I was walking along a well traveled walking trail late yesterday afternoon. It was still daylight.


This is in an upscale suburb.

There were a group of young teenager playing on the path and off to the side.

Two teenagers come running up to the group and draw two small pistols. They yell keep your hands where I can see them.

I am walking towards the group.
I stop and change my angle, to keep out of the line of fire, when I do I can see an orange ring around the barrels.

No one seems very alarmed so I keep walking passed the group.

I had my P365 in my pocket.

As I was walking by I was thinking of saying something to the teenagers but thought better of it.

The police station is close by but I decided to leave well enough alone.

I am just interested in how other people might have reacted.

As you describe, my first (maybe not best) reaction would be to also draw, and firmly state “drop your weapon, NOW!”.

Hard to say without being in that situation.

The Orange ring means nothing to me. Could be painted on, could be whatever.

Not having been there, not having experienced it first hand, I cannot say. I would like to think I'd have started back-pedaling, looking for cover, and preparing to draw my own pistol.

@beencocker that did go through my head.

I thought I am not a LEO, I did not feel in danger and nothing bad seemed happening.

Not sure if someone panicked or shooting started, what I would have done.

If it looked like it was hitting the fan, I would have taken out my pistol from my pocket.
Called the police.

Then what's next I am not sure.

Gun fight with two teenagers with houses and people on both sides?

I don't know how I'd react. We used to have BB gun fights when I was a teenager and cap gun fights when I was younger.

Waaay back (1963) I played drums in the HS marching band and we did a Spike Jones piece at halftime. I used a .38 to shoot the Majorettes with blanks; part of the show. After the show, my buddy & I thought it would be cute if I shot HIM near the concession stand. We did and NOBODY gave more than a glance at the two idiots making noise. Different Times.

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Kids are one thing, teenagers entirely different.

Perhaps someday those kids will pull that on the wrong person and it will go terribly wrong for them.

I'd hate to be the person who had to tell the parents their kid was in the hospital or the morgue.

For that reason, I'd make them identify themselves and notify or take me to the parents, or possibly the cops, so this behavior can be talked about and nipped in the bud before this terribly risky behavior turns into future consequences too dire to bear.
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I would turn and burn. I'm not a Leo and if I don't have a dog in the fight then I would do my best to avoid getting involved.

In the words of the great philosopher Snagglepuss, "Exit stage left."

The reaction of the group being drawn on would tell you pretty damn quickly what was happening. Change angle and assess, then react accordingly as you did. If the teenagers being drawn on showed no sign of being threatened then it’s likely just more kids joining their peer group and horsing around in the process. I doubt if they were pulling this on strangers it would have gone as smooth as you describe.

quote:

Originally posted by vinnybass:
In the words of the great philosopher Snagglepuss, "Exit stage left."

Or this...

Extremely bad situation.

Even if the little bastards started mowing down the walkers, the community in general would most likely lynch a dude for plugging a couple young kids.

Not in a million years would I want to be there. I think you did good.

I would have gone a distance away and called the police. These kids are a danger to themselves, and somebody, not you, needs to get that across to them ASAP for their own good.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 220-9er,

Seems like every year, there's news stories of some young Pookie who tries that with a cop and wins the ultimate prize. If memory serves, I think our own Chongosuerte almost ventilated some little shit who did that to him on duty. I wasn't there, but if that had been me, I might been really tempted to tell them "That's fantastic way to get shot by someone who isn't carrying an airsoft gun."

Who knows? Maybe they got a wallet or purse or two already that way? I would've called it in. Fun is one thing. Stupid that could end up with someone getting killed is another thing.

Well, given how things are now, just beating feet in the opposite direction is your best option.
Call the cops? They show up, plink (or thump) the "children" and who instigated this horrific incident? You.
Confront / approach the kiddies? They turn on you, you shoot and you are now the bad guy. And you will damn sure be a very bad guy if the kids are differently colored than you. And if you were being assaulted by the group, would someone else come to your aid? Maybe. But mostly they would video it in hopes it goes viral. The only duty you have here is to keep yourself as safe as you can.
Is this the way it should be? Nope. But such are the times.

Toy guns evidenced by the orange thingy. Sounded like kids having fun with one another. Call the cops? Make them identify themselves and go talk to their parents? Nope, none of that, please. As said above, real shit could have hit the fan.

8 year olds fine

Teenagers - not so fine.

I would have called 911 and had them busted. Playing amongst themselves is one thing but on a public trail and holding up strangers is a sign of bad things to come for these kids.

Exit speedily. Not my circus, not my monkeys, I'm out.