Woman slashed, and man shot on Halloween Night. Trick-or-treat!

Honestly, if I hadn't read this in the local news, I would have just assumed someone was telling me a story. One of those "don't open your door on Halloween night" horror stories you tell around a campfire or get in a mass email from your co-worker. For Utah, this is definitely a big deal... things like this just don't happen here. Very very low crime rates... and crazy crap like this?? I hope they catch the guys. It's messed up.

Woman slashed, man shot in separate crimes Halloween night.

Full Article

WEST VALLEY CITY — A 19-year-old woman was treated for a large slash on her face Monday after reportedly being attacked by a man wearing a Halloween mask. In an unrelated incident, a man was shot when he opened his door Halloween night.

The woman told police she was answering her door for trick-or-treaters about 10 p.m. near 4600 West and 3100 South when a person wearing a "Scream" mask and black clothing knocked on the door, said West Valley Police Sgt. Mike Powell.

When the woman answered the door, she was slashed in the face with the man's knife, Powell said. The woman received an undisclosed number of stitches at a local hospital.

Just after 11 p.m., police were called to a residence near 1850 West and 3100 South on an unrelated incident. Powell said a 32-year-old man had opened the door after hearing someone knocking, and was fired upon multiple times.

The victim was struck in the arm and abdomen, Powell said. He was taken to a local hospital to undergo emergency surgery.

People are stupid.

I don't know of any town that has trick or treating after 8 or 9 pm.

She opened her door at 10pm ....

Not by any means saying she deserved what happened to her, but for God's sake people, use some common sense from time to time.

What kind of a world are we living in when answering your door on Halloween could mean that you will get your face slashed or get shot?

When I lived in the city, I had trick-or-treaters come as late as 11:00 pm, usually stoned teenagers who just wanted candy.

If I were to open the door and I got attacked, because I still had candy to give out, is it my fault? If a pretty young girl wears a short skirt and gets raped, is it her fault for "inciting" it?

Do we really want to live in a world where we are barricaded behind our locked doors, afraid to open up if somebody knocks? Truth be told, if it weren't Halloween and somebody comes knocking at my door at 11:00 pm, I'm still gonna answer it. Of course, I will have a loaded shotgun just out of site, but I'm still gonna answer it, because it might be somebody who got in a wreck on the highway that runs by our property and they need our help.

Life entails risk.

This can happen on non halloween nights. People get shot on New Years Eve, there is a wacko for every holiday.

Originally posted by elevatedone
People are stupid.

I don't know of any town that has trick or treating after 8 or 9 pm.

She opened her door at 10pm ....

Not by any means saying she deserved what happened to her, but for God's sake people, use some common sense from time to time.

I'm disappointed you would seem to put the blame of "stupidity" on the victim though... when it is perfectly understandable why she would open the door to a man with a mask on on this night..(could be a neighbor..or relative)...the last thing we need to do is be blaming this victim for lacking common sense to open a door at 10 pm on halloween night.

There was a huge discussion about people being too paranoid an another thread..and so many seemed to say that there was very little to worry about on Halloween , and anyone who was concerned with their children trick or treating were being fear mongers...and it was really just a fun very safe holiday..with getting to know the neighbors.

I can very well see someone of this type of mind set, not really thinking that it is so unreasonable to be answering the door at 10 pm..heck it could be a neighbor with a mask on..and 10 pm is really not that late.

I will say this.. it is an example of the things that can go wrong on Halloween night....this isn't your average type crime that happens any day of the week.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
This can happen on non halloween nights. People get shot on New Years Eve, there is a wacko for every holiday.

not quite like this.. and it is an example of the "extra" type danger on halloween..

but it is understandable how it is easy to get away with it.. on this "fun" holiday of people hiding behind masks..

I'm sure there is much more that happens behinds masks that night..all over the world..

Originally posted by gabby2011

I'm disappointed you would seem to put the blame of "stupidity" on the victim though... when it is perfectly understandable why she would open the door to a man with a mask on on this night..(could be a neighbor..or relative)...the last thing we need to do is be blaming this victim for lacking common sense to open a door at 10 pm on halloween night.

I'm not blaming this victim, I'm blaming anyone that would open their door at 10pm without knowing who was knocking. I don't open my door in broad daylight without looking out the window first.

I know the guy had a mask on, so now I guess we need to know what time Trick or Treat was over.

One crime per 100,000,000 trick or treat incidents is pretty good considering the statistics.

I would have to say I am thankful that these types of crimes are so uncommon and rare that we will find that one or two incidents and focus on them.

Now, if the world was really screwed up, we wouldn't even have public holidays anymore. People would just lock their doors and hide in fear. Thank God we don't live in that world.

Originally posted by elevatedone
People are stupid.

I don't know of any town that has trick or treating after 8 or 9 pm.

She opened her door at 10pm ....

Not by any means saying she deserved what happened to her, but for God's sake people, use some common sense from time to time.

It's actually very common to have ToTers out at 10pm. Normally teenagers, but they are still out. In fact I had little kids ringing my doorbell at 10:05pm. Of course I'm the type that checks the peep-hole first... but I wouldn't be surprised if a friend of mine came to the door at 11pm dressed up as the scream character just because they thought it was funny. And that is exactly why people can get away with it so easy on Halloween. You can walk around with a mask and no one is the wiser or thinks you strange for it. In fact, I was commenting on how people were dressed up for a full week around here! I saw costumes everywhere I went since last Sunday.

She was 19... she probably thought it was a friend.

Originally posted by elevatedone


I'm not blaming this victim, I'm blaming anyone that would open their door at 10pm without knowing who was knocking. I don't open my door in broad daylight without looking out the window first.

I know the guy had a mask on, so now I guess we need to know what time Trick or Treat was over.

What?

You are blaming people for opening their door? Wow what a crime!

Why don't you blame the psychopath that goes around and takes advantage of people's good will?

Why do you live in fear of people at your front door?

I have never been afraid, and I have lived in various ghettos throughout my days.

I honestly think you are way off base here.

reply to post by elevatedone

I'm not blaming this victim, I'm blaming anyone that would open their door at 10pm without knowing who was knocking. I don't open my door in broad daylight without looking out the window first. I know the guy had a mask on, so now I guess we need to know what time Trick or Treat was over.

It doesn't end at 10 for everyone.. and the fact that it could have been a neighbor joking around, a relative..a friend that dropped over.. it doesn't make it stupid and unreasonable that she would answer the door, and that is the words you used.... "stupid" and "lack of common sense". That sort of seems like blaming the victim to me..or making it seem like she is partly responsible for allowing the crime to happen.

If I didn't understand correctly.. please forgive me..

There is nothing wrong with wearing a mask, it doesn't indicate anything about the person.

It doesn't matter if it's 10am or 3am.

No one has a right to shoot or stab another human being.

Why is everyone so ready to twist this into over-generalized half-truths?

I'll take that back, there is one group of individuals I do 'fear' a little tiny bit at my front door.

Cops.

reply to post by gabby2011


What do you mean not quite like this?

New Years Eve:
"In the past five years, the average violent crime rate peaked at 450 incidents around midnight, whereas at any other day from December 24 to January 1 it averaged about 50."
www.smh.com.au...

Mom Murdered in Christmas Shooting
www.myfoxla.com...

killer of four in Thanksgiving Day shooting
www.miamiherald.com...

Holidays = More Alcohol
More Alcohol = More Crime

Originally posted by Celestica
reply to post by gabby2011

 

What do you mean not quite like this?

New Years Eve:
"In the past five years, the average violent crime rate peaked at 450 incidents around midnight, whereas at any other day from December 24 to January 1 it averaged about 50."
www.smh.com.au...

Mom Murdered in Christmas Shooting
www.myfoxla.com...

killer of four in Thanksgiving Day shooting
www.miamiherald.com...

Holidays = More Alcohol
More Alcohol = More Crime

what I meant by "not quite like this".. is people anonymously hiding behind a mask, and just going cold turkey up to a door, and doing something so violent..

The cases you speak of are often connected to domestic problems..escalated party disputes, etc.

Halloween gives a perfect reason to be totally in disguise, as well as a reason to be on someones doorstep totally in disguise..therefore offering much more protection , and ability to get away with the crime.

reply to post by gabby2011


No one is blaming the victim for the crime committed. They're only saying that she did not act wisely. Kids don't trick-or-treat as late as 10 pm where I live, especially not on a school night. If she would have looked out the window before opening the door, she could have seen that the man was too tall to be a child....although she could have thought it was a friend like you said.

Originally posted by Charmed707
reply to post by gabby2011

 

No one is blaming the victim for the crime committed. They're only saying that she did not act wisely. Kids don't trick-or-treat as late as 10 pm where I live, especially not on a school night. If she would have looked out the window before opening the door, she could have seen that the man was too tall to be a child....although she could have thought it was a friend like you said.

Exactly it could have been a friend....and if the person would have used the words .. not very wise..instead of starting the post with.." people are stupid"..and ending with..have people lost all understanding of common sense, or something to that effect ..it may have not come across so harsh and judgmental.

reply to post by gabby2011


You're wrong. Only one of the crimes I posted could be linked to a domestic problem. The second one says after a mom finished visiting with her family a blue car pulls up next to her and shoots her. The first just shows the on New Years Eve there's a spike of about 450 crimes by midnight opposed to the 50 average for the whole month.

Originally posted by Celestica
reply to post by gabby2011

 

You're wrong. Only one of the crimes I posted could be linked to a domestic problem. The second one says after a mom finished visiting with her family a blue car pulls up next to her and shoots her. The first just shows the on New Years Eve there's a spike of about 450 crimes by midnight opposed to the 50 average for the whole month.

Look if you're trying to convince me that halloween is the safest holiday..you should quit now..

The events in this thread speak for themselves.. and I'm tired of hearing from people how halloween is just as safe as any other day..ok?

reply to post by gabby2011


No offense but going off of your posts in this thread you seem to have a problem with discerning the meaning behind what people say. I never once said anything about ANY holiday being safe. I was simply questioning your seemed belief that Halloween is the most UN-safe. No holiday is safe. Every holiday is subject to shootings, theft, and assault. Every holiday sees an increase in crime. Okay, maybe not every, I have yet to look into Easter crimes. But Christmas, new years eve, Halloween, thanksgiving, all dangerous.