When I first moved to New York, I had a few part-time jobs to make ends meet. One, required me to get to work at 4:30am to open the location. Because I lived in Harlem, I often had to wake up at 3am, rush to get ready, and hop on the subway by 3:30am to make it in time.
One morning, I was sitting alone, listening to music on the empty train, when a man came up to me and began talking. I shifted in my seat and made small talk while also trying to find a way out of the conversation as quickly as possible.
The man ignored my signals and sat next to me. He told me that he sometimes just wanted to hurt people. He told me he had robbed a place a gunpoint but was never caught. He told me he had a gun on him and asked me if I wanted to see it.
I didn't take him seriously. After all, a lot of people say a lot crazy shit in this city. I just prayed the subway would move faster.
When we arrived at Grand Central, the man yelled, "Watch this!" and bolted out of the train car. A sigh of relief. He was gone.
As the train doors closed, I saw him pull out a gun and raise it at the kiosk worker at the station. He looked back at me. The train left the station.
Gun violence is real, even in a city that bans loaded weapons.
We must stop this. Enough talk. Action is needed NOW.
