Gunfire on My Street

The next story happened later that spring. This was the first time one of my neighbors got unalived.

It was a cold night in March. I was sitting in my living room replaying Mass Effect,

trying to relax, when I heard barking outside. It was my neighbor’s dogs—the same neighbor

whose ex had set his house on fire months earlier. At first, I didn’t think much

of it. Dogs barked nonstop in that neighborhood. Most people had them,

pit bulls especially, and you could hear barking at almost any hour of the day or night.

But then I heard yelling. That’s when I started paying attention. The voices outside

got louder. More aggressive. The dogs were losing their minds. Then—