Happy Pride?
I have to write about this because I can't stop thinking about it and no one is up to talk.
So one of the things that has happened during my lj silence is that I got a new job. I still manage the porn store, but on weekends I also now work as a bouncer/door girl at a Club on Davie (heart of the gay village for non Vancouver residents) called The Majestic.
how I got the job is an interesting story in its self but not important to this one
It's pride weekend.
The club normally has a small 5 car parking lot out front that for the weekend has been turned into a pretty sweet out door beer garden. This has created a long about two person wide 30 foot long walk way towards the door of the club and open beer garden.
I was working tonight, checking id's and bags while another guy, normally a bartender and dancer, took cover charge.
at approximately 10pm I was having a smoke about halfway up the walkway.I spotted a guy walk out of the convenience store at the end of the walkway. He reminded me of Micheal Jackson in the early 90's but darker skinned. He was wearing a black suit and red scarf like tie and a black fedora. He had long black hair in pony tail down his back. He stopped and took and took a swig of his freshly acquired bottle of coke and looked at me and then watched the patio for a moment. He then turn right down the side walk and out of view.
Seconds later, as I have turned my attenion away from the sidewalk and towards the patio, I here
"stop him!"
and the same guy runs by me. The guy talking cover, Ian, trys to grab and that's when everything got really fucked up.
The guy swung out and hit Ian in the head with something and then ran into the patio and random started taking swipes at patrons. He had a small black Ball Pen hammer and was just swinging away and running around in circles hitting at people. He struck one guy, then another....always aiming for the head.
People were trying to grab him but he just kept swinging. At this point I did not know he had a hammer, I just saw him swinging at people and others trying to stop him.
this was all a matter of seconds
I pulled out my mag lite and while screaming through the open patio doors for the manager to get out there, I ran towards the patio. just in time to see a patron pick up a chair and take a swing at the guy.
an then I saw a gun.
The guy was swinging around a black semi atomic hand gun in his right hand and the hammer in his left.
My, manager Richard came out to my side and ran at the guy just as I yelled "he's got a gun!!"
the guy spun around ran into the corner towards two stunned like deer patrons at a table. He hit them both in the head with his hammer and ran towards Richard and I.
Richard grabbed and he bashed Richards head.
Which was the first time I got a good look at the hammer.
Because then he turned to me.
Our eyes fixed. I instinctively put my hands up and took a big step back.
He took a swing at me but missed and then He ran down the walk way and onto the street, myself and other patrons chasing him.
He hit people out his way and disappeared into the pride crowd.
He was later tackled and subdued, across the street and behind the shoppers drug mart, by a man whose wife he had hit on the side walk. The police arrested him quickly.
4 patron and 2 staff members were taken to hospital. I don't how many people he got on the street.
The police say it does not appear to be a hate crime. It just appear to be random.
it was so fucking random.
Please know that I am okay. I am a little in shock and the surreality of all, especially in wake of the recent also oh so fucking random decapitation attack on the Greyhound bus in Manitoba (if you don't know google it!)
I tend to be really good in crisis situations like that. I just go into problem solving mode.
A couple people even commented on how calm I was, but what else was I suppose to do. I made sure the injured had towels and ice and water and a patron with first aid training was amazing at helping attend to them till the paramedics arrived. Then gave a couple page very detailed statement when the cops arrived.
No one seemed seriously injured, maybe some stitches and a concussion but pretty lucky all thing considered, he just seemed to graze people.
I went with one of the bartenders and his girlfriend to another club On Granville (bar star club district) called Crush that he also works at.
I need a drink.
He got us, his girlfriend was also working when it happened, a couple drinks but I couldn't stay. It was a hip hop/dance/trendy crowd and it wasn't helping my mood being in a club.
although this one had security, complete with metal detectors and id scanners and your picture taken upon entrance.
I am home now. drinking the last of whiskey and smoking the last of my weed.
I feel calm...shaken but calm.
I just wish I could stop playing it over and over in my head.
So one of the things that has happened during my lj silence is that I got a new job. I still manage the porn store, but on weekends I also now work as a bouncer/door girl at a Club on Davie (heart of the gay village for non Vancouver residents) called The Majestic.
how I got the job is an interesting story in its self but not important to this one
It's pride weekend.
The club normally has a small 5 car parking lot out front that for the weekend has been turned into a pretty sweet out door beer garden. This has created a long about two person wide 30 foot long walk way towards the door of the club and open beer garden.
I was working tonight, checking id's and bags while another guy, normally a bartender and dancer, took cover charge.
at approximately 10pm I was having a smoke about halfway up the walkway.I spotted a guy walk out of the convenience store at the end of the walkway. He reminded me of Micheal Jackson in the early 90's but darker skinned. He was wearing a black suit and red scarf like tie and a black fedora. He had long black hair in pony tail down his back. He stopped and took and took a swig of his freshly acquired bottle of coke and looked at me and then watched the patio for a moment. He then turn right down the side walk and out of view.
Seconds later, as I have turned my attenion away from the sidewalk and towards the patio, I here
"stop him!"
and the same guy runs by me. The guy talking cover, Ian, trys to grab and that's when everything got really fucked up.
The guy swung out and hit Ian in the head with something and then ran into the patio and random started taking swipes at patrons. He had a small black Ball Pen hammer and was just swinging away and running around in circles hitting at people. He struck one guy, then another....always aiming for the head.
People were trying to grab him but he just kept swinging. At this point I did not know he had a hammer, I just saw him swinging at people and others trying to stop him.
this was all a matter of seconds
I pulled out my mag lite and while screaming through the open patio doors for the manager to get out there, I ran towards the patio. just in time to see a patron pick up a chair and take a swing at the guy.
an then I saw a gun.
The guy was swinging around a black semi atomic hand gun in his right hand and the hammer in his left.
My, manager Richard came out to my side and ran at the guy just as I yelled "he's got a gun!!"
the guy spun around ran into the corner towards two stunned like deer patrons at a table. He hit them both in the head with his hammer and ran towards Richard and I.
Richard grabbed and he bashed Richards head.
Which was the first time I got a good look at the hammer.
Because then he turned to me.
Our eyes fixed. I instinctively put my hands up and took a big step back.
He took a swing at me but missed and then He ran down the walk way and onto the street, myself and other patrons chasing him.
He hit people out his way and disappeared into the pride crowd.
He was later tackled and subdued, across the street and behind the shoppers drug mart, by a man whose wife he had hit on the side walk. The police arrested him quickly.
4 patron and 2 staff members were taken to hospital. I don't how many people he got on the street.
The police say it does not appear to be a hate crime. It just appear to be random.
it was so fucking random.
Please know that I am okay. I am a little in shock and the surreality of all, especially in wake of the recent also oh so fucking random decapitation attack on the Greyhound bus in Manitoba (if you don't know google it!)
I tend to be really good in crisis situations like that. I just go into problem solving mode.
A couple people even commented on how calm I was, but what else was I suppose to do. I made sure the injured had towels and ice and water and a patron with first aid training was amazing at helping attend to them till the paramedics arrived. Then gave a couple page very detailed statement when the cops arrived.
No one seemed seriously injured, maybe some stitches and a concussion but pretty lucky all thing considered, he just seemed to graze people.
I went with one of the bartenders and his girlfriend to another club On Granville (bar star club district) called Crush that he also works at.
I need a drink.
He got us, his girlfriend was also working when it happened, a couple drinks but I couldn't stay. It was a hip hop/dance/trendy crowd and it wasn't helping my mood being in a club.
although this one had security, complete with metal detectors and id scanners and your picture taken upon entrance.
I am home now. drinking the last of whiskey and smoking the last of my weed.
I feel calm...shaken but calm.
I just wish I could stop playing it over and over in my head.