Hi there.
I thought I'd share my story with you. It's from an email I sent to my friends and family who may have been worried about me being at the show.
Hi there, everybody. For those of you who already know what happened last night at theconcert I attended I'll spare you the details.
I didn't get home until about 3am last night, because the police had Sinclair Road blocked off and the parking lot sealed. They wouldn't let any cars out until you received, what a couple of officers referred to as, a "hall pass." I went to the concert with Jamie and two friends of Aigool's, Olga and Hill, and my neighbor, Gerald.
Olga left before Damageplan hit the stage, and Hill went outside to make a phone call and was not allowed back in before the band started playing.
Gerald was in the mosh pit, close to the stage, and he witnessed what happened, up close. In fact, he was quoted by that CNN correspondent. Twice, I fiound myself standing right next to him while he was being interviewed by reporters.
Jamie was interviewed by a detective right before I was, and Gerald was interviewed about the same time I was.
A friend of mine, Pam, was also at the show with her friend, Amy, and Pam and I kept in touch via cell phone most of the time it was going on. She had parked across the street and was in her car with Amy, ready to drive off, when I met up with her. We talked at her car for a couple of minutes, but suddenly she drove off.
The police were blocking the parking lot where I was parked, so I couldn't take my car out.
Pam and Amy actually made it out alright, and Pam called me from a campus bar about an hour later, I think
I was in the pool table section in the back of the bar, and I didn't even recognize it as a gun at first.
I thought that it was part of the show. So did a lot of people around me. There were about three men on the left side of the stage, when I looked, staring off to the right, sort of crouched in a ready position. People were walking rapidly or running toward the exits. I saw one guy move towards the back, saying "he 's got a gun! He 's shooting people!" I went up to these three girls who were talking on cell phones at the next pool table and asked them if they could see anything, and if it was real. All three looked unconvinced, and we even joked about how the security would probably say something over the loudspeaker to get out, if we were in any real danger. Just then, a white uniformed officer moved quickly into the club from the front exit with what looked like a .45 Desert Eagle drawn out. He started to tell people to get out, so I started moving towards the exit he came out of. As I left another uniformed officer in a blue coat ran by me clutching a 12 gauge shotgun. I had to step aside to let him pass me. When I reached the outside the scene was even more chaotic. There were people and flashing lights EVERYWHERE I could see. There were people crying, talking on cell phones, pacing around, giving statements. There were ambulances with rescue workers tending to victims. There were police cars ALL OVER the place -- there must have been about 25 or 30. It was insane. I 'm not sure what time it was when all of this happened. I never looked at the time, but it surely wasn 't very late. Damageplan had barely played a bar of music before the shots. However, it was well onto 2:00 before I found out from an officer securing the scene that the only way we could leave was to wait in line by one of the detectives ' cars and provide a statement. Then he would give us a card and we could leave.
even see the band. When I heard the "pop...pop...pop, pop...pop" of agun, I didn't even recognize it as a gun at first. Then I thought thatit was part of the show. So did a lot of people around me. There wereabout three men on the left side of the stage, when I looked, staringoff to the right, sort of crouched in a ready position. People werewalking rapidly or running toward the exits. I saw one guy movetowards the back, saying "he's got a gun! He's shooting people!" Iwent up to these three girls who were talking on cell phones at thenext pool table and asked them if they could see anything, and if itwas real. All three looked unconvinced, and we even joked about howthe security would probably say something over the loudspeaker to getout, if we were in any real danger.Just then, a white uniformed officer moved quickly into the club fromthe front exit with what looked like a .45 Desert Eagle drawn out. Hestarted to tell people to get out, so I started moving towards theexit he came out of. As I left another uniformed officer in a bluecoat ran by me clutching a 12 gauge shotgun. I had to step aside tolet him pass me.When I reached the outside the scene was even more chaotic. There werepeople and flashing lights EVERYWHERE I could see. There were peoplecrying, talking on cell phones, pacing around, giving statements.There were ambulances with rescue workers tending to victims. Therewere police cars ALL OVER the place -- there must have been about 25or 30. It was insane.I'm not sure what time it was when all of this happened. I neverlooked at the time, but it surely wasn't very late. Damageplan hadbarely played a bar of music before the shots. However, it was wellonto 2:00 before I found out from an officer securing the scene thatthe only way we could leave was to wait in line by one of thedetectives' cars and provide a statement. Then he would give us a cardand we could leave.
It was really cold, and I didn 't dress to be standing out in the cold, but it seemed the only way. So, Jamie, Gerald, and I waited in line for a good 30-35 minutes, and then we were interviewed. Another girl I had met at another show, Debbie, was there too, and she was interviewed shortly before us. So, I was really tired, and all I wanted to do was go home to bed and sleep, but I couldn 't. All I could do was think about what had just happened. I had heard from people that the news was reporting Dimebag as having been killed in the shooting. I had also heard that his brother, Vinnie, was dead. Apparently, Vinnie is okay? I hope so. However, it was a sad, sad, event. An officer I had asked earlier on had told me that the shooter had been killed, and for some reason that brought me some sense of satisfaction. I guess I just really thought that a lot more people could have died if that guy was still running around. I thought that police had fired shots, because I recognized the different sounds of the rounds being discharged. The shooter 's gun sounded like caps, but there were at least two shots that I heard before I left that sounded deeper and more powerful. Friggin ' chaos. All I can say is that the police responded very quickly and adequately, from what I experienced. The detective who questioned me was very professional, but he wasn 't cold. He was actually pretty friendly and seemed to want to get the basic facts. Like Dragnet. Only he looked like Kojack. Well, I 've spent enough time writing and no time packing for Florida. Time to go. Take care, everybody. Jay "
It was really cold, and I didn't dress to be standing out in the cold,but it seemed the only way. So, Jamie, Gerald, and I waited in linefor a good 30-35 minutes, and then we were interviewed. Another girl Ihad met at another show, Debbie, was there too, and she wasinterviewed shortly before us.So, I was really tired, and all I wanted to do was go home to bed andsleep, but I couldn't. All I could do was think about what had justhappened. I had heard from people that the news was reporting Dimebagas having been killed in the shooting. I had also heard that hisbrother, Vinnie, was dead. Apparently, Vinnie is okay? I hope so.However, it was a sad, sad, event. An officer I had asked earlier onhad told me that the shooter had been killed, and for some reason thatbrought me some sense of satisfaction. I guess I just really thoughtthat a lot more people could have died if that guy was still runningaround. I thought that police had fired shots, because I recognizedthe different sounds of the rounds being discharged. The shooter's gunsounded like caps, but there were at least two shots that I heardbefore I left that sounded deeper and more powerful.Friggin' chaos.All I can say is that the police responded very quickly andadequately, from what I experienced. The detective who questioned mewas very professional, but he wasn't cold. He was actually prettyfriendly and seemed to want to get the basic facts. Like Dragnet. Onlyhe looked like Kojack.Well, I've spent enough time writing and no time packing for Florida.Time to go.Take care, everybody.
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