Tragic news hit a bit too close to home

Late last week I awoke from a peaceful sleep hearing BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG! Yes they were gun shots, for a minute I thought they were coming from inside the house because I heard them laud and clear. My alarm clock said it was 205am and I sat up in bed listening for movement from within the house. I heard my mom and brother talking so I realized it was not from the house but the gun shoots were shots very close to home. I did thanked God that my bedroom faced an apartment building and not the front street or back alley simply because we have all heard of what stray bullets can do to innocent bystanders. I went back to sleep because I heard my brother on the phone with the police to notify them of the shoots heard.

In the morning I headed as usual to work not remembering the incident of a couple of hours before until my sister called and asked if I had heard what was going on last night. I told her what I heard and what I had done (went back to sleep) and in turn she told me that someone was shot and killed and that it was only 5 houses away.

OH MY GOD!
Was is a gang banger or an innocent bystander? I wondered.

Today I got the answer

My mom always seems to befriend total strangers on the street and today she befriended a lady who said she lived in the neighborhood for some 16 years and is now getting out because of what happened. The lady told my mom that the guy (must be 35ish or so) who was killed was the homeowner and that his nephews had had some sort of argument with some gangbangers in the neighborhood and I 'm guessing they retaliated.

I think every neighborhood in the city has it's issues with crime and violence, even it's upscale and hot areas like the gold coast or Lincoln park. I want to stay in my neighborhood, Albany Park I love the diversity of it, the proximity to the airport, expressway and lake. I love it and wish not to move from it, but with my mom getting older she is getting a little fearful.

What do I say what do I do? This happens everywhere we can only run from it for so long.

When we moved into Albany Park 15 years ago it was a war zone. The gang banger had no fear of anything, they would walk and shoot in broad daylight when kids where getting out of school. It was a pretty scary year. I thought to myself "man, my parents really bought a house in the hood." Along the years things got better. We have not had much trouble But is this a sign of what's to come? I hope not. I fear a little simply because I could have been coming home at that time, my brother , my mom someone that I care for could have been it.