Shooting at The Standard in Grant Park
Decatur Metro | January 7, 2009 | 2:32 pmThe shooting of 27 year-old bartender John Henderson at Standard Food & Spirits in Grant Park last night is absolutely tragic and very unsettling.
WSB has video and photos from the crime scene.
…Why?
UPDATE: Coincidentally, Wheatley published this story – “Intowners claim crime has grown more brazen” – for Creative Loafing today. [ h/t: Going Though the Motions] – who rattles off a list of unsettling crimes in the past year or so and asks “What can be done?”
No simple answer. Utilize your police force and try to minimize your risk of exposure? That rings kind of hollow to me after such a pointless murder.
UPDATE II: I had a feeling that a crime of this magnitude would provoke some sort of public response. Wheatley reports there will be a rally vigil tomorrow morning at 7a at the Standard “to protest [Atlanta]’s scaling back of police officers.” All the details are over on Fresh Loaf if you want to attend.
Lord…Decaturites should support our neighbors to the west and give thanks we don’t have Atlanta’s problems. Thank our police force when you see them on the street and don’t hesitate to contact them. Oh, and if you know of any great policemen out there looking for a new gig, DPD still is seeking new applicants. Send them to decaturpolicejobs.com.
UPDATE III: The AJC has photos from this morning’s vigil.
Why? Because the people that did this never had fathers around. Thats why!
I have a question….perhaps good for another topic:
Will this brazen crime and escalating violence, along with the housing market slowdown intown, coupled with the economy, and massive budget deficits in ATL which will lead to less police presence, be the catalyst for another white flight? ie….those who have gentrified neighborhoods like Kirkwood and Oakhurst, who now have small children. Will they just throw their hands up and say, “F-ck this! I am outta here!” Will they endure longer commutes or move over on the upper west side to feel more secure?
I know we are in Decatur, but Atlanta is right next door.
Discuss….
So incredibly sad. Just horrifying and just devastating.
So horrible. The staff there has always been so nice to me. I hate that this happened.
Rally tomorrow morning: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/01/07/atlanta-restaurant-murder-prompts-resident-rally/
You must have commented while I was updating the post with the link Carl. Thanks.
Such horrific news. As someone who has lived 10 years on the “edgier” side of Decatur, I can say for certain that we’re not going anywhere. We’ve already lived through crime-ridden times before and we can do it again. Unfortunately, this IS life in the big city. We should all just be a little bit more wary. And of course, thank our wonderful Decatur police for the tremendous job they do every day.
Yes, we should thank Decatur police, the Atlanta police, and all police, but Decatur ain’t free of crime. It was not that long ago that video of criminals running down Ponce and numerous comments about break-ins, armed break-ins, kicked-in front doors, smashed in car windows flew around this blog and Decatur listservs. Thank God we have not escalated to this senseless crime, but Decatur is still plagued by criminals from our downtown shops to our neighborhoods.
Joey, by “give thanks we don’t have Atlanta’s problems” I was referring to not having enough cash to pay their police force, not that Decatur doesn’t have crime. I should have been a bit more clear.
Unfortunately, bad stuff happens everywhere. I just saw news last week about murders out in Carroll County (this caught my attention, because my in-laws, who live in Carrollton, think we live in the Heart of Darkness and are sure we’re going to wind up shot dead one day).
I grew up in an affluent subdivision in East Cobb. A few years ago, cops raided a perfectly ordinary-looking house in which a crack syndicate had put down roots. One cop was shot through the leg and one of the dealers was killed. And all the neighbors said, “How could it happen HERE?” while anyone who pays attention knows the drug trade (and the violence that goes with it) is thriving in Cobb because there are affluent teens there to support it.
The lousy economy, predictably, has led to more brazen crimes, not just here, but everywhere. To suggest it will be a catalyst for “white flight” is silly and reactionary.
Please, please stop suggesting that the down economy has led to more brazen crimes. Just take this case — these scumbags already had the money, they shot this poor guy anyway, repeatedly and in cold blood. You really think they were just poor souls out there trying to steal money to feed their families?
I second that Dem!
Apparently they pulled the original piece on the rally since it is now a vigil. More details here: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/01/07/atlanta-restaurant-murder-vigil-to-be-held-tomorrow/
Carl and Decaturite,
I’m sorry about the confusion with the posts. I edited it after hearing that the Standard’s management wanted to hold a vigil. The protest will come at a later time, they said. I completely forgot that changing the URL of the post would, of course, mess up the link, so thanks for putting the new one up.
Dem,
To suggest that I’m somehow defending the actions of these psychopaths is as laughable as it is insulting. Obviously, I’m as disgusted and horrified as everyone else. But we at least seem to have consensus that crime is up, and it ain’t because Thug Quarterly declared armed robbery and homicide “IN” this season. When the economy tanks, crime goes up. That’s not an excuse or justification. But it is a fact. And the more crime you have, the greater the likelihood that some of those crimes will be violent.
A tanking economy increases crime. That is just plain old true and logical. People have always committed horrible crimes for money since there was money. One sad part of this crime is that some people would like to use this tragedy to bait us into a divisive, cage rattling, super Anglo discussion about “white flight.” Let’s not. What would be the point of the discussion? …. So we can say that poor blacks commit crime for fun rather than for economic reasons???
Lumpintheroad, you rock.
Might I suggest a website?
http://www.georgiacarry.org/
Oh, god. I knew it was only a matter of time before the gun lobby came into this discussion.
I agree, it is less likely that a crime like this would occur in Decatur because of our strong police force, but we are fortunate that nothing like this has happened. A couple of things could have gone wrong and you could have had shootings at the Felini’s robbery a couple of month ago.
Don’t think we are immune and something like this can’t happen.
I live within sight of the Atlanta City Limits sign. Is the sign somehow going to protect me?
I’m not going anywhere … but Atlanta electing a Mayor in 2009 who will not tolerate a lawless city (unlike Shirley Franklin) will have a huge impact on Decatur given our shared borders.
The AJC has photos from the vigil.
I just do not believe armed robbery and murders happen because the thugs couldn’t find a job. That is absurd. Lack of police presence and no fear of retaliation (i.e. getting shot at) adds up to a welcome mat for criminals. As for crimes that are a result of a bad economy, like certain property crimes, the possibility of longer prison sentences would act as a deterrent. So if you believe an increase in armed robbery is due to a bad economy, then the “cost” of that “economic decision” needs to be higher, say twenty year minimum prison terms instead of the ten year min. GA has now.
Oy vey…lots of spam hitting this post and WordPress seems to be sending a lot of authentic comments to the spam folder too. I tried to revive all the real ones, but looking back it seems I may have inadvertently deleted a real comment or two. Including this one from taxus…
…That rings kind of hollow to me after such a pointless murder….
DM
Why make a distinction?
Is there a pointed murder, in you way of thinking?
taxus – perhaps “pointless” wasn’t the best word…I remember sitting on that word for a while writing up this post. All I was trying to get at was that the general public (myself included) is most affected by murders that seem to be performed at random. Ones where we can easily see ourselves being the victim. Murders by someone you know are much more prevalent in our society, but most of the time you don’t see the public shock and outcry for those because the general public feels like they can control the circumstances in their own lives to mitigate against these situations.
I wrote the same thing about the Merideth Emerson case. When the victim seems to be chosen and disposed of at random, the general public feels more threatened and personally affected. That’s why so many people were shaken by this murder. That’s all. “Pointless” probably wasn’t the best word to use, but hopefully most folks understood where I was coming from.
So I hope that explains it for you. But before we close this door, I’d like to know what I’ve said in the past that would make you think that I would assert that their are “pointed” (or I’m assume you’re saying “justified”) murders. That’s pretty insulting.
lump, I am not suggesting that you were making excuses for these criminals. I am sure you’d be just as shocked and horrified if the murderers were trying to feed their families. I just think making a connection between a murder like this and a recession is not logical.
As a new resident of Kirkwood, I’m not so much scared by being in a transitional neighborhood as I am outraged at the brazeness of the crime and the pervasiveness of crime.
I just moved from Kennesaw to be closer to work, and I’ve seen armed robberies and thefts even in my gated apartment community there. My boyfriend faced down the barrel of a gun at a store he works at on the northside at Roswell and Wieuca. He was calm at the time but with every passing hour he’s realizing what happened and he’s getting more anxious from it.
This is everywhere, y’all, and we all have to stand up and say NO MORE. Yes, I’m anxious and yes, it scared me, combining all of the above with the fact that I am the same age as John.
I don’t advocate mandatory gun ownership as espoused in Kennesaw, because obviously it doesn’t deter the bold and the brazen. I *do* support the right to bear arms (but don’t nobody need an AK-47 or an Uzi). Personally, I don’t want a gun. I’m happy with a big ‘ol baseball bat I keep under the bed (and I did this up there, too — call me paranoid if you want).
rptrcub–welcome to intown life (and I am not saying that sarcastically). As horrible as this and other crimes recently have been, it is really the best way to live in Atlanta. I love living intown. I wish I knew what we could do locally to prevent these horrible crimes.
jbgotcha, I’m not a gun lobbyist. I’m merely suggesting that some folks who may be interested in protecting themselves would find this website most informative. I wish I could overpower criminals with my insightful intellect, but I’m probably nowhere near as smart as you. I’ll just have to settle for my sidearm. We all have to make due with what we’ve got I suppose.
BANG! (subtle),
I don’t understand your line of thinking. I guess you’re operating the assumption that if an armed criminal breaks into your house, you’ll automatically have the drop on him and will have the opportunity to fire before he does. Maybe so. But if you’re following NRA guidelines, your gun is locked up and unloaded, so better be quick. If it’s not, God help your curious children.
Or maybe the perp who was just going to rob you suddenly finds himself in a situation where he feels he has to shoot you to survive or escape. Yes, the Standard shooting is scary precisely because someone was apparently killed despite cooperating. But I’d wager the vast majority of criminals are at least smart enough to know that they’ll be in a whole helluva lot more trouble for killing you than robbing you, and wouldn’t risk violence until there’s a gun aimed back in their direction escalating things.
My Dad owned a revolver when we were growing up. He kept it locked up and explained to my brother and I on more than one occasion that guns WERE NOT toys and we were never to touch them. You know what we did? We found the key and we got that gun out and we played with it. Thankfully, he had a trigger lock. After he found out we had gotten to it, he locked it up even tighter. My brother picked the lock and showed it off to a friend. After that, Dad got wise and sold the gun.
Yes, gun ownership is your right, and may you never be in a situation where you actually have to use it. But there will never be a gun in my home. In my opinion, it would be a far greater risk to my family than any hypothetical murderous bogey man.
Lump…
“Dad got wise and sold the gun?” Sounds to me like “Dad got wise because he finally realized that his sons were too stupid to understand what he was talking about.” And that the two rugrats were going to kill someone since they were dense/lack common sense/wouldn’t listen.
I love it when people insinuate that telling children what to do always “encourages” them to do the exact opposite.
My father was in the Marine Corps (back when a majority of men considered the Armed Forces a rite of passage). The nicest, most mellow, easygoing man you would ever meet. He had three guns in the house. It was relayed to myself and my brother that guns were serious business, only to be used in self-defense. And that in no way whatsoever were we to ever handle or touch the gun without him being there to monitor the situation. We understood…why could you not? Or your brother?
Not here to pass judgment, but it sounds like you or your brother couldn’t follow the rules. Or your father didn’t explain in enough detail the serious nature of a handgun.
So….which one is it? You being a brat? Or your Dad being lax in discipline/communicating effectively?
This is in a lockbox that I can open in 5 seconds and load in 4, in a door next to the bed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glock_22
And I will get the drop on him.
Signed,
“Don’t break into my house in the SW quadrant”
And….here….we…..GO!
Oh, and like I said…it was only a matter of time before the gun lobby opened up the oldest argument in Georgia. Why don’t you go holler at Mitch Seabaugh.
“If we outlaw guns, then only outlaws will have guns”
Spare me. Even if you get the drop on the criminal you are still increasing the likelihood that someone loses their life. The people at georgiacarry.org clearly do not understand the difference of gun ownership in congested areas. I just hope some legal carrier doesn’t decide to play cowboy/girl on a crowded MARTA train or in a restaurant.
Everyone has a different barometer of feeling “safe”. Some of it is nature, some nurture. Some will feel safer having a gun beside the bed, while for others even the presence of a gun would be even nerve-racking than the prospect of an intruder entering your home. And, as seen above, there’s a whole other debate over whether the gun actually helps in an emergency. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it depends on the situation. So every individual has gotta play the odds as they see them.
In terms of boogeymen…both sides have them. One side has the potential gun-wielding intruder…the other has the gun-wielding MARTA vigilante. I’d prefer data to support an opinion.
In full disclosure, my dad was an ex-Marine with guns in the house too. I couldn’t have cared less about them (though I recognize this isn’t the case with kids less wussy-ish than myself). All that said, I don’t currently own one.
How many armed vigilante MARTA attacks have there been ? How many citizens legally carrying firearms have murdered innocent people? Buy a gun, learn to use and carry it, obtain a Georgia firearm license. If you are philosophically against having a deadly weapon in your life, that is certainly your right . Carrying a firearm is a choice some of us make in this climate of increasingly random violence. I prefer to have some possible control over my life and environment… I hope it is an option I will never have to choose , but I am grateful it is a right I have the freedom choose.
The thing that’s always bothered me about “If we outlaw guns, then only outlaws will have guns,” is that it’s simply not true. And we have large scale, real world examples to prove it. Look at Japan. No guns there, and their violent crime statistics are a infinitesimal fraction of those here in the good ‘ol USA.
It seems like there are a lot of people in this country who simply like guns for guns’ sake, not necessarily because they make us any safer. And the law accommodates them (why else would assault weapons still be largely available to the general public?). With guns removed from the equation, there is no debate that we would be safer as a society (until the aliens come, per The Simpsons). But until that happens, I can certainly see why some would feel safer owning one themselves and do not begrudge them that right, even if I choose not to exercise it.
I’m of the same opinion, lump…If I could wave a magic wand and make every privately-held hand gun vanish, I would do it. But as long we have criminals with guns, law-abiding citizens must be allowed to protect themselves.
As for Japan, gun control is only one factor. There are huge cultural differences, and the fact that their country is racially homogeneous can’t be overlooked.
In this particular case, as I understand it, there were four armed robbers. Even if both John Henderson and his co-worker had been armed, that’s still four guns to two. Perhaps there would have been a deterrent effect. But my guess is that the ending would have still been tragic.
I just happened drive by the Standard that Wed afternoon and witnessed blatant prostitution going on. I thought to my self how ghetto the area around the MLK marta station has become. Auburn avenue has declined in its appeal as well. There is a police precinct there. I suggest Atlanta looks at that precinct and ask WTF are you doing. MLK center is a national park. The area surrounding it is a national and an Atlanta disgrace.