The year was 2012.
17 years of age was I.
I sat on the couch of the front living room in a friend's small 2 bedroom apartment.
2 people sat beside me on the couch, the front door in front of us across the room.
4 people were in the back room in discussion, including the target, Randy, who was in his 60s and was the president of an outlaw motorcycle club.
The front door was kicked in by some guy in his mid 20s.
Pistol in his hand.
He pointed the barrel at us on the couch and said, 'shut up, don't move.' As the girls on the couch started pleading with him not to shoot us.
He went to the back room and I heard the gun cock.
'Pull the trigger mother fucker', said Randy, likely saying it right into the barrel.
The young kid was rattled at this and became scared, as an unarmed man was welcoming a gunshot to the head.
The kid busted a lamp with the grip of the gun and ran out in embarrassment.

As heavy as that situation was, I've always looked at this as beautiful and inspiring.
This man smiled in the face of death and death thought twice and went home that day.
What bravery.
What a beautiful disaster.
© Sebastian Grey