Does that gun have to go off and kill me, you, my daughter or wife?
There was once a time in Chicago when residents in most neighborhoods across the city were able to enjoy an immunity from violent crime. With crime on the march across the Windy City, each day seems to bring some reminder the nightmare of crime is real and is now at our doorstep.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on November 2, the sense of security with which one Chicago family had availed itself was shattered when two armed carjackers entered their property. A crime captured on video, a family member who endured the disturbing incident has composed an open letter describing the carjacking and the toll the crime has taken on his family. A gripping letter, it reveals a family now wracked with fear, anxiety, and anger.
Out of delicacy to the family, Contrarian has redacted the names of the victims of this crime.
"Last night, X, and I were carjacked at gunpoint in our backyard. X, thank God, was at a St. Ignatius religious retreat. We are all physically fine.
Two men seem to have followed X home from picking up X and her friends from volleyball at Evergreen Athletic Center. They walked up our driveway and accosted X just before she reached the back door. X, thank God, was a few feet ahead of X and managed to get inside screaming. She yelled, “Robbers!” I ran down the stairs and out of the back door.
X was nothing less than courageous. She had the peace of mind to slam the door closed, let me know what was happening, and then go upstairs and call 911.
X was knocked down.
The men yell at her for her keys. The men steal her purse, searching for the keys. No one can find anything in X’s purse, criminals included. As she yelled, “The keys are in my purse,” over and over, they repeatedly pointed their pistols at her, threatening to shoot her and telling her not to look at their face, one being unmasked, one masked, both dressed in all black. X endured minutes that felt like hours of a nightmare."
"Not thinking, just reacting, I ran out of the back door at the men and X. They turned around towards me as I yelled and ran at them; one racked his pistol, and they came toward me with their guns pointed at me. One was telling the other to “shoot his a*s.” I saw the guns, stopped, hands up, offering them my money and wallet, hoping the gun in my face wouldn’t be fired.
They asked me for keys and to open the garage door as they brought me across the driveway with a gun to the back of my head. X the same. Eventually, I convinced them not to look for X keys but to take my car, which had the keys inside. I told one of the men how to start the car and showed him where the key was, as the other pushed X to the ground after she was able to open the garage door.
They argued about taking both vehicles. One was calling the other stupid — no more accurate words.
They both left in my 2012 Audi A7, maybe worth $12k. We went inside, X handed me the phone to speak to the 911 operator. 13 minutes later, the police came. They are pretty relaxed, with no lights on; having dealt with this so often, I guess, has made this routine for many of them.
While everyone in my family is physically okay, we have all been impacted for life. X is not OK. X has slept with us, if you call that sleep, and had me check the doors and windows three times for fear these animals are coming back. X is distraught that he couldn’t be there to protect his sister. We are all physically okay but not okay.
I’m going into detail and will provide anyone with the video I captured of this horrific scene so all the men in this text can understand precisely what happened. Understand this could have easily been your wife, daughter, son, mother, and yourself. This city is no longer discriminating as to where this rampant violence occurs. As Matt O’Shea commented, it’s everywhere [in Chicago]. I ask all of you men who are tasked with protecting your family when is enough enough? Does that gun have to go off and kill me, you, my daughter or wife, your daughter, wife or son, for us to wake up and do something about this senseless violence?
I don’t want to share the most vulnerable and scary incident of my life with the public. It’s not natural for X and I to share like this, but we are hoping it can bring some change to our neighborhood and city. If not this and now, then what and when?
I want to thank everyone who has reached out with every kind of support I can think of. As we discussed this event as a family, we all agreed that the best thing about our community is the people we call neighbors.
True character is revealed during difficult times, and our family, friends, and community have shown character and love that can overshadow any evil.
Please hug your family and share this with anyone who needs to hear it.
The X family sends our love and thanks to you all for being our friends and community."
