The kids had swimming lessons yesterday from 4-4:40 at an outdoor pool here in North Mpls. I went to pick them up and sent them into the locker rooms to get dressed as we were going straight to VBS (a VBS that runs Sun-Thurs and serves dinner- NO COOKING all week- yahoo!). I was in the locker room with the girls waiting, and when they were done we walked out the front door to meet the boys. There is a garage door that they pulled shut when the pool is closed, and the garage door was closed and we were locked in.
There was no staff around in this front area, nobody in the window where you usually pay. Another mom came out of the locker room and I said the door was closed and she said we were in a "lock down" as there were gun shots in the parking lot next to the pool. I said really, I didn't hear anything. She said there were 3 or 4 gun shots. I did not hear a thing. We hear gun shots so often I am almost immune. Not to mention that I have become very good at filtering out noise that I want to ignore due to Akila and her loudness and raging.
So, I had about 30 seconds of panic as I realized that my boys may have been done getting dressed and could be on the other side of the garage doors. The mama bear in me turned on and I went bolting into the men's locker room. They were just getting ready to walk out the door. Thank goodness.
So, we got to stand in the locker room for about 20 minutes as the police came to make sure the danger was over. Do you know how hot it was yesterday? I don't, but it must have been in the 90's, and it must have been close to 100 with all of us crammed in there and Akila getting overly excited and scared all at the same time. I'm so bad, that I just kept on laughing. Then I hear some people who were in the pool saying that when the gun shots were fired, the lifeguards yelled, "hit the water!!". This made me laugh even more. I know, I'm sick. It got even better when they were ready to finally release us and a mom started swearing at the staff that she wanted a refund, right in front of at least 50 kids. And she was really letting the F-bombs fly. I couldn't have gotten out of there soon enough.
Just so you know, nobody was injured. Not sure if they were just bad aims, or if they were just shooting "for fun". North Minneapolis has been a little wild this summer, tons of shootings and deaths. I just walk around looking at all these kids, so many of them that I know have been pre-natally exposed to alcohol. It breaks my heart.
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6 comments:
I can say this because I know you won't hate me for it...but I just can't wrap my head around where you love to live! Every time I hear the news there's another shooting in N Mpls. How do you get comfortable knowing it could happen out of the blue? I suppose you could turn this around and say to me....how can you stand living in houses that are all the same style, color, etc. Love ya Barb!
(BTW-I don't think you're crazy!)
I laughed at this too :)
I can't believe you didn't tell me about this earlier. I suppose it is "just another day in N Mpls." But I am glad you didn't have to wait much longer and the boys were in with you.
I have to admire you for laughing - I read your blog with my eyes wide and my mouth agape! Here in Australia guns just aren't around - they're not part of the culture, and they're not easy to get (as far as I know). Farmers might have a rifle for killing livestock, and police have something hanging from their belts, but to think of the "common" man (or teenager) having access to such a weapon scares the pants of me. But I guess you and the kids can't hide away in your house all day so I'm glad to hear you've got such a good sense of humour about it all!
it truly breaks my heart too. it reminds me of when marco, tonio, and i lived over on 21st ave between freemont and emerson. i felt in a hurry b/c i was was eager to get them in bed but my friends husband wouldn't stop gabbing about his latest technology purchase. when we arrived home 20 minutes later than i had hoped, our entire alley way was taped off and 2 guys had shot eachother on the cement in front of our garage. - i praise God for his protection all those years and I praise God for protection you as he often does.
love you friend.
Hi Barb, I read your blog frequently and have been really encouraged by it. I remember telling you this awhile ago but my husband is a police officer in N Mpls. I often hear stories right from the source, and yes you are right, it has been extra busy this summer. Let me know if you ever have any questions or concerns you wanted to ask him and I will send them his way.
God bless you and your family!
Kim
I had no idea N. Minneapolis was so dangerous. We hear gunshots where we live but that's because we're in a rural part of New Jersey where there is deer hunting. We put plaid blankets on my daughter's horse and our donkey in hunting season and our neighbors spray paint orange Xs on their cows to make sure the hunters don't mistake our hoofed friends for deer.
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