a shotgun" I said. "Yeah, I think so too. Dude, that's crazy. Do you think they were just shooting in the air?" he asked. "I hope so" I said. "Either that, or they were sending a message. And two different guns...I don't know. But I do know that not one single cop showed up, at least not that I could see."
"Yeah man, I couldn't believe it. I thought it'd be crawling with cops" he said. "Yeah, it should be, but the same thing happened last time" I said. "Last time?" he asked. "Yep, this is like the 6th or 7th time it's happened since we moved in" I said. "Wow...and the cops don't show" he said. "Yeah...they're swarming the streets a few blocks from here...looking for drunks, but I guess they can't be bothered by a little automatic-weapons fire...or maybe they're afraid to get involved. Maybe that's what happens when you defund the poleesh" I quipped.
"Ha-ha" he laughed. "Totally. You know they heard it" he said. "They had too've" I replied. "So I guess no one called 911" he reckoned. "We're all used to it" I deadpanned. "So...17 shots, huh? You counted?" he asked. "Yeah, it's kinda like 'pickup notes' in music...I can remember the notes that happened before I started counting" I said. "You play music?" he asked. "I play drums" I replied. "I play guitar" he said. "Nice!" I said. We shook hands. "I'm Kelly. Nice to meet you." "I'm James. Likewise" he said.
We talked about music, gunfire and a few other things. I've chatted with the people he was visiting a few times and they're super-nice and seem really cool, so I figured he was okay too, and we had a nice chat. As we parted I said "God bless, and stay safe!" and I really meant it. "Hey man, thanks, and God bless you too!" That was nice.
It was definitely great to bond with some kid over a mutual dislike of nearby gunfire, but Boy Howdy, that was big-boy gunfire...and it was close. This is the motherfuckin' 'HOOD, yo. I do so love it here.
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