With a gun in my hand…

I’ve got a story to tell. I was scared for my life last night.

Here’s the media release from the Danville police department…

On 3-16-14 at 143AM, Police and rescue units responded to the 100 Block of Old Halifax Rd. in reference to two subjects suffering from gunshot wounds. A 33-year-old Danville man and a 22-year-old Danville man stated they were in their residence when two masked and armed male subjects came in through the front door demanding money. A physical altercation broke out and that’s when one of the suspects opened fire wounding both victims. The suspects then fled the area. The victims were transported to Danville Regional Medical Center where they were treated and released. The suspects are described only as black males, one light complexion 5’7” the other dark complexion 5’9”. The investigation is on-going

This was about 800 feet from my house. Four gunshots woke me up at 1:40 AM, then two more about one second later. I knew that this wasn’t some idiot firing a gun into the air. I immediately had that feeling of fear because I knew that this was real. Instinctively, I immediately grabbed my handgun.

Parts of this neighborhood are pretty good. I’ve got good neighbors right around me who keep to themselves and own their houses just like I do. It’s different once you move 500 feet though because it’s all rental properties and it seems that the owners will rent to anyone who’s got the cash in their hands.  I’ve seen plenty of blue lights around and even seen a few people depart those premises in handcuffs. Six years ago, my house was broken into and the thieves stole a computer, a camera and a handgun. They’ve never been caught and I never expect the police to solve the crime. It’s sad they I have to say that so bluntly but it’s the truth. I’m just glad that my handgun that was stolen has never been used in a crime (at least that I know of). I didn’t feel violated because of the burglary, I just felt anger. I felt enough anger that I went to that night’s Danville City Council meeting and told my story during the public comment segment. For once, I saw the nine members of City Council not knowing what to say for a few seconds. There’s been unsolved burglaries all over the city, but they will never make the news. They’ll make the weekly police incident report but that’s about all. I never got the satisfaction of getting justice against whoever broke into my house and I never got my property back. Time marches on. Time heals all wounds. Yeah, all that stuff. I’m mostly over it now because I fortified my house against a future break-in, but I’m not lying when I tell you that I examine my house closely before I go inside once I’m back home.

I was a little scared back then after that break-in. I was a thousand times more scared last night. I had a bad feeling that somebody had been shot and I was going to make sure that I wouldn’t join that list last night. I always had plans in my mind on what I’d do if this situation ever came up and those plans worked perfectly last night. My bedroom became my bunker of safety and I had a clear line of sight (and a clear shot) to both my back and front doors.. Yeah, it was scary but the adrenaline flow helped balance my emotions out.

It got even more real once I saw the blue lights from a police car at the top of the road, soon to be followed by the red lights of the EMT vehicles. In the back of my mind, I knew I was safe because the police were now on the scene and I also knew that I could handle anything in case the bad guy(s) were still in the area. that didn’t stop me from checking the magazine in my handgun three or four times. I knew that I was safe inside my house, so I didn’t go outside at all. People may criticize the actions of law enforcement, but I’ve never had one problem with and highly praise the Danville PD for their job.

I stayed in my safe area at full readiness and the next thing I knew, the blue and red lights were gone. I looked at the clock and was surprised to see that 90 minutes had passed. I stood down from my bunker-mode mentality and was shaking as the effects of the adrenaline started to wear off. I realized that I just finished 90 minutes of aiming a gun at my doors and that I was ready to shoot and kill anybody that had tried to break into my house last night. I laid back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. If I slept at all, it was for at most 2 to 3 minutes at a time. I finally was able to get about four hours of sleep around noon. I didn’t want to go outside and leave my area of 100% safety.

I know this wasn’t a random crime and I’m pretty sure that the police know that as well. There’s drug activity in this neighborhood and when there’s drugs, there’s cash… sometimes lots of it. I know that my house isn’t going to be invaded like the one was last night. Screw those two asswipes for completely ruining my night and day. Screw those two asswipes that decided to be thugs and bust into a house for money and whatever else. Screw them for making me fear for my life last night. Screw them for making me ready to shoot and kill.

Thanks for reading this, folks. It means a lot.