People Shooter (Confusion Reigns)

Someone pounded on the window. They both jumped. “Godammit. You just as well kill someone than scare them half to death,” Tracy growled while sliding open the window. An officer stood by the squad while glancing around the area.
“Sorry. Sorry,” the officer said while still surveying the scene.  Did he say anything about anyone helping him here? He a lone gunman or what?” Several other officers crowded in around the squad dressed up like soldiers, assault weapons held across their chests, the word “Police” printed on their black outfits.
            “If I say something, can you loosen these?” McShuster leaned forward, exposing his cuffed hands.
            “You good with that, Jill?” The officer asked.
            She got out of the squad and started working a little key in the hole on the cuff. The handcuffs had worked a deep imprint into his wrist, she noticed, suppressing a grin. Yes sir … the little bastard got what he had coming.
            “Yes, I’m here doing what I had to do. I’m what you’d call a lone gunman. Wait a minute, I don’t have a gun. I’m just here, I mean alone. How bad hurt is he?” McShuster nodded toward Noah. Everyone ignored him.

              At this point we know a shooting has occurred at a school. All is confusing. Some are concerned whether a second shooter is on the scene. This happened in Columbine. The police are responding with limited knowledge. They simply don't know what is unfolding. During my career as a police officer I lived this sort of thing . . . over and over again.

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             (There are some logistics that I would have liked to see cleaned up--how nobody noticed McShuster's injuries, why he never said anything to try to clear the air of what happened, why the police car seems to stay at the school for so long.)

             At this point in the story a suspect has been patted down and cuffed. He has a coat on and the officers do not have control of the scene. McShuster is confused along with the officers over what is going on. Remember that we are talking a situation that is unfolding in seconds here. No time to armchair quarterback. Officer Tracy wants to read the suspect his rights before heading to the station.

            

People Shooter (Two Points of View expressed)

“I don’t get,” Officer Tracy said shaking her head. “Why … more shootings? Can’t even send kids to a basketball game no more. Used to be unarmed people—men, women and children—were off limits,” Officer Tracy mumbled.
           McShuster spoke up. “Violence and guns is what it’s about. Shooters on a mission to go viral or something. Be badass and blast their way onto the news. The whole deal. Pictures with names … in the news, ruined parents. You know that? This stuff here tonight was planned for a bad ending. You know. It was like a secret mission. The same as they do in the army. I mean we had code words. We put together target practice. It got serious in short order. I mean homemade targets with names on them of dicks from school. It was funny until it wasn’t. We make the gun deal with our hand and pulled an imaginary trigger with our pointer finger. That meant target practice after school. I mean no harm no crime. Don’t get me wrong here. I ain’t sayin’ guns is right or wrong. I’m just saying—”

“Please shut it!’ Officer Tracy glared at him in the rearview mirror shaking her head.

“I’m going to read you your rights and tape what you have to say. Okay, McShuster?”

            Before putting this story together I was a cop for just under thirty years. I sincerely attempted to express that point of view with Officer Tracy. I next researched the Columbine shooting and discussed the incident with a survivor of the shooting. This part of the story has two belief systems colliding. Cops are people and nobody is perfect, thus cops do make mistakes. Believe me. Are innocent people ever arrested? Check out the Innocence Project. 

People Shooter (Arrests can be Confusing)

 

The squad was parked on the concourse in front of the school next to a flag pole. Its lights were trained on a body lying on the ground. A man, not in uniform, was waving at the approaching ambulance which jumped the curb and pulled up next to the body. Two emergency technicians sprang from the ambulance. McShuster had to get to work at Shorty’s Bar and Grill. He already had seventeen thousand in the bank and he wanted to add to it. He glanced at his school. He already had half his senior year over with.
“Ma’am, my hands really hurt. Officer Tracy … isn’t that your name?” McShuster asked.
“Handcuffs are necessary when someone brings a gun to school.” Officer Tracy held her hand, palm up, over the steering wheel. Then she leaned toward the passenger seat and picked up the wallet she had taken off him. “James McShuster. Is that you?”
“Yes.” He nodded his head, then lowered his voice. “Is that there Noah hurt? Did he get planted harder than me?” He started to lean forward before pain jolted him in a straight-up position.

Getting arrested can be confusing. Get this . . . we teach our children to respect authority and they are the types that go along with what the cop is suggesting. McShuster is having a bad night here and lands in a squad car. Confusing? You bet.

In a prior life . . .

I was a cop. Been there and done that . . . right? So a young lady reviews one of my stories and makes the claim that 'Cops would never do that.' Next up . . . 'People Shooter'. Listen, I sat down with a survivor of Columbine and we went over that awful day. So I get accused of making money off the dead and injured. How about this . . . I write to live and learn. I'm putting together installments on twitter for those who want to take a peek.

'People Shooter' is up for an Award!

 After being trained in the Behavioral Services Department in the FBI National Academy I hit the streets. Then after some years of utilizing my skill set on the mean streets I now have discovered a new passion. I write. So what are all these mass shootings about? Read my short story . . . 'People Shooter'.

Abbey Road

 Talk about inspiring. What? You didn't think an author had say-so on scoring?

How Do You Do It?

I was trained in the Behavioral Unit at the FBI National Academy. I apply these skills to my stories. I listen. I learn and then I write. This probably explains why my stories are ahead of the Headlines. I make every attempt at pulling no punches. Topics from mass shootings to sexual assaults are addressed. 

Lost

 Many establish a belief system and then defend it. No matter what. Loved ones who lost someone from gun violence, sound differently, than an individual who considers an assault weapon near and dear.

People Shooter

 My latest story titled, The People Shooter, is the direct result of having to put up with the awful violence visiting us daily. I researched it, I asked hard questions and wondered. It's just my effort to contribute to a solution for a growing problem. Enough said?