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Shots fired near 25th and Grace?
08/31/2011 4:33 PM by John M
Anybody else hear this or know anything?
I’m living on 25th St. now (in between Grace and Franklin) and heard about 8 solid gunshots early this morning at around 1:30am that sounded really close by. I’ve talked to a couple of my neighbors this morning and they heard the same thing — as far as Marshall St.
It wasn’t gun shots… it was fireworks. My husband and I were awakened by the same commotion, except we could see the fireworks out our window. They appeared to be coming from near Richmond Hill or Child Savers. Also, they were the big, colorful kind that are normally only used for the city-wide fireworks shows, not the little ones that you are allowed to set off in your backyard.
Mortors not guns! That’s a change of pace. Wait…
Anyone wonder what it might be like to live in a neighborhood where you don’t have to deal with this crud?
If I wondered that, I would move to the burbs.
It was fireworks, I heard them fizzling out as well.
BTW…we heard it as far as O street. 🙂
There is always the burbs will all the accompanying charm. Good luck!
Similar stuff happens in the burbs. Don’t be fooled.
You must be new to the neighborhood. Our “initiation” to the gun show occurred the first New Years eve we lived in C.H. Then again the following 4th of July. Now, anytime we hear a loud pop, we enjoy a good game of what we refer to as Gunfire vs. Fireworks. We lived in the W. End for more than 10 years and never heard gunshots. It was and still is a little unsettling to hear them in C.H. I suppose it’s the trade off between suburban life and city life. Hopefully someday soon, that will no longer be one of the distinctions bettween the city and the burbs.
Sorry guys that was me…. Won’t happen again.
1:30 am we should not be hearing fireworks, Most people have to work for a living
@ #9 – where’d you get the awesome fireworks? We enjoyed the show.
Don’t let JD fool you, this stuff doesn’t happen in the burbs, not like this, not even close. Just because it could happen, or has happened once or twice isn’t the same thing as it happening once a week like clockwork. I lived in the west end for 20 years, never heard a single gunshot or witnessed an assault, lived in the fan for 5 years, worst problem was all the drunk driving accidents,but again never heard a single gunshot, I’ve been in CH for 5 months and have now heard 8-10 shootings and had someone robbed, beaten and left naked in the street 10′ from my bedroom window, and I’ve lost count of how many violent crimes have taken place within a 1/4 radius of my house. I know a lot of people think it is a mark of distinction when they no longer duck or get scared when they hear the gunshots and probably think it is cool when a friend from the burbs is over the house when you hear a shooting and you can act like it is no big deal, but there is nothing novel about it, even though you don’t see them there are very real bullets associated with that noise. If it was just me, I wouldn’t mind it all and think its kind of neat living in the wild west, but I have a two year old daughter who depends on me to keep her safe, and there is nothing safe about the number of shootings, robberies, rapes, burglaries, assaults, drunk drivers, random gunfire and stray dogs roaming in CH. I wish I had lived here when I was younger because it has so much culture and color and there is never a boring day, but 27th and P is no place to responsibly raise a child when you have the ability to move elsewhere.
Chimbo Resident, in defense of the city, you would never have to play that game in Carytown/The Fan. I have several friends that live in those areas, and they have never heard gunshots. I lived in Chicago for 3 years (Wicker Park and Logan Square), and I never once heard gunfire. However, living on the hill, I have heard confirmed gunfire at least a dozen times. I am just thankful that 90% of the time I hear it, I find out it was far from my area.
I am glad to see this was only fireworks.
Bret, I don’t know what you thought 27th and P would be like before you moved there but did you happen to look at a crime map of the area before moving in? Don’t get me wrong, 27th and P is a fine place to live but it can be more challenging than other areas of CH at times.
@Bret why would you live at 27th and P with a 2yr old? That area is scary…. Either way I think there were 2yr olds in the Wild West too.
@ #11 Alex, I don’t recall “awesome” being one of the words coming out of your mouth that night when you woke up…
JD – my girlfriend originally moved there about 5 years ago, thinking that the area would get better soon, which it probably would have had the housing market not collapsed around that time, she also I think wanted the test of living in a more difficult place than what she was accustomed to in midlothian, which was perfect at that age in her life. So moving to that exact location happened by chance for me. I just disagreed with your statement that similar things happen in the burbs. There are PLENTY of negatives about living in the suburbs to point out, so depending on a person’s concerns or values it could be worse than CH, but I wouldn’t say any of the con’s, especially gunfire, are even comparible between any Richmond area suburb and CH.
I don’t play “Gunfire vs Fireworks” when I hear shots. I call the police. Every. Single. Time. As should you all, to make it safer for everyone.
It’s very difficult to tell most of the time in what direction the sound(s) are origininating. All I can do is give my address and a best guess as to the direction. We are in a neighborhood watch area. The police, and your neighbors, appreciate your help.
@MrsAlex, ouch! Called him out on a public forum. That is hysterical.
@16 – so much for hiding behind my anonymity… 😛
I’ve heard gunshots in the Fan. Yup, gun shots, just like I hear when I go to the shooting range. So I guess take comfort its not just CH?
And kaykay is right-call the police. Really, why wouldn’t you?
Bret-get some pepper spray for the stray dogs.
@kaykay P.S. we. do. call. the. police. always.
It’s a little different than gunshots, but when I lived in the Fan, I heard so many screaming fights right outside my house. One was on a Sunday afternoon, between a couple, and I really thought the man was going to hurt the woman. I called the cops on that one to check in on her, and they came right away. The Fan’s not so great; Church Hill is so much quieter.
Welcome to Church Hill, Shadow!
@ Chimbo Resident. Thanks! Makes me feel much safer. I hope others do as well.
The world has changed since I moved to Church Hill more than 40 years ago. Back then we had more knife fights than gun fights. Soon we heard gunfire regularly a few times a week. Now its not just in the East End but all over the city. I’m still here. Call the police and look around you… or move to a gated community and FEEL safe.