I was driving north on State Street in Jackson when I had to stop for a traffic signal. I was in the most right-hand lane. A white car was in the left-hand turn lane, sort of next to me but a little behind. As I was waiting I heard a woman yelling. I glanced over and saw this old woman screaming something out of the window. The window was down; I remember her hair was frazzled and she was missing a couple teeth. Her mouth was wide open; she was yelling forcefully.
At first I thought “Is she screaming at me?”. Then I glanced in the rear view mirror, and saw a young girl (20-something) sitting behind me in an old Honda. This girl was shaking her head slowly. I thought “Oh, yelling at her, O.K.” Still, I was a bit uncomfortable as this was a seedy part of town. I could see that the girl was getting what I thought was her cell phone out of her purse.
Next I heard what sounded like loud hand clapping - once or twice - and I thought the old braying woman was trying to get the young girl to look over at her. I glanced in the mirror and saw the young girl with her hand over her head. I heard some pop-pop-pop noise, the left arrow turned green simultaneously, and the white car went on.
About then the light turned green and I went. The girl jerked the wheel of her car to turn left, and zoomed down the side street where the white car had gone.
Ya know how your mind takes a while to process stuff like that? After a few moments, it occured to me that the girl had her hand stuck out the sunroof. Then I began to wonder - was that a gun, and not a cell-phone?
I was telling someone that this was ‘right there by the Salvation Army’. They said “Huh. Maybe someone ran out of Goodwill”.
Why don’t you call the cops anyway, tell them what you DID observe, the makes and colors of the cars, what the people looked like, tell them what you fear happened, and let them follow through. Maybe they got other phone calls and you might have a detail they are lacking. Or maybe not, but at least you will have done that one thing.
Long time lurker, first time poster. I just wanted to pop my head in because I worked at that Salvation Army for a year! There’s a homeless shelter and transitional facility tucked in there and they generally have about 80 clients. I never had any gun issues while working as a house monitor there, but the story doesn’t surprise me. That whole stretch of State street is pretty bad. I lived off Beasley for 3 years and must’ve heard gunshots a half-dozen times.
Or maybe a witness who didn’t actually see anything happen.
“Yes, your honor, that’s the girl who was behind me in the car, who may have raised her hand above her head while holding something that could have been a cell phone. That’s when I heard two claps.”
ETA: Woah, sorry-- I’m just full of the snark today, without actually meaning to. I just meant that she didn’t actually see a whole lot going on, and her actual eye-witness account will be filled with a lot of assumptions.
I must just be bitter because it’s hot and I’m working on a national holiday.
I thought you meant you witnessed a shooting, like someone was actually shot. But it sounds like you think you witnessed someone shooting into the air? Both drivers were able to drive away and no one around you looked like they were injured? No worries.
Well - the way she took off and pursued the yelling woman, I suppose she might have hunted her down and actually shot her. Or someone else in the car, or at that scene. So I suppose the PD might have been interested in the beginning of the altercation. Or not.
How loud was it? What would you compare it to? Unless it was a .22 handgun, it’d probably be described as more than “some pop-pop-pop” sound. If it was only a .22, don’t sweat it.
It’s definitely true that any gun firing up around 9mm or above is going to sound very loud at close range. However, it could be muffled considerably if it was at a modest distance and your car windows were closed.
I wouldn’t quite call a .22 “don’t sweat it” caliber, though. A .22LR bullet can be quite lethal, and while it will tend to be much less traumatic than a .45ACP, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of either. :o
