The Crosthwaite Family rents out the storefront of their home to a local business that specializes in bulletproof windows. They were several weeks late in paying their rent and today we all found out why. The husband of the business owner suffered a fatal heart attack. The woman was suddenly left to deal with all the expenses the overwhelming shock of a life ending far too soon. The man was not at all old or sickly.
All this was talked about over late lunch and then and THEN during a peaceful bout of siesta- the sound of gunfire. I knew right away that it was not fireworks, but it took a moment to click click because it was full daylight out there. I have never heard 15 (or so) rounds fired during the day! Hugo and I waited and listened for more sounds but heard no sirens or shouting.. and we were both compelled to peek out to see what was going on. Cautiously to the end of the driveway we went. Hugo though it might have been something going on in the lot beyond the wall but it was just a little further over than that. And right on the boulevard! Gawkers were already there on the street watching the police block off the area two lots over from the house. How were the police there already?!
There is an empty lot then a family run tamaleria and automotive shop next to that. The shooting happened right in front of the auto place. We hung back trying to understand what was going on. We then ran back in for camera. I had to put shoes on my feet to not be tripping around a crime scene in slippers! I can’t be THAT chillaxed!
We got in close enough to see there was a dead body laying on the ground, but a police woman stopped us from taking pictures. So we pulled back, continuing to watch interactions of cops and witnesses. One man was taken away in handcuffs another wounded man was taken away in an ambulance. The dead man remained on the ground for ever. It was so hard for me to take pictures. I felt so fragile there where life was so easily ruined or ended for my neighbors. I felt the death there. I wanted to cry with the women. My physical reaction was to hold my own body tight, remind my own flesh that it was ok. I was ok- for now.
Reporters were there and we did see more images on the local news of the victims and the vehicle that was shot out, but the story of what happened never came clearer. None of it added up. It was a hit of some kind.. and oh, there is nothing like a public execution to get you out in the open air! But was it a hit by the cops? Why where the tamaleria women crying so much if these were just some narcos? Was an innocent person killed? Why did the army show up? I had previously been encouraging Hugo to eat at that tamaleria because they are our neighbors right next door- and he likes all kinds of foodstuffs! Now I think we SHOULD pay them a visit. Maybe we can hear their story. Maybe not. But hopefully we can give them some feeling of comfort. They have many more tears to come.
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| Emotional devastation. |
Out running errands after the street returned to some kind of normal, we saw a dead dog in the middle of the sidewalk. That’s it. No more news of death today. #3. Done. Satis. Enough.