My roommate and his friend got robbed and shot at tonight

[Guest WyattEarp]

Was sitting behind the computer doing digital animation homework this evening around 10:00 pm or so, and I hear what sounded like a gunshot. Curious I went outside on the back porch of my apartment, and everyone was standing on theirs as well trying to see something.

Few minutes later we hear sirens, one of my other roommates (i have 3) gets a phone call from our other roommate.

Apparently he and his friend had walked to an ATM in an adjacent parking lot from the apt complex, when they were accosted by 2 black males, wearing baggy jeans, with their boxers showing. One of the assailants held a gun to my roommate's friend's head, and demanded money. They got $120, and then fled. My roommate and his friend went after them (they were all on foot), and one of the assailants turned around and saw they were being pursued and he fired a round off at my roommate, luckily the shot went wide and no one was injured. The place was crawling with cops and K-9 units for about 2 hours but the suspects remain at large. It's a pretty safe assumption they live in the same apartment complex (which is just lovely ). Not sure what they were thinking when they went after them, but not a wise decision.

I've had my permit since June, but no weapon. Currently it's on order from CZ (CZ 75 P-07 Duty. 40), and it couldn't get here fast enough, still another few weeks out before it gets here. I must have some internal drama clock built into my life or something, because I somehow attract this ****, or know someone in close proximity to all this stuff.

After I graduate college, I'm moving my happy ass to Oklahoma, and I'm buying a house on a few acres away from the degeneration of public society. I've grown up in big towns like Murfreesboro all my life, and honestly I'm about fed up all to hell with hearing sirens every day, hearing about someone getting stabbed, shot, raped, beaten, decapitated, or busted for dealing drugs. I'm ready for some small town living, Sundays at church, bbq chicken afterwards and where everyone knows everybody and we all say hello to one another, and we enjoy the small town gossip about who's sleeping with who, and who got who knocked up. I refuse to raise a family in suburban American around all this nonsense, sirens, drugs, and crime and murder (I know small towns have it too, just not as much).

Murfreesboro is becoming a ghetto, I swear. Getting over run with animals and barbarians who act like they're living in the jungle or something.

[MattCary]

Glad to hear your friends are all ok. Completely understand your feelings.

If it's any consolation, I hate M'boro too, and I live in Knoxville.

[Mike]

You're friend is an idiot chasing after them.

[Guest WyattEarp]

You're friend is an idiot chasing after them.

he ain't my friend, just my roommate, but yes I concur, he is an idiot, lol.

[Lumber_Jack]

he ain't my friend, just my roommate, but yes I concur, he is an idiot, lol.

Even with a carry permit one would have to make the decision on drawing. Do I have time, will he still get a shot off. $120 is a lot of money to lose especially for college students, but its not worth dying over. With that said I still feel better being armed, at least your odds are better .

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

America is becoming a ghetto, I swear. Getting over run with animals and barbarians who act like they're living in the jungle or something.

As much as I hate the fact and as sad as it is I did fix that for ya.

I cannot even comprehend how two people, at an ATM no less let their SA down enough to let this happen. Of course if they do not and were not carrying they probably dont have the kind of SA that most of us do to begin with.

All else I can say is that I am really happy that no one got hurt and I do hope that they catch the scum quick although I have my doubts about that. Truly sad times in which we live and sadder still that it is only going to get worse.

You're friend is an idiot chasing after them.

YUP!

What were they thinking?.....Easy.....They weren't.

Again I am glad they are both OK.

But something tells me that the fired round was not fired with any effort to hit them to begin with. Some thugs aint stupid and there was no reason to turn a robbery into anything worse. I figure that if they wanted to shoot anyone they had plenty chances to do it.

Thank God that they did not

[Trekbike]

But something tells me that the fired round was not fired with any effort to hit them to begin with. Some thugs aint stupid and there was no reason to turn a robbery into anything worse.

Agree. But wouldn't the fact that they did fire, turn armed robbery into something worse? It might be a stretch but wouldn't that qualify for attempted murder?

[Erik88]

LMAO, since when is the Boro a big town? Glad your friend wasn't hurt but man he isn't very bright. Why would he chase after someone with a gun? Especially over $120.

[Guest Broomhead]

LMAO, since when is the Boro a big town?

Agreed.

Glad no one got hurt.

[Guest WyattEarp]

LMAO, since when is the Boro a big town? Glad your friend wasn't hurt but man he isn't very bright. Why would he chase after someone with a gun? Especially over $120.

108,000 is a pretty good sized town.

I grew up in a town of 50,000, and that's even too big. I want about 500-1500 people in the next town I decide to live in.

[Erik88]

108,000 is a pretty good sized town.

I grew up in a town of 50,000, and that's even too big. I want about 500-1500 people in the next town I decide to live in.

wait until you live in a town that small, you won't be able to fart without the whole town knowing within the hour.

[Guest nicemac]

Murfreesboro is the fifth largest city in TN with a population of 108,000–and there are 24,000 students at MTSU. While certainly not a metropolis, it is a big town. While school is in session, it is only about 30,000 people smaller that Chattanooga…

Crime, and especially gangs, have become a huge problem in the 'boro.

[extremescene]

Nottingham by chance?

[Guest nicemac]

I want about 500-1500 people in the next town I decide to live in.

I live in an unincorporated "town" about the size you describe. Nobody knows my business and I don't know theirs. I never want to live in any town any bigger ever again.

I do not understand the desire to live in a big city–or big town. I have a sister that lives in the heart of Chicago. People stacked on top of people. She pays $600 a month for her parking spot at her "condo," which means she owns her 800 sq. ft. apartment. She pays $8,000 per year in property tax for her little chunk of Illinois. She is surrounded by crime, but is convinced that people like me who, GASP! carry a gun, are the problem.

Give me a small town, close enough to a city to pick up the tv and radio stations well, but no closer…

[daddyo]

This is why I don't use ATM's.

[quietguy]

Murfreesboro is the fifth largest city in TN with a population of 108,000–and there are 24,000 students at MTSU.

And you just stumbled onto the issue. The 'boro has a very young population compare to most cities, which generally leads to a higher crime rate.

[RobertNashville]

108,000 is a pretty good sized town.

I grew up in a town of 50,000, and that's even too big. I want about 500-1500 people in the next town I decide to live in.

I'm glad no one was hurt.

Both these guys are pretty dim to be that unaware of their situation (or to go to an ATM at night on foot for that matter) and especially dumb to chase after armed robbers while they were unarmed.

No, Murfreesboro is hardly a "big town"...even Nashville is not very big as far as cities go.

[Guest drv2fst]

OK, we have established that M'Boro is not very big but still too big for many of us. We have established that chasing after an armed BG is a bad ides. But, even if you were carrying in that situation, it would be very unlikely that you would improve your situation by drawing. I wonder about these situations from time to time. Drawing would not have helped here. Improved SA would have but CC would have been no improvement in this case. These are situations that I ponder about my CC responsibilities. Would I have the presence of mind not to draw?

[Lumber_Jack]

OK, we have established that M'Boro is not very big but still too big for many of us. We have established that chasing after an armed BG is a bad ides. But, even if you were carrying in that situation, it would be very unlikely that you would improve your situation by drawing. I wonder about these situations from time to time. Drawing would not have helped here. Improved SA would have but CC would have been no improvement in this case. These are situations that I ponder about my CC responsibilities. Would I have the presence of mind not to draw?

My point exactly, if they got the drop on you, you're most likely better to just cough up the money and be prepared if it escalates further. If they turn and run…let it go

[Lumber_Jack]

This is why I don't use ATM's.

Probably the second biggest mistake they made, behind chasing them. Drive up ATMs are bad, walk up are worse, and never after dark.

[LagerHead]

This is why I don't use ATM's.

What's an ATM?

[JReedEsq]

My point exactly, if they got the drop on you, you're most likely better to just cough up the money and be prepared if it escalates further. If they turn and run…let it go

Absolutely. $120 is just not worth it. Now if the money doesn't satisfy them or if try to force you into a vehicle/building then all bets are off.

[bajabuc]

There's a little town in Kansas called South Haven...houses are cheap...girls are pretty (even if they have short legs ... local joke) it's 4 miles from Oklahoma

[Guest WyattEarp]

The roommate is 20 (in fact all 3 of them are), and yes it's weird that I'm 31, and have 3, 20 year old roommates, but I go to school full time and live off of financial aid and a living allowance from the Army while I'm in school (decided to go back to school in Dec 2008, after some health issues arose that prevented me from working for a few years), so I'm not able to afford my own place at the moment, so I just get by with what I can afford. 18 months to go, and I graduate and I'm done with the whole roommate thing, lol.

Anyways, they aren't old enough to carry, and the ATM is literally less than a football field away from our apt. It's on the back side of the bank, not very well lit, and no one could see, and there's tree's lined up along the edge of the parking lot, so it would be pretty easy for 2 armed assailants to get the jump on a couple of people on foot, or even in a car.

That said, my roommate and his friend were dumb in two instances.

1.) Going to an ATM at night.

2.) chasing after the guys, but my roommate was pissed and was trying to follow them to see where they went so he could let the cops know.

wait until you live in a town that small, you won't be able to fart without the whole town knowing within the hour.

I'm ok with that.

Murfreesboro is the fifth largest city in TN with a population of 108,000–and there are 24,000 students at MTSU. While certainly not a metropolis, it is a big town. While school is in session, it is only about 30,000 people smaller that Chattanooga…

Crime, and especially gangs, have become a huge problem in the 'boro.

not only that but UT has recently changed their registration and enrollment standards due to a lot of the criminal issues and incidents they were having out there, so now all the trouble is flocking to Murfreesboro because MTSU's standards aren't that high in terms of conduct/behavior or grades.

and there's more than 24,000, it was 25,000 when I first started in January 2009, this semester they have an enrollment of 30,000+ that are actually attending the campus daily, and then another 8,000 or so that are enrolled in classes online.

The greed at MTSU is getting out of control, they are continually building new buildings there, a parking garage is scheduled to be completed next December, they have bought up all the land they can, and I've heard rumors whispered, they are trying to buy people out of their homes from the Area of Greenland & Rutherford all the way south to Main so they can acquire that land and continue to expand.

They don't care who comes to the school as long as they get the tuition. Honestly, there is no place to park for the current 30,000 that attend, and they want to add more buildings and land? In my opinion, that University is way too big for the size of the land it's on and they shouldn't be trying to expand anymore. They need to cut off enrollment at about 23,000, and start adopting some standards. Too many students, overcrowded classrooms (mostly for the gen. ed classes), traffic on campus is terrible, and they're attracting thugs and criminals to bring trouble with them. And they raise tuition every year on top of it...

and because MTSU is such an easy school to get into, many of the problems flock from downtown Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Knoxville, Huntsville, Birmingham, Louisville, Atlanta, and so on and so forth.

And you just stumbled onto the issue. The 'boro has a very young population compare to most cities, which generally leads to a higher crime rate.

yep, young kids, experiencing life on their own, experimenting with new things (drugs, sex, parties), then they get caught up in something when they get bored, or their finances aren't doing so well, maybe they can't find a job, and one thing leads to another.

my dad always said, if you're busy doing something productive (work, school, or you have a good hobby like photography, or cars), then you'll be too busy to get in trouble. It's when you're sitting around being bored, with nothing to do, that the real trouble begins, and things can snowball in a hurry, which is what happens to many of these kids here.

I'm glad no one was hurt.

Both these guys are pretty dim to be that unaware of their situation (or to go to an ATM at night on foot for that matter) and especially dumb to chase after armed robbers while they were unarmed.

No, Murfreesboro is hardly a "big town"...even Nashville is not very big as far as cities go.

they were ignorant and stupid for going to the ATM that late at night to begin with, but 20 years old think they know it all, and feel ten foot tall and bullet proof, I was 20 once, i know how it is. At that age you don't think, and you don't care, you have the **** the world attitude, and I'm invincible, and can kick anyone's ass.

in terms of how spread out the Boro is landwise, and the population it's a pretty good size. I grew up in a town of 55,000 and that was too big for me, but I don't like lots of traffic, and big crowds of people. Physically it was the same size as Murfreesboro, but with about half the population, and I love small towns away from city life. Life is a little slower, a little more meaningful, a little less stressful.

[Guest Bill'dYourOwnGun]

Your observations are spot on. I have friends and family all through the Smyrna, LaVergne, and Murfreesboro area and it is truly a sad situation. I've told my wife on more than one occasion that I want to move back to a small town - though the big downside is finding meaningful employment in a small town.