Crime hits close to home

[Gunny]

I've had a pretty busy sort of crappy day and it was my cousins wifes BDay so off I go to the quiet nieghbourhood they live in say Hi and Happy Bday.
Everyone leaves in drips and drabs and I leave with the last of the folks because me and cuz are quite close and always end up chatting forever. I get home just before 12 and 1 hr later I get a call from a good friend in the same nieghbourhood that just got held up at gunpoint a block away from her house and this in sleepy Cape Town. Shes ok no injuries no physical harm but shes shook up as hell and an emotional wreck. Now I'm sitting here wondering what does it feel like imagine having a gun at your head point blank range wondering if you dealing with someone who is level headed or some psycho itching to pull the trigger is you life gonna end or do you live to see the sun rise the next day. I realy dont know how to help her what do you say. "Well I know it sucks but hey you alive" just doesnt cut it dont you think.How do you tell the person its ok, you cant realy say dont worry it wont happen again how do you garentee it ? How do you not fear leaving your house after something like that. What can you do to minimise the risk of it happening again ?

I know this might be a bit personal but has this happened to anyone here and how did you deal with it and get through it maybe pm me if you dont want to discuss it in the open forum. Is there a counciling group for this type of thing in the southern suburbs of cape town maybe ?

[GTi]

That sucks big time Gunny, sorry to hear about your friend, it's happening so often in CT. This weekend a couple with a cousin at home were robbed a gunpoint by 3 guys. The owner of the home was shot dead @ the tender age of 39 in Constantia. Sad man freaking sad. I don't blame people wanting to get a gun to protect themselves but is that the solution to a start a gun war in the home and on the streets against the robber.

[AntiThesis]

Aaah gunny that sucks man. I really don't know what you can do besides offer comfort and friendship. There's not really a fix-all for that kinda thing.

[kingrob]

There's two ways to get over it :

1. Talk about it to anyone & everyone

2. Go see a head-doctor

After I got hi-jacked and got a Baretta 9MM (it was so close I could actually recognize the pistol) shoved in my face, I had to get over it. I took option 1, but it took me more than three months....think it's quicker with the shrink. ;)

[Leitmotif]

Been held up at gunpoint. The worst part is not having any choice. So I resolved to be able to fight back if I had to. It might only be a cerebral comfort, but I feel better knowing at least I have the option.

[PDropa]

Been held up in jhb, they shot and missed, Guy next to me was pulling the "jacket" out of his hair the next day. Then was held up at a pub in hillcrest. They hit a guy (drunk of course) over the head to make him get down, idiots gun went off and shot a girl in the arm. Its nothing like the movies. you become jelly and just want to look like a tile on the floor. Bullets do so much damage even though it was her arm, it messed everything up. I was a mess and talking about it and making light of the matter. I am so much more aware, so much so that i hold my car keys in a way that i am ready to jab a would be mugger in his neck

[Leitmotif]

Yeah, it's amazing how 'awake' most SA people actually tend to be... had a buddy visit from the UK. We took a walk, he and his wife and me and my gf. Remember being amazed by how completely oblivious he'd become. No defensive awareness at all.

[Xpilz]

carrying a gun is not the answer. My male neighbours got house robbed, they had 2 9mils both of which got taken off them, normal people who want to protect themselves are invariably just arming the criminals.

Crime is not acceptable, and neither are guns!

[PDropa]

That amases me too. I feel bad cos whenever i go somewhere i see how easy it would be to hold up.

After my little incident the SAP did offer counselling. Didn't go but then i sort of dealt with it in my own way.

[Leitmotif]

carrying a gun is not the answer. My male neighbours got house robbed, they had 2 9mils both of which got taken off them, normal people who want to protect themselves are invariably just arming the criminals.

Crime is not acceptable, and neither are guns!

Let me guess... they kept the guns in their safe because of kids in the house, or something? Sigh. What you don't realise is that there are literally about a million incidents of attempted crime each year which are aborted due to a would-be victim just pulling a gun without firing it, or only firing a warning shot. These incidents are not officially recorded, because no crime was committed.

Over 85% of all guns in criminal hands have never been registered, and are not acquired from any registered source. So, as soon as you can tell me that there are no guns in criminal hands, and as soon as you can prevent criminals from getting them, you can talk about how civilians owning guns is a bad thing. A world where guns were confined to shooting ranges for sporting use would be perfect, but is unfortunately only a pipe dream.

[Xpilz]

Let me guess... they kept the guns in their safe because of kids in the house, or something? Sigh. What you don't realise is that there are literally about a million incidents of attempted crime each year which are aborted due to a would-be victim just pulling a gun without firing it, or only firing a warning shot. These incidents are not officially recorded, because no crime was committed.

Over 85% of all guns in criminal hands have never been registered, and are not acquired from any registered source. So, as soon as you can tell me that there are no guns in criminal hands, and as soon as you can prevent criminals from getting them, you can talk about how civilians owning guns is a bad thing. A world where guns were confined to shooting ranges for sporting use would be perfect, but is unfortunately only a pipe dream.

No, he got out at his gate with gun in hand, only to be surrounded by six of them with guns....it doesn't matter if it's in your safe or in your hand...

life is not a movie, a criminal doesn't play fairly....

no matter how you try and justify it, in your soul you know guns are not the answer, it's a sense of false safety. when and saddly if that time comes, you will know, this. Don't equip them, leave well alone.

or upon reflection what I'm trying to say is that even if you have a gun, the margin for things to go bad is a huge one...few people are prepared to use them or the timing etc is right. often guns are used against their owners, criminals walk away with them.

As for guns dissuading them, I doubt it, I think it draws them, if a criminal is bad enough, he will be drawn, a gun has appeal....cash in transit, a gun acts as a deterrent, not at all....

stuff to think on...

[Leitmotif]

No, he got out at his gate with gun in hand, only to be surrounded by six of them with guns....it doesn't matter if it's in your safe or in your hand...

life is not a movie, a criminal doesn't play fairly....

no matter how you try and justify it, in your soul you know guns are not the answer, it's a sense of false safety. when and saddly if that time comes, you will know, this. Don't equip them, leave well alone.

My soul has nothing to do with my skin. *you* may believe carrying is wrong. *I* find myself feeling safer and happier with one. It is wrong for *you* to assume that they are never the answer, since as I told you, for gun owners everywhere guns have saved their lives.

Now... why was he getting out at his gate with gun in hand? Was he trying to confront someone? If so, it seems a bit strange. No sane person wants to get into a gunfight. This is why criminals run when threatened with firarms or when fired on.

I do agree that there are situations where a gun will not help you. However, there are many more where a gun *will* help. Also, your remark about 'leaving well alone' is disingenous, as 'well' in your opinion seems to involve armed criminals facing defenseless civilians.

I've already told you, "often guns are used against their owners" is a myth. Look for examples. Look even at the FBI's own stats. This myth started because a few police officers in america were attacked with their own weapons, disarmed before drawing and while unaware of the threat. This is because they wear their guns openly and there was no such thing as retention in the eighties. The anti-gun propaganda front spun this into a huge panic, and applied the few isolated cases to all gun owners. The power of misinformation. Think, and educate yourself.

As for cash in transit heists... the guards are generally armed with pistols. The criminals are armed with AK 47s and R5s. Firstly, those guns are illegal for civilians to own, so please explain to me how civilians armed these people. Secondly, when the guards are that badly outnumbered abnd outgunned, it's amazing to look at the successes the guards and police have had in chasing robbers off. Criminals simply aren't in it to be shot at.

[JTech]

The problem is, if you shoot a criminal, you're in trouble.. that's why.

[Leitmotif]

The problem is, if you shoot a criminal, you're in trouble.. that's why.

Only if you're not justified. You are justified in shooting if you have a reasonable belief that the target will harm a person unless stopped.

Part of the problem is the way the cops tend to open a case of murder before they investigate. Bloody backwards way to do it. The press tend to pick up on these murder charges for the sensationalism, and then fail to follow through.

[Xpilz]

the area he & I lived in was Lanseria, Gauteng, a gang of 16 men in 2004 and still to this day, terrorise the area. They have killed a man and have been caught only to be let out and they continue on...

You have your views and I have mine...

Peace be with you :)

[Cara]

Always wonder what I will do if ever confronted but I think that like PDropa noted everything is different in real life and I'd also just turn to jelly. But I still always imagine myself fighting back and coming out tops because of it ;).

Tough to be so helpless and to have to face up to it, think that for some carrying a gun helps them overcome this but at the end of the day it is all up to chance. Personally I wouldn't carry a gun because if I used it I'm sure I'd recover from the shock and then it might be used against me but for others it may be the solution.

[Leitmotif]

As-salaam alaykum, Xpilz. :)

Personally, having a gun is my way of stacking the odds a little in my favour. Oh, and practise helps with the turn-to-jelly problem... as the saying goes, "in an emergency, people don't rise to the occasion, but are are reduced to their level of training".

[Syndyre]

Sorry Gunny, don't think there's any real advice you can give except general support, takes time I suppose.