This was sadly the case on Wednesday in Atlanta.
A man chose the middle of the night to confront his ex-girlfriend, with almost deadly results. According to Atlanta Police, he showed up in her yard at 12:46 a.m. to confront his ex and her family in what was described as an intensifying dispute.
Then he greatly and dangerously escalated the situation by allegedly firing a shot in the air.
If this was intended to be a warning shot, it did the trick. The ex-girlfriend’s mother was also armed in the confrontation, and she fired her own weapon. The man allegedly threatening the family was struck by a bullet and promptly fled the scene.
He reportedly later sought medical treatment at the downtown Grady Memorial Hospital, which is no stranger to seeing patients who are victims of violence.
The suspect was arrested by police and at last report is in custody awaiting charges.
There are several notable factors in what could have been a fatal encounter. The first is that the mother was armed and prepared when facing a violent threat from an armed individual. There is no question that she reacted in a manner one would expect of a parent who sees their child in possible mortal danger.
Then there’s the ex-boyfriend. Showing up after midnight in her front yard carrying a firearm was a foolhardy act that begged for a horrific ending. And then allegedly firing a shot in the air only worsened the confrontation.
These shots are far from harmless and may ricochet or come back down and strike someone far removed from the encounter. What could have been a war of words became something much more significant and life-changing when the weapon was discharged.
As the ex-boyfriend was able to take himself to the hospital, he apparently can count himself lucky that he was not more seriously injured. But now he faces a world of trouble over something that was easily avoidable.
