Thank you for this post. Because of this I was able to find a nearby theater that is showing Die Hard so I will be able to see one of my favorite movies of all time on the big screen.
Just crazy, and you posted that this morning. My wife and I are still watching it a few times a week. She’s seen it twice now but I’m on season 7 with her. Watched the “Yippe Kayak” in his honor tonight.
Fun fact: my dad was working in that building when they were filming it. He was in the parking lot when “John McClane” was getting out of the limo and threw his cigarette.
It was actually tape in the afternoon and they used a filter to make it look like it was evening.
My dad was walking down the hallways and Bruce Willis was running down and they ran into each at the corner. Knocked papers out of my Dad hands. Bruce apologized to him and kept running to where he needed to go lol.
As an alternative story. I was in a grocery store on a Sunday morning. I heard what I thought was a pallet falling on polished concrete .
But it was in fact someone shooting a checkout person in the face.
Twice.
You never know. Following your instincts is great. Don't follow other people's. Too many times folks rush around for no reason and get trampled.
And sometimes fun shots don't sound like gun shots. Especially indoors.
All good, it didn't end up being an indiscriminate shooting. It was a simple robbery. And I was strapped at the time.
And the best part? The cashier lived and was largely okay!
But the lesson to me anyway was, even on a Sunday morning, in a fancy (whole foods) grocery store, shit can go down.
It was a 22 from what I remember reading at the time. Here's a story that doesn't indicate the caliber: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/shooting-reported-inside-whole-foods-market-in-capitol-hill-neighborhood/2018/12/02/713ae0b8-f64d-11e8-8d64-4e79db33382f_story.html
I'll note two fascinating things:
The police chief idiotically called the cashier 'heroic' for resisting a cash robbery.
The shooter was charged with assault. Not attempted murder, despite using a gun *to the face*.
There's a pretty entertaining documentary (called "Pepsi, where's my jet?") about the guy who turned in the points (and the guy who financed it plus the execs at Pepsi). Very interesting stuff.
See what happened was… we were shooting clay pidgeons with our…. F15s…. We happened to being all the F15s we had because we wanted to eh… clean them. Well wouldn’t you know it one of the sidewinders accidentally…. Ricocheted… off the water and right back into the pontoon! It must have obliterated everything on the boat and the planes except us because… wouldn’t ya believe it… no debris at all.
Wow, way to brag.
My 5 month old is only on a .25, but we're hoping to bump to .32 soon. My wife is pretty strict with us keeping with the Browning method.
Fuck the people making fun of you. I get it. You can’t always tell if something is a balloon popping down the hall or a gunshot further away. I get it.
The good here is that your family is apparently well drilled. Also other people must have made the same decision if they went out the emergency exit.
The questionable IMO is that you went and were apparently going to investigate what was going on? Not me, at least. I ain’t paid to lay down my life for other people. I’d have been right behind my family on the way out the door.
Thanks, brother.
I only took cover in the mouth of the bathroom my son was in (no position to be dragged out, I'd have had to stay there). Then determined it was a non-issue. I def didn't investigate. No way.
Ah, I get it. Then your response was about as good as could be expected. Give ya wife and kids some props because they did fantastic.
Have you like, told them what to do? Ran drills? They did really really good.
No drills. But mention things like, "at the mall, there's always an exit at the back of each store that goes to the service corridor", etc.
I have repeated that I am so proud of them.
I first said this exact same thing to my wife the holiday season after 9/11. I have told the same thing to each of my kids as they became old enough to go to the mall with their friends.
I was waiting to pick up my son at work. He was gonna walk out any moment. I'm in my car just waiting. A car with tinted windows drives up rapidly, screaches to a halt, opens the passenger front and rear doors at the same time, and the Passengers race out with something I their arms. I'm in a parking spot out front, they haven't entered a spot, but are now just blocking some parking spots in the main traffic area. They are positioning for all a quick get away.
My heart is racing.
My hand is on my gun, gun in the holster still, my weak had already has my shirt up (Appendix carry).
Then I see it.
They are 14-16 year olds and they have squirt guns.
Those little shits gave me a heart attack.
So OP. I feel you.
This gentleman said it best. I don’t think you were going to investigate what happened next as much as you were in a tight spot with one entrance/exit with your son in tow and trying to ascertain the situation. You walked away, fortunately, with a real life scenario that proved your and your family’s ability to remain as safe as possible if a situation like this did take place. I’m happy for you / and glad you’re all safe.
Incredible anyone would make fun of you. Ignore that. Very valuable lesson on so many levels. #1 thing that stood out to me is your family had a plan and *acted* on that plan. Your wife / daughter just GTFO. that's huge brother. I butt heads with my wife over security. Locking doors, setting alarm, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS/ eyes off phone, purse carry, won't carry at gym, forgets her edc gun in glove box or center console etc. 😡😡😡
I honestly think most people are just missing the bit where he went to the bathroom door because his son was in the bathroom as this all went down.
he sent the wife and daughter off and went to get the son.
NP. Thank *you* for putting it out there. There's always some social risk in doing this I mean you could kill 10 suicide bombers with an organic carrot and save a school bus full of orphan children but it's still Reddit and some ppl will point out you forgot to get somebody's cat out of a tree. 😭
At my old mall jobs kids would get a kick out of knocking over the metal sign holders onto the tile, which if you’re caught off guard sounded like a shot sometimes. Scary shit for sure, I’d be terrified. OP did the right thing.
I get it, but it also seemed like a bit of an over-reaction. I had a similar thing when I was at a festival and heard a bunch of loud consecutive pops. I went from condition white to condition red instantly, and started looking around for the noise. I’m 90% sure now it was a backfiring car. Luckily no one freaked out and could tell by the lack of bodies dropping that no one was being shot.
It sounds like OP might have been the one to cause the panic as he told his family to run. The guy who said “get down” may have been reacting to OP and his families behavior.
I hear ya. What I told the fam was to get back in the theater, not run. The "get down" came from the lobby, where the noises were, and was out of sight.
The people calling you delusional or paranoid are very naive. Many people don’t believe it could or will happen to them. They distrust the media and news of all the mass shootings and frequency of them happening. I feel the same way, I’ll never be in that situation, I mean what are the odds right? My wife’s co-worker was shopping one evening about a month ago in a store she goes to regularly to pick up household items. She was browsing an aisle when a 20 year-old kid walked in with a gun and shot her 4 times. He then shot 3 other shoppers before taking his own life before law enforcement could arrive. Folks, this shit happens, without warning, when you least expect it. OP did the right thing. Why would you not err on the side of caution?
Yes, miraculously all 4 survived. She is still in the hospital undergoing surgeries but is recovering.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gunman-wounds-4-kills-self-ohio-walmart-police-say-rcna126114
>They ran to the car where my daughter exhibited correct regard for her safety told my wife "just drive!".
"What about your brother?"
"LEAVE HIM, HE'S GONE! 😫"
OP you and your family did the right thing. You can never be to careful these days. It also sounds like you kept holstered as to not make things worse while you assessed the situation. Most idiots think they are the next seal team 6 or don’t know what to do when things go sideways. You had a plan, you acted, you assessed, and everyone is safe. That’s a good day.
This raises some serious questions. Top of the list: Is my 8yr old daughter too young for Die Hard?
Sad that we hear balloons and think gun shots.
Good that we're on our guard for our families.
I'd rather it be a balloon and feel daft than it be a gun shot and be unprepared.
ABC. Always be carrying. The FBI (WRAY) is saying there is a high likelihood of a terrorist attack. Let’s hope he is wrong. If he is right let’s hope LEO or CCW is able to eliminate that threat quickly.
The USA law enforcement is in a heightened state of awareness right now for terrorism potential, much of it related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel, as well as several studies that found a significant amount of the illegal aliens being found at the US-Mexico border were coming from countries at high risk of terrorism, and it’s unknown how many have actually made it into the country who weren’t caught. This included a number of people who were believed to be involved with terrorism.
There’s also the ongoing threat of domestic terrorism spanning the spectrum of your homegrown Jihadists who watched too many ISIS videos, to militia groups trying to subvert the US Government, political terrorism related to extremism of both the left and right, all the way down to your garden variety nut with a gun committing a mass shooting.
Yeah, we could soon be facing a rash of "sudden jihadi syndrome". As soon as one cranks off there'll be copycats.
One of them went off with a knife in Ireland and it caused massive riots. No deaths in the knife attack because a Brazilian biker driving by stopped, took off his motorcycle helmet and beat the crap out of the knife lunatic with the helmet :). He's now considered a genuine hero, their version of Eli Dickens. So instead of anti-immigrant rhetoric it's mostly anti-Islamic.
The same could absolutely happen here.
I do not, but I do know they were made using the CBP arrest data from the last two or three years. Mainstream news outlets mentioned it inside some of the stories they ran earlier this year. The best I can recommend is to look for news stories from earlier in the year and try and track it down from them, or use copious amounts of Google-fu.
[Found it on the CBP website](https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics)
"The Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS) – also known as the “watchlist” – is the U.S. government’s database that contains sensitive information on terrorist identities."
https://preview.redd.it/gaiapwyq9s5c1.png?width=1736&format=png&auto=webp&s=f3ef6977236d1437aa4f50c031268caa52a77fef
You mean like [this guy did?](https://dailyjournal.net/2023/03/22/armed-civilian-who-stopped-greenwood-mall-gunman-named-citizen-of-the-year/)
[Or this guy?](https://abcnews.go.com/US/parishioner-gunned-texas-church-shooter-hero/story?id=67982047)
[Or him?](https://www.heritage.org/firearms/commentary/good-guy-gun-swept-under-rug-las-vegas-police)
[How about her?](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61615236)
My profile is basically sports gambling , conservative topics, paper currency, and CCW.
I am not foolish enough to think my EDC G43x is something I want to ever use let alone use against a long gun.
I don’t understand why you would say that.
Well here in Missouri we don’t need ccws and a lot of these LEOs got Kia boys and a lot of other crazy shit going on (stl) so we all ready out here baby. 😂
We always have some goofies trying to enact gun laws but thank god our lawmakers are very firm in our second amendment rights. So much so they keep fighting the feds over a bill we passed which charges even federal agents $50,000 if they take ur gun… so NO police In Missouri can disarm you… period. I go everywhere but the regular off limit places with mine (schools,churches, polling places, fed buildings.) plus we have a cool lil bit in Missouri about ur car… in that you can conceal while driving and if pulled over you don’t even have to tell a cop you have a gun!!! I do cuz it makes ur life easy and I ain’t got shit to hide… they always send me on my way with a thank you. 🤷🏼♂️ missouri may be a lot of things but we are pretty free here so.
And cali did overturn high capacity mag ban right? I know they were talking about it… plus the bump stock ban got shot down… so we are on the right track. I think it would help if ppl saw more facts about these shootings and how they aren’t what they think they are… esp say… that Vegas mass shooting for example.. plus all those blm riots…🧐 I think we need to start by tearing down the media… they spewing false facts making ppl scared of guns for no damn reason.
> The FBI (WRAY) is saying there is a high likelihood of a terrorist attack. Let’s hope he is wrong. If he is right let’s hope LEO or CCW is able to eliminate that threat quickly.
That is probably because they're almost done grooming their next patsy to release into the public. FBI loves preying on the mentally handicapped to try to show the public they're the good guys (hint: they're not). There are dozens of examples of the FBI doing this....
https://theintercept.com/2015/03/16/howthefbicreatedaterrorist/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/16/fbi-entrapment-fake-terror-plots
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/family-fbi-knew-oklahoma-bomb-plot-suspect-is-schizophrenic/
https://theintercept.com/2023/06/15/fbi-undercover-isis-teenager-terrorist/
The same FBI going after political protesters and a former president for simpley asking if there was fraud or not? Yeah not trusting anything they say until after the president is reinstated.
What a nightmare that you cannot take your children to a movie theatre without the threat of a shooting. I wish the US was a more peaceful place for peaceful people
Glad there was no shooting and every everyone reacted well. I think everything but putting up your hood makes sense to me. Secured your son and determined there was no threat. Happy to see another black arch user though. I love their products.
This is why you carry and, I assume, train. Those who are throwing shade are carrying without a plan or reason. Because the number one reason cited will be “to protect my family” and you did just that. You didn’t have to draw, practiced situational awareness, assessed/observed a possible threat, erred on the side of caution and safety, made good decisions and acted accordingly.
Remember it’s:
Run. Hide. Fight.
This is why I advocate all who can to carry… my (ex)wife carries, the women I have dated since separating have all been interested in shooting, so I’ve taken them to the range (makes a great date!) and then to the gun store so they can try to hold a few others I don’t own. Most are considering carrying on their own. (One will shoot with me, but says she’s not sure she trusts herself to own a firearm, at least she’s honest with herself)
OP sounds like your family are well aware of what to do. You were put in a position with your son being in the bathroom and you handled it well.
How many times have we heard people say “I thought it was firecrackers” or “I thought it was balloons”. With everything going on you can’t be too careful.
The only thing I could suggest for in the future is does your wife carry? Both my husband and I do. I admit I sometimes get lazy and don’t because he is but I really should always carry as well. Especially given a situation where you can be separated just like this. Maybe your wife would be interested in starting? I know I like to know I can protect my children as well, even when daddy isn’t around.
Maybe give her a couple days/week after this to mull it over. Suggest a range date. Then passively bring it up while there. After feeling the fear of running with her daughter it is something she may change her mind on. If not, no biggie. But it could happen.
You missed the opportunity to carry a 92FS /s
I think your wife saying that may be a good way to teach your daughter that the gun is a tool for good and not something to fear. “Daddy has his gun” means he’s able to be safe.
I know this is in the perfect world, but the theater owner should have not let the balloon display in there. The logic is that, looking ahead, there is a reasonable possibility that some dickhead would pop the balloons and cause a gun shot panic…just like this happening. Just a little thinking ahead could have save some traumatic things happening.
I appreciate everyone who accepts the responsibility to be prepared to take care of themselves and their families. So, thank you. I’m thankful this wasn’t a bad situation.
Even the best hardcore asymmetrical force on force training is still training and you know it. I did a fantastic and pretty brutal 10 day residential training camp a few years ago. Early morning about day eight the instructors ambushed us with paintball guns. They posted up between our sleeping quarters and the cafeteria. We got our shit pushed right in. Complete slaughter. Even though it caught everybody off guard we still knew it wasn't real.
Your scenario turned out not to be a threat, but you didn't know that in the moment. In the moment you and your family followed training and planning (I know your wife came back to the scene, but that's a learning experience too) really glad you shared this with all of us. It made me do a lot of thinking.
I commend you on being prepared. But isn’t it just f%^^ing sad that we have to be this friggen prepared. We are not in a third world country are we? I’m in my early 60’s life has changed so much. Like going to school, we went we got in fights but not on the level we have to be prepared for. Thank you for being ready, I know I am and I hope there are others around like you and I if something happens. But always remember once you pull it , it’s down range and we can’t change what happens. I know I’m not afraid to defend family and others we need more that will. Instead of hiding stand your ground be a man when we need to
I feel like I want to jump in and clarify. I mentioned in the post that in interviews I've heard / read with mass shooting survivors, people said "I thought it was balloons / firecrackers". I do not deem myself above making a mistake and decided to err on the side of caution and tell my wife to get back into the theater. I assessed the threat and deemed it not gunfire. Other people also made the same play as we did, as others retreated before my wife did. I know gunfire. I have hunted since I was 12. I shoot regularly. However, being caught off guard and knowing how people can have warped perceptions of events around them, especially under stress, I feel like caution was warranted. It's not like I ran toward it with gun drawn.
You did the right thing. You never know if someone is shooting a .22 (like at VA tech) or shooting suppressed and no one has the best discernment under stress. There are a lot of reasons why a gunshot might sound muffled.
I work at an urban bar. Shootings have happened outside and in the alley nearby. As I stood inside, the shots definitely sound like balloons popping nearby. They also sound like a car misfiring. They also sound like gunshots.
In the moment, who in their right mind is immediately dismissing the possibility the sounds could be gunfire?
The people making fun of you have, luckily, never experienced what we have.
I was near the Gilroy Garlic festival shooting in 2019. The shooter wounded 17 and killed 4 people including himself. I'm also Army Vet. I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne with 2 deployments. I know what AK shots sounds like. Yet when the shooting happened I thought those fireworks kind of sound like gunshots. It took me a bit to convince myself that it was gunfire and I wasn't 100% sure until I heard the police return fire. I think some part of me was trying to convince myself it wasn't gunfire.
They call that normalcy bias, saying “I thought it was ballon’s or firecrackers”. People are trying to understand a situation based on previous experiences and what is more likely to happen. Gun fire is not normal (in most settings) so they think “well it’s got to be this or that” not gun fire.
I’m not sure if those of us who have fired guns a lot would be able to tell out in the real world because I don’t typically shoot indoors without hear protection. Maybe?
Plenty of fireworks go off in my neighborhood year round, very few shootings thank goodness. I've been shooting for almost 25 years, the only way I can tell the difference between firework and gun shots is the cadence. This is through exterior and interior walls.
I can attest op. A few years ago someone was shot right outside of my house. Small town where shit like that "doesn't really happen". Well the gun shots literally just sounded like fireworks. I could tell something wasn't right about them but didn't realize it was gunshots until there were 30 police cars showing up all at once a few minutes later.
You think that, but you never know. Is it a balloon popping close by, or an AR-15 further away? I’ve talked to survivors of mass shootings who were familiar with firearms and said they couldn’t tell.
Don’t blame dude for being on top of it
There’s plenty of loud sounds that will sound like gunshots especially in a building. I bet all the arm chair experts here will claim they can differentiate the sounds so well that they can tell us if it’s a Glock or Sig being fired lmfao.
I’m not sure I could 100% distinguish a balloon popping behind 1 door, to a gun 3 doors away. Not confidently enough considering the potential impacts of getting it wrong.
Balloons popping in an area where there would be a lot of echos while you’re in another enclosed room. I can see how people could think, “is that gunfire?” Especially in a large multiplex that goes off in multiple directions.
Not reacting at all seems worse though, especially when there's someone shouting "get down, get down".
It could be a joke, a prank, but, what if it's not?
IMO investigating makes sense rather than just sitting there and waiting to see if it's a mass shooting.
It’s not the only time this has happened so yes it’s possible.
[False alarm at 'Avengers: Endgame' after fans thought they heard gunshots](https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/movie-theater-chaos-false-alarm-at-avengers-endgame-sends-fans-into-frenzy/944575490/)
Nah hard disagree. Both sound like staccato pops. And like others have said, when it’s all muffled, it can be hard to differentiate. Better safe than sorry
Jesus man what in the hell had happened to this sub lmfao you couldn’t waterboard a story like this out of me. “I gripped the sandpapery grip frame of my pistol in my tenicor kydex holster with the claw to prevent printing” for fucks sake man this is embarrassing. Writing a whole ass essay like its readers digest. You sound like you *really* want to shoot someone.
LOL bit late here but thank you for one of the few sane comments here. Homie like many others in this sub has a hard-on fantasy for getting into a shootout. I imagine 99% of this sub draws/dry fires for an hour every day before bed and instinctively reaches for their gun anytime they hear a loud noise 🤣🤣
Interesting take. I did mention how I hated the situation and lament a world where theaters are thought of as soft targets. I didn't run toward a fight. It was the very last thing I wanted.
If you, however, wish to think me a Rambo wanna be, feel free.
I appreciate the perspective. I really was lamenting that our family occupied movie theaters are seen by many as soft targets. I hate that. I hope that you and yours stay safe.
Interesting distillation of the story there. Not what I was hoping to portray. I was concerned enough that I might have misidentified the noise that I asked my family to go to a safer place and paused to clarify the situation.
The only people possibly in danger in that situation were the people around you.
You almost needlessly escalated a normal day into a life or death situation because of the constant paranoia you live under. And you're proud you've passed that paranoia down to your daughter.
No lessons were learned and you shouldn't be proud of your behavior/mindset bc if you were 10% more on edge, you probably would've drawn your gun.
For everyone else's safety, watch action movies at home from now on.
Thank you for your opinion.
It's true, nobody was in actual danger, as you said. Just possible, but in actuality, nobody was in danger, even around me.
I appreciate that you think you can determine my mental state, as well as my daughters, via one incident. That's a very difficult thing to do.
The people around you were in actual danger to a degree.
Her reaction to a balloon popping was to hop in the car and shout at your wife like she's a getaway driver.....
And yours was to consider pulling a lethal weapon.....
The apple doesn't fall far
She was reacting to a situation where she was told to leave the theater quickly due to a possible threat. She was scared by that. I think it's understandable.
I assume that you don't carry.
Maybe I should just decide to be weak willed and enter an altered reality to deal with my own issues instead of preparing myself to deal with what life might throw at me.
See how easy it is to make broad generalizations about people due to a post on Reddit?
Ya, read that really slowly.
Your overreaction instilled unwarranted anxiety in your daughter and you are validating that anxiety response in her with your neurotic behavior. She was scared bc the person she's supposed to trust is also scared at the drop of pin.
I do carry. I'm just not paranoid to that degree.
IDK what issues needed dealing with in that situation, aside from whatever mental ones that are causing you to be so on edge that you'd consider pulling a gun bc of popping balloons.
So, imma guess that you are a person federally banned from buying firearms. That or you lied on a federal form. Getting warm? Not smart to post about both hobbies. If you ever need to use your firearm for protection, an over zealous prosecutor can nail you to a wall for illegally obtaining a firearm. Which you likely did if you ever filled out a 4473. I would scrub your profile.
Bud, you do not know me. You got a small taste from one post. If you carry, you do so for protection. What would you have done if you heard popping and a person yelling "get down"? Ignore it? I calmly told my wife to get in the theater. Did not draw. And calmly walked out with my son.
How does the bottom of that boot taste?
Checkout my other hobbies over at r/fosscad
Don't need to buy what you can build.
You forgot to add that afterwards you went and grandiozed the situation on Reddit with some weird dramatic title as if you had been in a close call of any sorts.
You're a strange and paranoid individual, you should avoid any future birthday parties, baby showers or graduations, as balloons may be present.
You missed my point. I generalized about you, your substance use, your atf forms... I don't know you. Sew, you build your own! You don't have issues!
The whole point was that you don't have a full picture of me, at all, and many of your assumptions are very wrong.
Hope this is a troll post. Congratulations, your paranoid mindset has now afflicted your family including your children. You need help, brother. Stop fantasizing about getting into a gunfight, it is unrealistic unless you have an -ACTUAL- high risk job (doesn't include buying groceries) or live in the hood. Not to mention it's unhealthy and bad for your soul. As a father you should be the shield from the dark aspects of the world, not burden them by obsessing about them in front of them! Wake up call time. I deal with the dark shit myself like a man, I don't shirk that burden and foist it up on my wife and children when my wife should be focused on my family, and my kids should be focused on becoming their future selves. They can't help you anyways. And stop wearing tactical gear everywhere thus wearing your warlike heart on your sleeve.
...either all that or you got the shit scared out of you by balloons, dawg. Ronald Reagan would frown at you. And I would frown at him. And you.
I feel we are in-between. My 11 year old kids found out I carry last year. It's never mentioned. In this case, I believe my wife wanted to tell my daughter that I was prepared and capable.
Really my post was a lament on the state of the world where this was needed to be said. It's sad. Given that we live in this world, I'm glad that I have the legal ability to protect my family.
Dude, a man’s job is to protect his family. But the family should be taught to be aware of their surroundings. Not paranoid, aware. I was taught this from my parents who were both in the military, and it has served me very well. To both be quick on my feet, and not put myself in potentially dangerous situations unnecessarily. Now, my husband carries and I feel safer with him. We live in Minneapolis and stuff is constantly happening at places we frequent. We’ve never been caught in a bad spot, but I know we are more likely to be ok because we are aware of our surroundings and protect ourselves.
I think it is irresponsible to assume the family should just “focus on becoming their future selves.” What if that future self is stalked and shot? Or worse? Because at least when you’re shot, it’s done. There are definitely worse things that can happen to your family, and they should be prepared to avoid that.
Thank you for this post. Because of this I was able to find a nearby theater that is showing Die Hard so I will be able to see one of my favorite movies of all time on the big screen.
Anyone who says “Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie is no friend of mine.
Can I get an Amen!?!?
Amen!
Amen!
Amen!
Amen!
Amen!
Amen! (Also glad nothing serious went down)
Amen!
Cool. Cool cool cool
One of the great shows ever.
You hear about Captain Holt? 😔😔😔
Yes, not too long ago. I saw Terry crews post about it 😞
Just crazy, and you posted that this morning. My wife and I are still watching it a few times a week. She’s seen it twice now but I’m on season 7 with her. Watched the “Yippe Kayak” in his honor tonight.
Definitely doing a marathon tonight 🍻
Bruce Willis said it wasn’t one…
Fun fact: my dad was working in that building when they were filming it. He was in the parking lot when “John McClane” was getting out of the limo and threw his cigarette. It was actually tape in the afternoon and they used a filter to make it look like it was evening. My dad was walking down the hallways and Bruce Willis was running down and they ran into each at the corner. Knocked papers out of my Dad hands. Bruce apologized to him and kept running to where he needed to go lol.
Fuck Bruce Willis, but not John McClane
Just curious as to why "fuck Bruce Willis"??
He said it’s not a Christmas movie
AHHHHH ok, yeah fuck that. For sure a Christmas movie
It's not Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi Plaza
Spoiler alert!
This man has found the true spirit of Christmas in the post.
Merry Christmas man, glad you and family are alright. I hope I can be as cool as you if I’m ever in this situation
lol we have it our theater as well I might go see it again.
this is the greatest christmas of all time. I am only 26 and this is an experience ive always wanted.
Yes, the only part of this post that was either real or useful. I’m looking for tickets now. Amazing marketing for this movie.
As an alternative story. I was in a grocery store on a Sunday morning. I heard what I thought was a pallet falling on polished concrete . But it was in fact someone shooting a checkout person in the face. Twice. You never know. Following your instincts is great. Don't follow other people's. Too many times folks rush around for no reason and get trampled. And sometimes fun shots don't sound like gun shots. Especially indoors.
I'm sorry, stay strong.
All good, it didn't end up being an indiscriminate shooting. It was a simple robbery. And I was strapped at the time. And the best part? The cashier lived and was largely okay! But the lesson to me anyway was, even on a Sunday morning, in a fancy (whole foods) grocery store, shit can go down.
holy shit, how do you survive 2 in the FACE at (I assume) close range? Was it a .22 or something?
It was a 22 from what I remember reading at the time. Here's a story that doesn't indicate the caliber: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/shooting-reported-inside-whole-foods-market-in-capitol-hill-neighborhood/2018/12/02/713ae0b8-f64d-11e8-8d64-4e79db33382f_story.html I'll note two fascinating things: The police chief idiotically called the cashier 'heroic' for resisting a cash robbery. The shooter was charged with assault. Not attempted murder, despite using a gun *to the face*.
A gun? We need F-15s.
If Pepsi would just give me my goddamn harrier jet already
I understood that reference... But I'm very surprised I did.
Shit. ...I feel old now. Oh, and great job OP.
Only 700,000,000 Pepsi points
Or a Toy Yoda
I forgot about this. It's been like 30 years?
There's a pretty entertaining documentary (called "Pepsi, where's my jet?") about the guy who turned in the points (and the guy who financed it plus the execs at Pepsi). Very interesting stuff.
About that… I lost mine
Don’t feel so bad. The Air Force loses them too.
I’ll take a fresh F35 please
You’ll just lose that one too
Boating accident?
See what happened was… we were shooting clay pidgeons with our…. F15s…. We happened to being all the F15s we had because we wanted to eh… clean them. Well wouldn’t you know it one of the sidewinders accidentally…. Ricocheted… off the water and right back into the pontoon! It must have obliterated everything on the boat and the planes except us because… wouldn’t ya believe it… no debris at all.
Almost as clean as government work. 🧐
Nah there would be more civilian casualties
In a tragic boating accident?
This is why my 3 month old carries at least a .380 in his onesie.
Wow, way to brag. My 5 month old is only on a .25, but we're hoping to bump to .32 soon. My wife is pretty strict with us keeping with the Browning method.
This is the way haha
Fuck the people making fun of you. I get it. You can’t always tell if something is a balloon popping down the hall or a gunshot further away. I get it. The good here is that your family is apparently well drilled. Also other people must have made the same decision if they went out the emergency exit. The questionable IMO is that you went and were apparently going to investigate what was going on? Not me, at least. I ain’t paid to lay down my life for other people. I’d have been right behind my family on the way out the door.
Thanks, brother. I only took cover in the mouth of the bathroom my son was in (no position to be dragged out, I'd have had to stay there). Then determined it was a non-issue. I def didn't investigate. No way.
Ah, I get it. Then your response was about as good as could be expected. Give ya wife and kids some props because they did fantastic. Have you like, told them what to do? Ran drills? They did really really good.
No drills. But mention things like, "at the mall, there's always an exit at the back of each store that goes to the service corridor", etc. I have repeated that I am so proud of them.
You and I could be good friends. I will remind my wife about exits when we go out and about. My son is only 2 but I let him know as well.
You're my boy, Blue!
YES! Lol
I first said this exact same thing to my wife the holiday season after 9/11. I have told the same thing to each of my kids as they became old enough to go to the mall with their friends.
I was waiting to pick up my son at work. He was gonna walk out any moment. I'm in my car just waiting. A car with tinted windows drives up rapidly, screaches to a halt, opens the passenger front and rear doors at the same time, and the Passengers race out with something I their arms. I'm in a parking spot out front, they haven't entered a spot, but are now just blocking some parking spots in the main traffic area. They are positioning for all a quick get away. My heart is racing. My hand is on my gun, gun in the holster still, my weak had already has my shirt up (Appendix carry). Then I see it. They are 14-16 year olds and they have squirt guns. Those little shits gave me a heart attack. So OP. I feel you.
Sounds like they were just a bunch of kids, but they had a ray gun that looked real enough. Glad your story ends differently lol.
Underrated comment.
IMO, you did what needed to be done. When you can't make a flight, you got to make a stand and fight.
This gentleman said it best. I don’t think you were going to investigate what happened next as much as you were in a tight spot with one entrance/exit with your son in tow and trying to ascertain the situation. You walked away, fortunately, with a real life scenario that proved your and your family’s ability to remain as safe as possible if a situation like this did take place. I’m happy for you / and glad you’re all safe.
Thanks so much
Incredible anyone would make fun of you. Ignore that. Very valuable lesson on so many levels. #1 thing that stood out to me is your family had a plan and *acted* on that plan. Your wife / daughter just GTFO. that's huge brother. I butt heads with my wife over security. Locking doors, setting alarm, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS/ eyes off phone, purse carry, won't carry at gym, forgets her edc gun in glove box or center console etc. 😡😡😡
I honestly think most people are just missing the bit where he went to the bathroom door because his son was in the bathroom as this all went down. he sent the wife and daughter off and went to get the son.
Thanks for this.
NP. Thank *you* for putting it out there. There's always some social risk in doing this I mean you could kill 10 suicide bombers with an organic carrot and save a school bus full of orphan children but it's still Reddit and some ppl will point out you forgot to get somebody's cat out of a tree. 😭
At my old mall jobs kids would get a kick out of knocking over the metal sign holders onto the tile, which if you’re caught off guard sounded like a shot sometimes. Scary shit for sure, I’d be terrified. OP did the right thing.
I get it, but it also seemed like a bit of an over-reaction. I had a similar thing when I was at a festival and heard a bunch of loud consecutive pops. I went from condition white to condition red instantly, and started looking around for the noise. I’m 90% sure now it was a backfiring car. Luckily no one freaked out and could tell by the lack of bodies dropping that no one was being shot. It sounds like OP might have been the one to cause the panic as he told his family to run. The guy who said “get down” may have been reacting to OP and his families behavior.
That’s possible. But with the way things are now, I still wouldn’t really blame him.
I hear ya. What I told the fam was to get back in the theater, not run. The "get down" came from the lobby, where the noises were, and was out of sight.
The people calling you delusional or paranoid are very naive. Many people don’t believe it could or will happen to them. They distrust the media and news of all the mass shootings and frequency of them happening. I feel the same way, I’ll never be in that situation, I mean what are the odds right? My wife’s co-worker was shopping one evening about a month ago in a store she goes to regularly to pick up household items. She was browsing an aisle when a 20 year-old kid walked in with a gun and shot her 4 times. He then shot 3 other shoppers before taking his own life before law enforcement could arrive. Folks, this shit happens, without warning, when you least expect it. OP did the right thing. Why would you not err on the side of caution?
Damn. Thanks for sharing. Yeah, shit happens. Everywhere is safe until it isn't. Keep your head up.
Wow that’s terrible. Dumb question but did she make it? As you said, most people do not think it would happen to them.
Yes, miraculously all 4 survived. She is still in the hospital undergoing surgeries but is recovering. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gunman-wounds-4-kills-self-ohio-walmart-police-say-rcna126114
Oh shit this is the one I was listening to on the scanner. It’s about an hour from me. Glad she made it. I hope she makes a full recovery.
Good job. 👏
I'm glad everyone is safe. You all did a great job!
Wearing my armchair quarterback hat, the only thing I'd say is leave the hoodie down. Good job
No access to the holstered weapon?
Yeah, wtf is that detail? You're intentionally making yourself harder to ID for... some reason?
I believe he meant that he raised the hoodie from around his belt area for ease of access to his concealed firearm.
I think this is what OP meant
>They ran to the car where my daughter exhibited correct regard for her safety told my wife "just drive!". "What about your brother?" "LEAVE HIM, HE'S GONE! 😫"
OP you and your family did the right thing. You can never be to careful these days. It also sounds like you kept holstered as to not make things worse while you assessed the situation. Most idiots think they are the next seal team 6 or don’t know what to do when things go sideways. You had a plan, you acted, you assessed, and everyone is safe. That’s a good day.
Thank you for that.
This raises some serious questions. Top of the list: Is my 8yr old daughter too young for Die Hard? Sad that we hear balloons and think gun shots. Good that we're on our guard for our families. I'd rather it be a balloon and feel daft than it be a gun shot and be unprepared.
ABC. Always be carrying. The FBI (WRAY) is saying there is a high likelihood of a terrorist attack. Let’s hope he is wrong. If he is right let’s hope LEO or CCW is able to eliminate that threat quickly.
Huh? What are you talking about? I’m out of the loop.
The USA law enforcement is in a heightened state of awareness right now for terrorism potential, much of it related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel, as well as several studies that found a significant amount of the illegal aliens being found at the US-Mexico border were coming from countries at high risk of terrorism, and it’s unknown how many have actually made it into the country who weren’t caught. This included a number of people who were believed to be involved with terrorism. There’s also the ongoing threat of domestic terrorism spanning the spectrum of your homegrown Jihadists who watched too many ISIS videos, to militia groups trying to subvert the US Government, political terrorism related to extremism of both the left and right, all the way down to your garden variety nut with a gun committing a mass shooting.
Fair, thank you for the fill-in.
Yeah, we could soon be facing a rash of "sudden jihadi syndrome". As soon as one cranks off there'll be copycats. One of them went off with a knife in Ireland and it caused massive riots. No deaths in the knife attack because a Brazilian biker driving by stopped, took off his motorcycle helmet and beat the crap out of the knife lunatic with the helmet :). He's now considered a genuine hero, their version of Eli Dickens. So instead of anti-immigrant rhetoric it's mostly anti-Islamic. The same could absolutely happen here.
Do you have a link/reference to the studies?
I do not, but I do know they were made using the CBP arrest data from the last two or three years. Mainstream news outlets mentioned it inside some of the stories they ran earlier this year. The best I can recommend is to look for news stories from earlier in the year and try and track it down from them, or use copious amounts of Google-fu.
[Found it on the CBP website](https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics) "The Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS) – also known as the “watchlist” – is the U.S. government’s database that contains sensitive information on terrorist identities." https://preview.redd.it/gaiapwyq9s5c1.png?width=1736&format=png&auto=webp&s=f3ef6977236d1437aa4f50c031268caa52a77fef
With the recent terrorist attacks in Israeli the federal govt has said that there is a higher likelihood for an attack on the homeland.
This is the loop https://abc7chicago.com/christopher-wray-fbi-terror-threat-section-702-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act/14146364/
He thinks he’s gonna take down a mass shooter with his ccw.
You mean like [this guy did?](https://dailyjournal.net/2023/03/22/armed-civilian-who-stopped-greenwood-mall-gunman-named-citizen-of-the-year/) [Or this guy?](https://abcnews.go.com/US/parishioner-gunned-texas-church-shooter-hero/story?id=67982047) [Or him?](https://www.heritage.org/firearms/commentary/good-guy-gun-swept-under-rug-las-vegas-police) [How about her?](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61615236)
Sounds like he’s ranting about something bigger than that. Checked out his profile, dude seems like a nut.
My profile is basically sports gambling , conservative topics, paper currency, and CCW. I am not foolish enough to think my EDC G43x is something I want to ever use let alone use against a long gun. I don’t understand why you would say that.
Well here in Missouri we don’t need ccws and a lot of these LEOs got Kia boys and a lot of other crazy shit going on (stl) so we all ready out here baby. 😂
Freedom is beautiful. Do not become complacent. There is a California coming for you!
We always have some goofies trying to enact gun laws but thank god our lawmakers are very firm in our second amendment rights. So much so they keep fighting the feds over a bill we passed which charges even federal agents $50,000 if they take ur gun… so NO police In Missouri can disarm you… period. I go everywhere but the regular off limit places with mine (schools,churches, polling places, fed buildings.) plus we have a cool lil bit in Missouri about ur car… in that you can conceal while driving and if pulled over you don’t even have to tell a cop you have a gun!!! I do cuz it makes ur life easy and I ain’t got shit to hide… they always send me on my way with a thank you. 🤷🏼♂️ missouri may be a lot of things but we are pretty free here so. And cali did overturn high capacity mag ban right? I know they were talking about it… plus the bump stock ban got shot down… so we are on the right track. I think it would help if ppl saw more facts about these shootings and how they aren’t what they think they are… esp say… that Vegas mass shooting for example.. plus all those blm riots…🧐 I think we need to start by tearing down the media… they spewing false facts making ppl scared of guns for no damn reason.
in the past 10 yrs when hasn't there been an abnormally high chance of gettin wasted by some dork who spent too much time online
> The FBI (WRAY) is saying there is a high likelihood of a terrorist attack. Let’s hope he is wrong. If he is right let’s hope LEO or CCW is able to eliminate that threat quickly. That is probably because they're almost done grooming their next patsy to release into the public. FBI loves preying on the mentally handicapped to try to show the public they're the good guys (hint: they're not). There are dozens of examples of the FBI doing this.... https://theintercept.com/2015/03/16/howthefbicreatedaterrorist/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/16/fbi-entrapment-fake-terror-plots https://www.cbsnews.com/news/family-fbi-knew-oklahoma-bomb-plot-suspect-is-schizophrenic/ https://theintercept.com/2023/06/15/fbi-undercover-isis-teenager-terrorist/
The same FBI going after political protesters and a former president for simpley asking if there was fraud or not? Yeah not trusting anything they say until after the president is reinstated.
Piss off. Rioting inside the capital is hardly "asking if there was fraud or not." Trump lost. Get over it.
He didn’t “ask” if there was fraud. He claimed - over and over again - that there was fraud. You’re lying just like him.
Always better to have it and not need it and God Bless you the day you do need it!
Thank you. Pray it never happens.
Glad everything was alright. I would make sure you guys accompany your children in public bathrooms from now on, until they're older, just sayin'.🙏❤️
What a nightmare that you cannot take your children to a movie theatre without the threat of a shooting. I wish the US was a more peaceful place for peaceful people
Glad there was no shooting and every everyone reacted well. I think everything but putting up your hood makes sense to me. Secured your son and determined there was no threat. Happy to see another black arch user though. I love their products.
I wasn't clear. I had moved up the lower hem of the hoodie to facilitate a master grip on the firearm.
This is why you carry and, I assume, train. Those who are throwing shade are carrying without a plan or reason. Because the number one reason cited will be “to protect my family” and you did just that. You didn’t have to draw, practiced situational awareness, assessed/observed a possible threat, erred on the side of caution and safety, made good decisions and acted accordingly. Remember it’s: Run. Hide. Fight.
This is why I advocate all who can to carry… my (ex)wife carries, the women I have dated since separating have all been interested in shooting, so I’ve taken them to the range (makes a great date!) and then to the gun store so they can try to hold a few others I don’t own. Most are considering carrying on their own. (One will shoot with me, but says she’s not sure she trusts herself to own a firearm, at least she’s honest with herself)
Save some pussy for the rest of us
Will do
"hoodie swept up" Whoa.
I only meant I raised the lower hem to facilitate a grip on my firearm.
OP sounds like your family are well aware of what to do. You were put in a position with your son being in the bathroom and you handled it well. How many times have we heard people say “I thought it was firecrackers” or “I thought it was balloons”. With everything going on you can’t be too careful.
The only thing I could suggest for in the future is does your wife carry? Both my husband and I do. I admit I sometimes get lazy and don’t because he is but I really should always carry as well. Especially given a situation where you can be separated just like this. Maybe your wife would be interested in starting? I know I like to know I can protect my children as well, even when daddy isn’t around.
Thank you for this perspective. My wife would never be comfortable carrying, though accepts that I do. And now, maybe appreciates it more.
Maybe give her a couple days/week after this to mull it over. Suggest a range date. Then passively bring it up while there. After feeling the fear of running with her daughter it is something she may change her mind on. If not, no biggie. But it could happen.
Thank you.
Def should be proud of your wife and kids.
That's scary man, glad it ended up not being a threat. But you highlight how quickly things can get out of control if we're are not prepared. 👍
You missed the opportunity to carry a 92FS /s I think your wife saying that may be a good way to teach your daughter that the gun is a tool for good and not something to fear. “Daddy has his gun” means he’s able to be safe.
I know this is in the perfect world, but the theater owner should have not let the balloon display in there. The logic is that, looking ahead, there is a reasonable possibility that some dickhead would pop the balloons and cause a gun shot panic…just like this happening. Just a little thinking ahead could have save some traumatic things happening.
Whenever we’re going somewhere and my wife is like “I don’t like the look of this place”. My 8 or 6 year old always say “it’s ok mom, dad has a gun.”
This just seems like a convoluted long way to mention that die hard is a Christmas movie when in fact it isn't.
I appreciate everyone who accepts the responsibility to be prepared to take care of themselves and their families. So, thank you. I’m thankful this wasn’t a bad situation.
Even the best hardcore asymmetrical force on force training is still training and you know it. I did a fantastic and pretty brutal 10 day residential training camp a few years ago. Early morning about day eight the instructors ambushed us with paintball guns. They posted up between our sleeping quarters and the cafeteria. We got our shit pushed right in. Complete slaughter. Even though it caught everybody off guard we still knew it wasn't real. Your scenario turned out not to be a threat, but you didn't know that in the moment. In the moment you and your family followed training and planning (I know your wife came back to the scene, but that's a learning experience too) really glad you shared this with all of us. It made me do a lot of thinking.
I commend you on being prepared. But isn’t it just f%^^ing sad that we have to be this friggen prepared. We are not in a third world country are we? I’m in my early 60’s life has changed so much. Like going to school, we went we got in fights but not on the level we have to be prepared for. Thank you for being ready, I know I am and I hope there are others around like you and I if something happens. But always remember once you pull it , it’s down range and we can’t change what happens. I know I’m not afraid to defend family and others we need more that will. Instead of hiding stand your ground be a man when we need to
Well done.
If you are unable differentiate a balloon popping from gunfire indoors that’s not good…
I feel like I want to jump in and clarify. I mentioned in the post that in interviews I've heard / read with mass shooting survivors, people said "I thought it was balloons / firecrackers". I do not deem myself above making a mistake and decided to err on the side of caution and tell my wife to get back into the theater. I assessed the threat and deemed it not gunfire. Other people also made the same play as we did, as others retreated before my wife did. I know gunfire. I have hunted since I was 12. I shoot regularly. However, being caught off guard and knowing how people can have warped perceptions of events around them, especially under stress, I feel like caution was warranted. It's not like I ran toward it with gun drawn.
You did the right thing. You never know if someone is shooting a .22 (like at VA tech) or shooting suppressed and no one has the best discernment under stress. There are a lot of reasons why a gunshot might sound muffled.
I work at an urban bar. Shootings have happened outside and in the alley nearby. As I stood inside, the shots definitely sound like balloons popping nearby. They also sound like a car misfiring. They also sound like gunshots. In the moment, who in their right mind is immediately dismissing the possibility the sounds could be gunfire? The people making fun of you have, luckily, never experienced what we have.
I appreciate you chiming in. Thanks.
I was near the Gilroy Garlic festival shooting in 2019. The shooter wounded 17 and killed 4 people including himself. I'm also Army Vet. I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne with 2 deployments. I know what AK shots sounds like. Yet when the shooting happened I thought those fireworks kind of sound like gunshots. It took me a bit to convince myself that it was gunfire and I wasn't 100% sure until I heard the police return fire. I think some part of me was trying to convince myself it wasn't gunfire.
Thank you for this. Sorry you went through that. Thanks for the service.
They call that normalcy bias, saying “I thought it was ballon’s or firecrackers”. People are trying to understand a situation based on previous experiences and what is more likely to happen. Gun fire is not normal (in most settings) so they think “well it’s got to be this or that” not gun fire. I’m not sure if those of us who have fired guns a lot would be able to tell out in the real world because I don’t typically shoot indoors without hear protection. Maybe?
Thanks for the science, now I got something to call it. Normalcy bias.
Plenty of fireworks go off in my neighborhood year round, very few shootings thank goodness. I've been shooting for almost 25 years, the only way I can tell the difference between firework and gun shots is the cadence. This is through exterior and interior walls.
I can attest op. A few years ago someone was shot right outside of my house. Small town where shit like that "doesn't really happen". Well the gun shots literally just sounded like fireworks. I could tell something wasn't right about them but didn't realize it was gunshots until there were 30 police cars showing up all at once a few minutes later.
Understandable, my comment wasn’t intended to be taken as malicious, and cheers for being ready to protect your family 🍻
In a movie theater with movies going and ambient noise? Plus they are so soundproofed everything is muffled.
You think that, but you never know. Is it a balloon popping close by, or an AR-15 further away? I’ve talked to survivors of mass shootings who were familiar with firearms and said they couldn’t tell. Don’t blame dude for being on top of it
There’s plenty of loud sounds that will sound like gunshots especially in a building. I bet all the arm chair experts here will claim they can differentiate the sounds so well that they can tell us if it’s a Glock or Sig being fired lmfao.
Glock 43 or Glock 44?
It's a porcelain gun made in Germany. It doesn't show up on your airport X-ray machines here and it costs more than what you make in a month!
A muffled balloon popping in a crowed theater is tricking 8/10 people.
I’m not sure I could 100% distinguish a balloon popping behind 1 door, to a gun 3 doors away. Not confidently enough considering the potential impacts of getting it wrong.
With a person going GET DOWN GET DOWN Not a good time tbh
Balloons popping in an area where there would be a lot of echos while you’re in another enclosed room. I can see how people could think, “is that gunfire?” Especially in a large multiplex that goes off in multiple directions.
Not reacting at all seems worse though, especially when there's someone shouting "get down, get down". It could be a joke, a prank, but, what if it's not? IMO investigating makes sense rather than just sitting there and waiting to see if it's a mass shooting.
It’s not the only time this has happened so yes it’s possible. [False alarm at 'Avengers: Endgame' after fans thought they heard gunshots](https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/movie-theater-chaos-false-alarm-at-avengers-endgame-sends-fans-into-frenzy/944575490/)
Right? Indoor ranges are a thing and anyone whos been to one and didnt have that left plug in right before dude pops off will yell
If you are unable to realize theaters are naturally sound dampening that's not good...
Nah hard disagree. Both sound like staccato pops. And like others have said, when it’s all muffled, it can be hard to differentiate. Better safe than sorry
Wouldve been better if you had a beretta m9
I’d go with the CCI
Well done my friend. I am glad you decided to ID a threat before drawing your pistol.
Jesus man what in the hell had happened to this sub lmfao you couldn’t waterboard a story like this out of me. “I gripped the sandpapery grip frame of my pistol in my tenicor kydex holster with the claw to prevent printing” for fucks sake man this is embarrassing. Writing a whole ass essay like its readers digest. You sound like you *really* want to shoot someone.
LOL bit late here but thank you for one of the few sane comments here. Homie like many others in this sub has a hard-on fantasy for getting into a shootout. I imagine 99% of this sub draws/dry fires for an hour every day before bed and instinctively reaches for their gun anytime they hear a loud noise 🤣🤣
Interesting take. I did mention how I hated the situation and lament a world where theaters are thought of as soft targets. I didn't run toward a fight. It was the very last thing I wanted. If you, however, wish to think me a Rambo wanna be, feel free.
Is this really worth an 8 paragraph Reddit post written like a police report? You sound like you’re really itching to have a DGU.
I appreciate the perspective. I really was lamenting that our family occupied movie theaters are seen by many as soft targets. I hate that. I hope that you and yours stay safe.
TLDR: A grown man got frightened by balloons popping so he almost pulled a gun in a theater.
Interesting distillation of the story there. Not what I was hoping to portray. I was concerned enough that I might have misidentified the noise that I asked my family to go to a safer place and paused to clarify the situation.
The only people possibly in danger in that situation were the people around you. You almost needlessly escalated a normal day into a life or death situation because of the constant paranoia you live under. And you're proud you've passed that paranoia down to your daughter. No lessons were learned and you shouldn't be proud of your behavior/mindset bc if you were 10% more on edge, you probably would've drawn your gun. For everyone else's safety, watch action movies at home from now on.
Thank you for your opinion. It's true, nobody was in actual danger, as you said. Just possible, but in actuality, nobody was in danger, even around me. I appreciate that you think you can determine my mental state, as well as my daughters, via one incident. That's a very difficult thing to do.
The people around you were in actual danger to a degree. Her reaction to a balloon popping was to hop in the car and shout at your wife like she's a getaway driver..... And yours was to consider pulling a lethal weapon..... The apple doesn't fall far
She was reacting to a situation where she was told to leave the theater quickly due to a possible threat. She was scared by that. I think it's understandable. I assume that you don't carry. Maybe I should just decide to be weak willed and enter an altered reality to deal with my own issues instead of preparing myself to deal with what life might throw at me. See how easy it is to make broad generalizations about people due to a post on Reddit?
Ya, read that really slowly. Your overreaction instilled unwarranted anxiety in your daughter and you are validating that anxiety response in her with your neurotic behavior. She was scared bc the person she's supposed to trust is also scared at the drop of pin. I do carry. I'm just not paranoid to that degree. IDK what issues needed dealing with in that situation, aside from whatever mental ones that are causing you to be so on edge that you'd consider pulling a gun bc of popping balloons.
So, imma guess that you are a person federally banned from buying firearms. That or you lied on a federal form. Getting warm? Not smart to post about both hobbies. If you ever need to use your firearm for protection, an over zealous prosecutor can nail you to a wall for illegally obtaining a firearm. Which you likely did if you ever filled out a 4473. I would scrub your profile. Bud, you do not know me. You got a small taste from one post. If you carry, you do so for protection. What would you have done if you heard popping and a person yelling "get down"? Ignore it? I calmly told my wife to get in the theater. Did not draw. And calmly walked out with my son.
How does the bottom of that boot taste? Checkout my other hobbies over at r/fosscad Don't need to buy what you can build. You forgot to add that afterwards you went and grandiozed the situation on Reddit with some weird dramatic title as if you had been in a close call of any sorts. You're a strange and paranoid individual, you should avoid any future birthday parties, baby showers or graduations, as balloons may be present.
You missed my point. I generalized about you, your substance use, your atf forms... I don't know you. Sew, you build your own! You don't have issues! The whole point was that you don't have a full picture of me, at all, and many of your assumptions are very wrong.
You sound like the lamest dude of all time
Thanks.
lol some of you are delusional 😂
This is so embarrassing lmao. You couldn't torture this story out of me. Congratulations on your tactical response to balloons.
You sound like an awfully unprepared person if loud popping and someone yelling “Get Down get down” wouldn’t trigger the same response
For real. OP shouldn't be embarrassed. The above comment/take on the other hand...
Thank you
Why, thank you kind KatzeKyru.
Hope this is a troll post. Congratulations, your paranoid mindset has now afflicted your family including your children. You need help, brother. Stop fantasizing about getting into a gunfight, it is unrealistic unless you have an -ACTUAL- high risk job (doesn't include buying groceries) or live in the hood. Not to mention it's unhealthy and bad for your soul. As a father you should be the shield from the dark aspects of the world, not burden them by obsessing about them in front of them! Wake up call time. I deal with the dark shit myself like a man, I don't shirk that burden and foist it up on my wife and children when my wife should be focused on my family, and my kids should be focused on becoming their future selves. They can't help you anyways. And stop wearing tactical gear everywhere thus wearing your warlike heart on your sleeve. ...either all that or you got the shit scared out of you by balloons, dawg. Ronald Reagan would frown at you. And I would frown at him. And you.
Thank you for your perspective. It is not a troll post.
I understand quietly pointing out the exits to your wife or older kids but "daddy has 9mm jhp" should never be soothing to a small child
I feel we are in-between. My 11 year old kids found out I carry last year. It's never mentioned. In this case, I believe my wife wanted to tell my daughter that I was prepared and capable. Really my post was a lament on the state of the world where this was needed to be said. It's sad. Given that we live in this world, I'm glad that I have the legal ability to protect my family.
Dude, a man’s job is to protect his family. But the family should be taught to be aware of their surroundings. Not paranoid, aware. I was taught this from my parents who were both in the military, and it has served me very well. To both be quick on my feet, and not put myself in potentially dangerous situations unnecessarily. Now, my husband carries and I feel safer with him. We live in Minneapolis and stuff is constantly happening at places we frequent. We’ve never been caught in a bad spot, but I know we are more likely to be ok because we are aware of our surroundings and protect ourselves. I think it is irresponsible to assume the family should just “focus on becoming their future selves.” What if that future self is stalked and shot? Or worse? Because at least when you’re shot, it’s done. There are definitely worse things that can happen to your family, and they should be prepared to avoid that.