Gunfire near my house

[Dragonrider]

I hate to say it...but there are some folks out there that are irresponsible with weapons...that actually don't mean any harm.

New Years eve...cities all over the nation have idiots shooting guns into the air...you're sure it's not just something like that?

Have they shot anybody/anything? Is it frequent? Or only around holidays.

The letters to the mayor/ect ought to at least net some increased patrols...

[Pain]

Not a police officer, work in EMS. If you are hearing shots in your area with some frequency, then I am thinking moving is your best option.

Even if the police find shooter a, there is always a shooter b. If A and B are caught, then C comes looking for D who has some of A' stuff still. Seems like it never ends.

My world veiw might be skewed, but if I go to an area for someone shot/stabbed/whathave you, someone will be in that same area in a day or so for someone else.

we had some friends who lived in an area that was going back. The husband was not shy at all, actively arranged watches, made frequent calls, letters to politians, had a very well protected and defended home (no kids, just him and the wife). The neighbourhood still went bad. Murders and shootings went up. He moved away, and wondered why he hadn't done it years earlier, saving a lot of stress and potential value of his old house. I have to admit to having since lost track of him (He moved to Charolette NC), but I remember the story.

[HobbyMan]

I agree with you, It may just be some kinda holiday thing. Maby a Christmass present or some crazy new years. You know, Those rounds have to come down some where. I wonder how many people have been hit by stray rounds fired into the air. Elementary physics with no air resistance says that they will come down with the same magnitude of velocity as they went up. I don't believe in banning guns, I just think they should change the way that guns are acquired. If I am able to find ways to purchase rifles at 18, there is something wrong with that.

[Snow]

Dan, I hear Mendon is quiet

[TopCatGr58]

A couple of replies from Yahoo crowd!

From Iron Lama in law enforcement!
FOIA the police reports, and share them with trusted neighbors. ATF might be willing to take a look at the doers. If there is reason to suspect illegal alienage, ICE might take a look at them- no promises implied. Buying a gun is a very personal choice and Dan has some reasonable concerns about it; that being said, I own a few pump-action shotguns and surplus practice buckshot from work, and carry my issued pistol most everywhere I go. I don't know if setting up a 'safe room' is practical or feaseable in his situation, but it may be an option (he mentioned the basement).

I don't know Michigan law at all, a call to a lawyer may be in order. There may be legal remedy available.

If the cops don't have any physical evidence that a crime has been committed, just reports of 'gunfire' but no bullet holes anywhere, then it's tough to prove that a crime has been committed. However if someone were to set up camera survielance on the subject house, that evidence might give the police, or state police, or sheriffs, grounds to start a criminal investigation.

Wish him luck.
***********************
Master Ho:
My unofficial suggestions:

1. Take the necessary immediate means to protect your family

2. Try to find out what the gang/drug/violent crime unit is doing to address the problem

3. Definitely involve the politicians, including your city councilperson; use heat, but helpful heat

4. Definitely involve your trusted neighbors; they have a personal stake in this, too

5. Be prepared for retribution; cover your 6

[ardvark1]

Hi Dan,
Sorry to hear about the problem you have in your area. Makes me realise how lucky I am over here in the UK. As far as protection of you and your family my suggestion would be this:- 1) Create a safe room in your house, somewhere that would be near impossible to get into from outside. 2) Make sure you have a mobile phone/ cell phone within that room at all times, thus allowing you to phone out in case the landlines are cut. 3) If you have to have any firearms then a short barrelled pump action or multishot shotgun would be better than a rifle or pistol, a shot from this would cover a greater area and give you a better chance of hitting anything in the height of anxiety. I hope this is of help to you. I would be interested to hear any views from other members of this forum from both the US and the UK. One last thing. If you like your house and the area you live in then hang in there and don't be pushed out. I know it's easy for anyone to say this when they are on the outside but you did ask.

Al

[mro]

was not gona post...but

Makes me realise how lucky I am over here in the UK.

Have read that you have places that local law enforcement is not welcome anymore.

Early eighty's had an incident where next door neighbor fired off half a dozen rounds from a semi-auto rifle. Was in the jon at the time with window open towards there yard across back fence.

Did get my attention. Grabbed kids and wife and took them to friends down street and called the cops. Turned out that more than a dozen people called them in just a few minuets.

Cops arrived (four patrol cars, 6 cops) and just knocked on their door. He had just got an AK-47, been drinking with his buddies and decided to try it out. Young guy in his late 20's and a gun nut. Since he let the cops in they confiscated ALL his guns (don't know how much trouble he was in, nor if he was ever to get guns back) Was able to move into current neighborhood few months latter. (no renters in my neighborhood)


mro
totally sucks for the regular citizen,
we have a system of laws,
that have very little to do with justice.

[Erik the Red]

+1 for shotgun

There seem to be two issues here. The first is random rounds being fired in your neighborhood and that danger. The other is if your neighborhood has these punks, if one decides to come into your home. I don't have suggestions of how to keep them out of your neighborhood, but here is my $0.02 on how to keep your family safe within your own home.

Any single shot (I mean one bullet, not one shell) weapon will be next to useless if your hands are shaking when you fire, be it adrenaline or nerves.

Get a pump action 12 guage. Birdshot (small BB's) will not go through nearly as much. Double ought (00) buckshot is larger, and will go through more. Ammo is your choice.

The main point, though, is this: (1) Every person over the age of 10 knows what the sound of a shotgun racking a shell into the chamber sounds like. An intruder knows you're armed. (2) You inform them that if they continue down the hallway, you'll shoot and anything in that hallway will be hit. If they keep coming, that proves that they're out of their head and you need to protect yourself.

[xswilly]

i've been watching this thread for awhile now

my 2 cents is to move, nothing else is worth loosing your family
if you have gang problems, get out of town.
you have a set schedule, you sleep at night and work during the day.
gang members have no set schedule, they are up all hours of the night, they will mess with your property when you are not around.
you will come home to your home being trashed or worse.
i have heard suggestions of getting a gun and defending your self

the last thing you want to be in. is a fire fight with your family in the house, most gangs are armed better than the cops, they have automatic weapons.

YOU WILL LOOSE, best bet is get out of dodge

[jeffe]

I have to agree with xswilly. If your family is in danger do you have the right to get them caught in a macho who's tougher contest? The risk is too high. One of the things that I am heavily involved in is with a prison ministry . Thru this I am able to build a relationship with some pretty hardcore prisoners. When my family was going thru this I asked a couple of gang bangers what I should do. They all said the last thing I would want to do is shoot one of the members. I could possibly stop them once but they would be back, with numbers. And in their words it dosen't matter who gets in the way. I know this seems like the wimpy way, but you have to look at the cost. To this day I feel guility about "fleeing"the inner city. As more and more of the law abidiing people leave the situation will only get worse. But I was at the point that I had to keep my kids inside and not even let them play in their own back yard.I feel foryou because this is what I lived. For what is worth I will keep you in my prayers.

[desert1]

House in the country

Occasionally though I'm in the country on driving or ridin by he set for Trailer Park Boys you can hear there gunfire but of course there blanks...I hope.
Bruce

[showtime]

Hey Dan. I've been a cop in Michigan for about 17 years. A couple things to think about.

Michigan recently relaxed the 'retreat rule' that said a citizen had to try and flee before using deadly force. Michigan citizens can still shoot fleeing felons even if their own life is not in danger. Cops can't.

Do not use your rifle for self defense. get a pump shotgun. A 20ga so your wife can also learn to shoot it well without hating to shoot it. And load it with bird shot to avoid over penetration in the house. Trust me...at distances encountered in a house a 20ga with bird shot will be more then sufficient. 00buck is nice in my cruisers shotgun but you don't want even 1 errant 30 cal pellet wandering through your drywall walls with loved ones around.

Do call your mayor, city councilman, rep, Chief of police, whoever. As much as I hate it the squeaky wheel does get the grease.

And lastly, Do think about moving. Yes you can put up a fight but neighborhoods go through cycles. If your's is on the way down you will want to get out early both for your safety and before the value drops more then it already has. I know the housing market in Michigan is in the toilet.

I wish you and yours the best in this. If theres anyhing specific I can help you with just PM me.

Show

[Erik the Red]

even if they're running away?

Show- This is a subject that I've had discussions on before, but this is the first time I've heard that you can shoot someone who's fleeing. For real? What are the details? Can you point me in the direction of some good info on this? I'm very curious about this.

I've been under the impression that you can only shoot if they're coming at you -if the entry wound is in their back, then you're in a world of trouble.

Dan- If you do decide to move, come on up north! We've got some beautiful riding up this way. Slower pace of life, lower cost of living, good schools, and all that stuff too.

-Erik

[strom]

Two MAC11s? A few spare mags? Id prefer that to a shotgun, but not sure how legal full auto stuff is over there. Its not here

LP

[50gary]

Where do you live in Michigan? I'm in Saginaw (shock & awe) on the east side. I live in what I call a surburban ghetto. More bangers live in the subs now than in the inner city. Drugs are "the" reason for all the gun play. We have had an influx of Chicago "youths" come to Saginaw because they have a pipeline to here and Chicago is gieeting a bit tougher on the dealers. We had over 30 murders in a town of less than 80,000. It's statistically safer in Baghdad than Saginaw.
Click here: Gateway Pundit: US Cities More Violent Than Iraqi Provinces. Save your money and move.
Cheers, 50gary