Heard gun shots. What do you do?

[ExactlyMyPoint]

I am sitting at my computer writing a nonsensical posting when all of a sudden I hear a single gun shot. Sounds like a .22. Very unusual in my neighborhood. A few more minutes go by and I hear what sounds like a larger caliber gun shot...possible a 9mm or 45.

I am thinking I should call the police, but truly, what could they do? So what do you do in this situation?

PS After more time goes by, I hear the sound of firecrackers. So me thinks it turns out to be nothing, but the original question still stands.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[varob]

Sorry can't help here. We live in the sticks, and backyard gunfire is common place here.

As a matter of fact. If I don't hear it after a day or so then I start getting a little scared.

[dukalmighty]

Single gunshot probably nothing,multiple gunshots,call 911 and get in the sandbag bunker in my living room with my Shotty and AR15

[Janq]

I'd do nothing for a single shot and assume it was a nothing.
If I heard two ro more in quick succession though, I hit the deck and call for everyone else in the house to do same..NOW!!!

Dial 911.

- Janq

"One is backfire. Three is gun play." - Joe Sarno, 'Way of The Gun'
The Way of the Gun (2000)

[bigo5552000]

so what happened?

[G19inLV]

Well it depends, does it sound like this?

Only in Youngstown

[Plop]

I had something similar happen to me. It was around midnight, and I was on the computer. I heard what sounded like a gunshot that was fairly close (I was thinking one or two streets over), but I didn't hear anything after that and the streets were quiet so I pretty much dismissed it. About 30 minutes later the whole backside of my house lit up like a Christmas tree. This was around 12:30 in the morning. I look out my back window and saw that a cop car was on the street with it's spotlight on my house, and 2 police officers were walking in my backyard with their flashlights on my house. I asked what was going on, and they said that they were looking for a bullet hole. I told them I'd be right out and threw on some clothes and ran outside.

Apparently my neighbors, who are kitty-corner to me, got into an argument (single guy and his teenage son). Alcohol was involved. The teenage son got mad, grabbed a .45 handgun, and waved it around. He fired a shot into the wall, which went through the wall and exited the house. The officers said that the trajectory put the bullet somewhere into the back of my house or my neighbors. We checked my house and my neighbor's house the best we could, but couldn't ever find a bullet hole. The next day, while the sun was out, I looked again. Nothing. We got lucky.

I got summoned to court a month later to testify, but it got called off because the guy pleaded or something. All I know is that family moved out and a decent family moved in. Oh, and the bullet hole is still in that house.

-Plop

[uncballzer]

I woke up one morning around 2am to the sound of gunshots outside my apartment; it sounded like they were coming from right outside my bedroom window. Fortunately, I'm on the second floor. But I quickly grab my glock 21, staying low to the ground. I peak out the corner of the window and don't see anything. Since this was a mountain area, I looked out the screen doors onto my balcony and didn't see anything there. So I took a chair, shoved it up under the doorknob, and went back to sleep. I was pretty sure they were shots, as it was about 5 or 6 in a row, but coming from out of sleep, I couldn't be sure that it wasn't from me dreaming or what not.

Went outside the next morning getting ready to go to class, there was a couple of my neighbors outside, unusual....the car next to mine had a few bullet holes thru it, windows shot out, as well as the car a few feet over on the other side. Luckily, not a single window shot out or a scratch on my car.

So basically....grab the gun, duck and cover, and go back to sleep.

[David in FL]

Likely nothing.......unless I could not only positively identify the sounds as gunshots, but also determine that they were fired in anger/defense. In that case only, I'd secure the family and dial 911.

[StuartB]

call the cops and grab your gun

[retsupt99]

We live in a small sub. Once in a while we hear a gun shot or a series of them. If it were a dangerous problem, that is someone shooting at your home...it would be too late anyway...ducking isn't going to work. If you heard it, you're still with us.
I don't worry about a shot or two, once in a while. We have 8-9 cops in our sub...if they don't react, I'm not going to worry about it.

[jughead2]

i do nothing. makes me happy. we have a stupid firearms ordinance in my town. i live on 20 acres and have plenty of room to do minor practice. most of my neighbors within 1000yds pop off a few rounds once in a while.

[oldogy]

In my domain it would be coon or coyote hunters.
oldogy

[tiwee]

My cousin recently moved out of St Louis. He said he couldn't sleep in the new house until he got his neighbor to set off some firecrackers every night.

Normal is whatever you are used to where you live.

[Skygod]

Funny story, years ago.

I had an apartment at Ft. Bragg/Fayettville and one night I hear what is clearly a gunshot in the apartment next to us. I walked out and some dueche was sticking his head out the door looking as if he's already caught by the po po or something and I say to guy "Was that you, the gunshot?" and he replies "Yes, I accidentally fired one into the ceiling"

Thankfully we where on the top floor so nobody could have been hurt, but about a month after that he had some major water damage in that room as a result of the hole that was left in his ceiling and consequently the roof.

I guess my answer to the first question is "stick your head out the door" LOL