What’s With All The Crazy Things Going Down In El Paso Lately?

El Paso has been going through some pretty crazy stuff lately, and it's not only disturbing but not representative of our beautiful city.  

Another shooting took place over the weekend near the 5 points area at the Headquarters Bar off Raynor near the El Paso Police Department Headquarters.

According to KVIA, three people were shot Sunday night, with one of the victims killed in the gunfire, and the other two were wounded and taken to local hospitals. 

El Paso seems to be going through a chaotic stage of crime and craziness that is relatively uncommon even for a border town.  

This year has seen ignorant teenagers open fire along the freeway, multiple fatal car accidents, shootings, murders, and since December 1st, a police chase went down involving a shootout and carjacking. Lockdowns at several schools, including a false call around the UTEP campus and Coronado students, had to tackle another student who allegedly brought a weapon onto the campus.  

So why is all this crazy crime happening in the Sun City? 

Honestly, I don't have an answer, but I think the pandemic has played a vital role in how tense and stressed people are these days.  Thanks to COVID-19, everyone on the planet has low-key PTSD.

The pandemic has stressed and pushed folks to their mental limits - add anxiety, sprinkle in some depression and anger, and in most cases alcohol and firearms, a perfect storm is bound to trigger an increase in volatile criminal motivations. 

I realize no city is crime-free, but even after having the privilege of living in big cities like Los Angeles and Portland, OR, I've always felt safe living in El Paso.

The bigger the city, the higher the crime rate, but in the Sun City, I've always felt safe because, well, El Paso feels like home.  

Sadly, these past few days have us shaking our heads. Still, it's much more challenging for the many families affected by the recent tragedies, making it even more difficult to cope with now that the holidays are in full effect. 

Although El Paso doesn't seem like it's a safe city based on the recent headlines, it still ranks as one of the safest cities in America. And as far as I'm concerned, it's still one of the most enchanting and beautiful cities that I've ever had the pleasure of calling home. 

But seriously, look out for one another - it's a crazy world we're living in these days.