Shots fired: Chicago downtown shooting

Three hours ago, I was running an automated performance test when I started hearing sirens. You hear them all the time. Responding to some domestic violence, some person getting locked in the bathroom or someone had a heart attack, but by the time I realized that it was occurring frequently, I got news that shots were fired in the building directly opposite to where I work and diagonally opposite to where I live.

Not knowing the seriousness, just out of curiosity, as anyone would have, myself and my colleagues decided to go down and it ourselves. Only when we went down did we realize that the situation was much more serious.

Inside the office everything was calm but outside, it was chaos. Sitting at home and watching news in TV doesn't create that impact. I have seen cops killing a person on TV. It doesn't impact you much. May be because they are in electronic form. 10-15 police cars, 5-6 ambulances, 2-3 fire engines. The scene had all the ingredients to churn your stomach.

Story in short:
A gunman enters an office building in 38th floor. Apparently has an argument. Opens fire. Critically injures three people and shooting one women in the foot. SWAT team arrives, shoots down the gunman. One block radius blocked for civilians.

Reporters across the world would be having a field day with this event, but me sitting so close to the actual site of event (sambavam nadandha idam - Technically this happened a few metres away from me.) had affected me somehow in the deepest of my mind. It may be fear of closeness to danger or the thought that someone is fighting for his/her life at this very moment, I would never know. Only time can tell when I replay this event in my head and the impact it had on me.

One thing that has to be appreciated. SWAT team shoots down the "offender" minutes after the shooting. The whole area is secured. Police go floor by floor to check everything is okay. Not the kind you would expect in India. If a person is shot, he is dead. End of story...