Bad Situation Didn't Hit Me Until I Got Home

[Shootingfish]

As I was leaving the mall this morning, I rode by 4 kids/teens horsing around with a black long rifle in the mall parking lot. It appeared that the rifle was jammed and they were laughing and tossing it to each other, trying to chamber a cartridge and pulling the trigger, rifle aimed in the median between the two parking rows. Why in the world I continued to ride toward and past them I have no clue. How dumb can I be? Now I'm pretty shaken that I didn't see the potential danger then.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Here's the numbers you put in to call the po-lice: 911.

 

[M29since14]

You probably instinctively identified them as incompetent fools. Of course even a few incompetent fools could eventually become dangerous, incompetent fools.

 

[Shootingfish]

Here's the numbers you put in to call the po-lice: 911.

I did call 911. After I got by the rifle and in a safe area. I thought calling po-po would be as simple as telling them where the kids were. 911 asked me what the guys looked like and what kind of rifle it was and did I hear/see shots fired. What were they wearing, driving. About 15 min later po-po called me and said they could not find them and could I remember anything else. I felt bad I wasn't more observant but TBH I couldn't take my eyes off that rifle.

 

[waffles]

You called the cops and gave the information you had, you did your job. I don't think the kind of people who are messing around with a rifle at the mall parking lot are going to be the people who will immediately notice the danger of their actions and thank you if you had intervened personally. At best you'd be likely to get a one finger salute, at worst you're in the wrong spot when one of them does something really dumb with the rifle.

 

[S42N8]

You probably instinctively identified them as incompetent fools. Of course even a few incompetent fools could eventually become dangerous, incompetent fools.

Dangerous, incompetent, armed fools.

 

[Rodmaker01]

It's a mathmatical anomaly.

No matter how many half-wits you add to the equation, the sum never gets up to a whole wit.

 

[Puller]

I did call 911. After I got by the rifle and in a safe area. I thought calling po-po would be as simple as telling them where the kids were. 911 asked me what the guys looked like and what kind of rifle it was and did I hear/see shots fired. What were they wearing, driving. About 15 min later po-po called me and said they could not find them and could I remember anything else. I felt bad I wasn't more observant but TBH I couldn't take my eyes off that rifle.

Yep, unlike what we see on entertainment television, the police are not omnipotent, telepathic, or have instant access to cyber-video. 911 still has to ask.

 

[ladder13]

You did fine, don't sweat it.

 

[Breakaway500]

Could have been an air rife. They are undistinguishable to a firearm as of lately. Not like the old Red Ryders!

 

[Shootingfish]

Could have been an air rife. They are undistinguishable to a firearm as of lately. Not like the old Red Ryders!

The first question 911 asked "was it a bb gun." The way the other kids were hanging/jumping back when the one kid was yanking on the bolt handle made me think it wasn't a bb gun or harmless. I did what I thought I should do. Except thinking back I shouldn't have driven toward them, even though the rifle looked jammed. Recently, there have been several reported masked robberies (4 guys) in a very high dollar neighborhood not far from that mall. Not saying these kids are the robbers, or they would shoot up the mall.

 

[Smoke]

As I was leaving the mall this morning, I rode by 4 kids/teens horsing around with a black long rifle in the mall parking lot. It appeared that the rifle was jammed and they were laughing and tossing it to each other, trying to chamber a cartridge and pulling the trigger, rifle aimed in the median between the two parking rows. Why in the world I continued to ride toward and past them I have no clue. How dumb can I be? Now I'm pretty shaken that I didn't see the potential danger then.

Learn from it and move on.

 

[Greyman50]

Sadly it seems 911 " operators" want totally useless information these days.

 

[Sam McCord]

A black long rifle. How long was it?

 

[Hair Trigger]

You probably instinctively identified them as incompetent fools. Of course even a few incompetent fools could eventually become dangerous, incompetent fools.

Incompetent fools are dangerous, by definition. The sad part is, they usually don't know they are incompetent, or fools, or dangerous.

 

[Puller]

Sadly it seems 911 " operators" want totally useless information these days.

What useless information does it seem they want?

 

[ColbyBruce]

I am curious, which mall did this occur at? I frequent MOG and Sugarloaf Mills.

 

[Eagle 477]

They could have gone into that mall and induced Mass hysterica. all someone has to do is Shout Gun and watch the place clear like a Chinese Fire drill.

Rob

 

[SMSgt]

Should have stopped and told them to install a gun lock before someone got hurt.

 

[Greyman50]

What useless information does it seem they want?

I called once or twice( not here) and I plainly told them the reason, gave my name, address, age, that I was the home owner. They asked my name and address, told them I JUST Gave it to you. Then asked why I called, told them I told you that first thing. Then asked how long I lived there.

 

[glenwolde]

I'm pretty sure I would have drove on by. I'm not stepping into that. Calling the police is the correct choice.

 

[Smoke]

What useless information does it seem they want?

The last year I worked I had to call the cops a lot. I got to know the script pretty well.

My name is
I work for
My location is
I'm calling to report
The "subject's" description is (usually given while I was looking at them)
He/She is /was last seen heading.
The client has a tresspass agreement on file (if you didn't tell them that they wouldn't come).

Then the questions would start and they'd basically ask me everything I'd just covered.

Then they'd tell me they were on priority reporting and they weren't coming.

Then I'd ask for a case number for my report and move on with my night.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Sadly it seems 911 " operators" want totally useless information these days.

They don't "want useless information"...they have a set of questions they're required to ask, so they can pass that information along to responding units.

I'm sure you follow your employer's policies...and so do they.

 

[somorris]

It sounds like you did everything right to me. Even driving by them, at least you boogied on by.