You’re listening to the What Was That Like podcast, but this is not a regular episode. This is a bonus Raw Audio episode.
Usually on this show I talk to a regular person who’s been through something really unusual. Like they got attacked by an alligator, or they were buried in an avalanche, or they witnessed a murder. That person comes on the show and tells the story of what happened, first hand.
That’s not what we’re doing today. This bonus episode is called Raw Audio. The Raw Audio episodes are 3 real-life stories, and they include the 911 calls that were made when it was happening. You’ll hear that audio, as well as the story of what happened.
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But today, we have a special one and it’s available to all listeners. Every once in a while I like to put out an extra episode like this, so if you’ve been thinking about it, you can see sort of a free sample of what you’ll be getting when you become a supporter. If you like real-life stories, and the feeling that you are right there as it happens, I think you’ll enjoy this content.
And here’s the content warning for today’s episode – you’ll hear about a plane crash, a murder/suicide, and a home invasion.
And of course, after these 3 stories, we’ll have our regular Listener Story like we do for every episode.
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https://WhatWasThatLike.com/138
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Episode transcript (download transcript PDF):
You’re listening to the What Was That Like podcast, but this is not a regular episode. This is a bonus Raw Audio episode.
Usually on this show I talk to a regular person who’s been through something really unusual. Like they got attacked by an alligator, or they were buried in an avalanche, or they witnessed a murder. That person comes on the show and tells the story of what happened, first hand.
That’s not what we’re doing today. This bonus episode is called Raw Audio. The Raw Audio episodes are 3 real-life stories, and they include the 911 calls that were made when it was happening. You’ll hear that audio, as well as the story of what happened.
These episodes are usually only available exclusively to listeners who support the podcast for $5 a month. You can sign up for that at WhatWasThatLike.com/support. When you do that, you also get all the regular What Was That Like episodes without any ads. And you can binge all of the past Raw Audio episodes – right now there are a total of 32 of them.
But today, we have a special one and it’s available to all listeners. Every once in a while I like to put out an extra episode like this, so if you’ve been thinking about it, you can see sort of a free sample of what you’ll be getting when you become a supporter. If you like real-life stories, and the feeling that you are right there as it happens, I think you’ll enjoy this content.
And here’s the content warning for today’s episode – you’ll hear about a plane crash, a murder/suicide, and a home invasion.
And of course, after these 3 stories, we’ll have our regular Listener Story like we do for every episode. So let’s get to it.
Scott
Naperville, Illinois. Lloyd and Maureen McKee, both in their sixties at the time, lived in a neighborhood in a suburb of Chicago. This community is called Aero Estates, and it’s called that because it includes a small residential airport. Lloyd is a pilot and they owned their own small airplane. They lived in this community for 12 years and they flew their plane often. One day, around noon, Lloyd and Maureen took off to head toward Pittsburgh with Lloyd piloting the plane. Shortly after takeoff, something went wrong. Near the end of the runway is a business area, and the plane ended up crashing into the XSport Fitness Club. This was midday on a Wednesday, so the fitness center was packed with people working out. Several people who witnessed the crash called 911.
911 Operator
Naperville 911. How can I help you?
Male caller 1
Hi. A little one-engine airplane took off from the airport at 83rd Street and crashed into the XSports fitness center on 75th and Route 59. I mean, it’s just inside of Route 59.
911 Operator
Ok. Do you see anybody coming out of it?
Male Caller 1
We were walking here on the trail and we just saw it crash into the building.
911 Operator
Okay. Hold on one second. We’re going to get help out, okay?
Male Caller 1
Okay. I’ll hold on.
911 Operator
You witnessed it, you said?
Male Caller 1
I witnessed it. Right.
911 Operator
Okay. Hang on one second. Did it go actually into the building?
Male Caller 1
It went into the southwest corner of the building.
911 Operator
Of the actual building, correct?
Male Caller 1
Of the actual building – the XSport Fitness Center. Okay.
911 Operator
Naperville 911. How may I help you?
Male Caller 2
Hi, I’m at Naperville Aero Estates Airport and I just saw a plane crash into a building.
911 Operator
Okay. Where at?
Male Caller 2
It’s north of whatever the building is. It’s like a shopping mall north of Naper Arero.
911 Operator
Okay. Do you know what the cross street might be?
Male Caller 2
I don’t know.
911 Operator
Okay. So it’s north–
Male Caller 2
North of the airport. I think there’s a home depot in that shopping mall.
911 Operator
Naperville 911. How may I help you?
Male Caller 3
A plane just flew into the XSport Fitness Building.
911 Operator
Okay. All right. Is it on fire?
Male Caller 3
It went through the building. It’s inside the building.
911 Operator
Okay. All right. We’ll get the fire department out there, okay?
Male Caller 3
Alright.
911 Operator
Thank you.
911 Operator
Naper 911. How can I help you?
Male Caller 3
I already spoke with someone. There’s a plane crash into the XSport on the corner of 75th and Route 59th.
911 Operator
Did it go actually into the building?
Male Caller 3
It went actually into the building.
911 Operator
Did you see any flames or anything like that?
Male Caller 3
There are no flames at the moment.
911 Operator
Okay. We’re getting help on the way, okay?
Male Caller 3
All right. Thank you.
911 Operator
Thank you.
911 Operator
- How can I help you?
Male Caller 4
Hi, my name’s Mike. I’m at the Costco at 75th Street and 59. There’s an airplane that took off in that small airport there.
911 Operator
Okay. Did it went into export fitness?
Male Caller 4
Yeah, I believe it crashed.
911 Operator
Okay. You said you’re across the street. Can you see if there are any occupants getting out?
Male Caller 4
No, I’m throwing my car up at Costco. I can’t even see. I just heard. I saw the airplane. I heard the impact.
911 Operator
Okay. We have help on the way, okay?
Male Caller 4
Awesome. Thank you.
911 Operator
Thank you.
911 Operator
Naperville 911. How can I help you?
Male Caller 5
Hi. We’re over at XSport Fitness 75th and 59th.
911 Operator
You calling about the plane crash?
Male Caller 5
Yeah, the plane just crashed into the building.
911 Operator
Do you know if anybody on the plane has been able to get out?
Male Caller 5
We haven’t had a chance to see. We see this gasoline leaking all the way into our gym.
911 Operator
Okay. You’re able to evacuate the gym?
Male Caller 5
Yeah, we’re evacuating right now.
911 Operator
In anybody in the gym hurt?
Male Caller 5
No, no one’s hurt in the gym yet.
911 Operator
Okay. We’re on our way.
Male Caller 5
All right. Thank you.
911 Operator
Thanks. Bye.
Scott
When first responders arrived, they found Lloyd and Maureen pinned inside the plane, but they were conscious and able to communicate. They were able to be removed from the plane and were taken to Edward Hospital. Their injuries were non-life threatening, consisting mostly of cuts and broken bones. Even though there were 280 people inside the fitness club at the time, none of them were injured. Many heard or felt the crash, and they all quickly exited the building. After an investigation, The National Transportation Safety Board cited the probable cause for the crash as “pilot’s failure to abort a takeoff”. Other contributing factors were improper annual inspection of the aircraft, as well as a hole in the plane’s exhaust pipe. There was a pre-flight inspection, but it failed to notice two critical engine malfunctions that caused the crash.
Stone Island, Florida, in Volusia County. Carlos and Lara were married and had an 11-year-old daughter named Adrianna. Their marriage had failed and they were separated while going through a particularly nasty divorce. Lara and Adrianna had left and were now living with Lara’s father, Phil. Part of the agreement they had worked out was that Carlos was not under any circumstances to visit them at Phil’s house. But one Monday morning, around 8 AM, he went there anyway, armed with a gun. He shot Laura and Phil multiple times on the porch of Phil’s house. Then he made a phone call to a friend to ask her to come and get his daughter. Adrianna was a witness to these two killings. At some point, she was able to run out of the house to a neighbor. That neighbor called 911.
Female Caller 1
There’s been a shooting. I’m at (hidden information). I think two people are dead.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. Ma’am, did you see the people get shot?
Female Caller 1
No. But a little girl that lives there did.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. Alright, stay on the phone. Let me get rescue started. Don’t hang up. Okay, ma’am? Hold on a second.
Female Caller 1
Okay. Okay.
911 Operator (Male)
Ma’am, where’s the person that did the shooting?
911 Operator (Female)
Where is your emergency?
911 Operator (Male)
911 transfer. It sounds like I got a possible double shooting over at (hidden information).
911 Operator (Female)
Okay.
Female Caller 1
It’s two houses down from here.
911 Operator (Female)
Okay, ma’am, take a deep breath. Okay. This is the fire department paramedics. I want to help you, but you have to answer my questions.
Female Caller 1
Okay.
911 Operator (Female)
What phone number are you calling from?
Female Caller 1
(Hidden information)
911 Operator (Female)
Where was the shooting at?
Female Caller 1
(Hidden information) That’s my home. Take a deep breath. We have paramedics coming, okay? So stay on the line with me. The best thing you do is give me as much information as you can, okay?
911 Operator (Female)
Okay. Do you know the people that were shot?
Female Caller 1
Yes.
911 Operator (Female)
Okay. Do you know how old they were?
Female Caller 1
No. How old is Phil? She’s asking me questions. They’re coming. They’re coming.
911 Operator (Female)
They’re on their way. As we’re speaking, they’re already on their way, ma’am.
Female Caller 1
I need the paramedics. I need the police here.
911 Operator (Male)
Yes, ma’am. Ma’am, ma’am. Listen, ma’am.
Female Caller 1
(Silence)
911 Operator (Male)
Ma’am. Ma’am. Ma’am. Ma’am, I need your help, please. Hello, ma’am.
911 Operator (Female)
Talk to the police officer.
911 Operator (Male)
Ma’am. Listen to me. Okay. I got the cops coming. This lady on the phone – she’s a paramedic. Can you tell me where the person that did the shooting is? Ma’am?
Female Caller 1
I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
911 Operator (Male)
Where is the shooter?
Female Caller 1
He’s in the house.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. Did he shoot himself or is he still alive, do you know?
Female Caller 1
No, I think he’s still alive.
911 Operator (Male)
You think he’s still alive? Okay. Can you tell me – did he shoot two people or did he shoot himself?
Female Caller 1
He shot two people. There’s this little girl right here, right now – she saw it.
911 Operator (Female)
Okay, she’s with you.
Female Caller 1
(Sobbing)
911 Operator (Female)
Okay, listen to me, ma’am. The best thing you can do is take a deep breath and calm down for her, okay? Calm down. I know. Take a deep breath. Alright. Okay. Okay. Talk to the police. Talk to the dispatcher. Tell him what you know.
911 Operator (Male)
Ma’am, where are the people that he shot? Are they inside or outside?
Female Caller 1
They’re inside. They’re inside.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. All right. So the people that he shot are inside. Can you tell me the guy’s name who did the shooting?
Female Caller 1
Carlos Negron.
911 Operator (Male)
Carlos Negron?
Female Caller 1
Yes.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. Can you tell me how old Carlos is? About twenties, thirties, forties?
Female Caller 1
He’s in his forties.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. And he went in the house?
Female Caller 1
He’s in the house.
911 Operator (Male)
Do you know the address?
Female Caller 1
The address is, hang on just a second. I’m going to–
911 Operator (Male)
No, I don’t want you to get too close. Don’t go there. If you don’t know the address, that’s fine. I just want you to just tell me if you know it. If you don’t know it, that’s fine. Clear away from there.
911 Operator (Female)
Does she know her address?
Female Caller 1
Honey, what’s the address at that house? Where is she? She’s on the porch?
911 Operator (Male)
Ma’am. Ma’am.
Female Caller 1
Yes?
911 Operator (Male)
Who are you talking to?
Female Caller 1
I don’t know the address.
911 Operator (Male)
I understand. Just listen to me, okay? You’re doing a wonderful job. I appreciate all the help you’re giving me. That person that you’re speaking to – were they in the house when this happened?
Female Caller 1
Honey, were you in the house? She’s on the phone too.
911 Operator (Male)
She’s on the phone too?
Female Caller 1
I think so.
911 Operator (Male)
Is she talking to 911?
Female Caller 1
Are you talking to 911? No.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay, so this girl– she was inside the house when the shooting took place?
Female Caller 1
Were you inside the house when that happened? Yes, she was.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. How old is she? Stand by Central Fire, please.
Female Caller 1
She’s 11.
911 Operator (Male)
She’s 11 years old. Okay. Was she shot?
Female Caller 1
No, she’s not.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. All right. So the little girl was not shot. Okay. All right. What I want you to do is I want you to take that little girl with you right now, and walk over and stay in front of your house, and just go right by your front door in case you need to go inside. Can you do that?
Female Caller 1
Yeah. (Inaudible)
911 Operator (Male)
What’s that?
Female Caller 1
(Silence)
911 Operator (Male)
Ma’am, I want to try to get you and her safe. Okay?
Female Caller 1
Her mother is laying on the front porch.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. I understand that. I need you to get away from the house. I need you to see if you can take her and move away.
Female Caller 1
We’re down two houses down. Get away from there!
911 Operator (Male)
Ma’am, who are you speaking to? Ma’am?
Female Caller 1
There’s a guy there. There is a guy walking around the front of the house that is not the shooter.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay. That’s fine. Okay. Listen, you can’t control that. I need you to help me here, please. I need you to take that little girl, get her away from there, and just move her away safely. Okay? Let’s not worry about what anybody else is doing. I need your help.
Female Caller 1
We’re two houses down right now.
911 Operator (Male)
Okay, that’s fine. Okay. Is she still on the phone with somebody?
Female Caller 1
Honey. Honey. The police are going to want to talk to you when they get here.
911 Operator (Male)
I just need her away from there. We’ll keep you on the phone here.
Female Caller 1
Okay. Don’t go near there.
911 Operator (Male)
Yeah. Nobody goes near that house, okay? They’re putting themselves in danger by doing that.
Female Caller 1
God! You don’t know what he’ll do!
911 Operator (Male)
Ma’am, do you know that girl?
Female Caller 1
Yes.
911 Operator (Male)
She kind of needs to stay away from that. I don’t want you to go after her. You told her. You did what you could.
Female Caller 1
Oh, God.
Scott
While that person was on the phone, another neighbor called. This person had been out walking her dog and heard the gunfire. You’ll notice that this caller was pretty impatient with the dispatcher and the fact that police and first responders didn’t show up immediately. It also sounds like the crime scene may have been compromised.
911 Operator
- Where’s your emergency?
Female Caller 2
(Hidden information) I’m coming! I’m coming!
911 Operator
What city are you in?
Female Caller 2
It’s in Enterprise.
911 Operator
What’s going on there?
Female Caller 2
There’s a shooting.
911 Operator
Who’s been shot, ma’am?
Female Caller 2
I believe a woman and a man, and I believe the shooter’s still in the house. I’m not sure if he’s alive or not. I don’t know if he’s alive. Actually, wait, I just heard the shots fired. I’m standing right in front of the house.
911 Operator
Let me see here. Just stay on the phone with me, okay?
Female Caller 2
I’m with you. I’m with you.
911 Operator
Where are you? You’re standing right out in front?
Female Caller 2
Right. I am.
911 Operator
Okay. You know these people?
Female Caller 2
I do.
911 Operator
Who are they to you?
Female Caller 2
Neighbors. Are they on the way?
911 Operator
We have the call, ma’am. Who’s inside the house with what?
Female Caller 2
The shooter was in the house. I’m not exactly sure who was in the house, but the daughter of the mom who I think was in the house is still in the house– and the grandfather and the dad.
911 Operator
So you’re not sure–
Female Caller 2
A woman, a man, and the man who’s doing the shooting are in there. (Screaming in the background)
911 Operator
And you just heard all of this or?
Female Caller 2
Yeah. I was walking my dog and I heard shots. I thought maybe somebody was shooting the gator or something, but I don’t think so. We need somebody here right away.
911 Operator
Okay. So when you heard the shots, then what happened?
Female Caller 2
I am still walking around the corner. There’s no visible sign of anybody inside. I don’t hear anything. I’m scared to go in to find out because the guy is still in there with a gun.
911 Operator
Yeah, don’t do that. But I’m just trying to understand how you’ve come to the conclusion that people were shot. Did someone tell you this or is this a speculation?
Female Caller 2
The neighbors said so, and the little girl whose mom is in there is saying that she was also in there at the time. But I did hear gunshots.
911 Operator
Right. I understand that. But how do you know somebody was shot?
Female Caller 2
Just by what the little girl is saying. I don’t know. I walked up and I called 911.
911 Operator
She was in the house?
Female Caller 2
Was she in the house? Yes. Why isn’t there somebody coming?
911 Operator
They got to drive there, ma’am.
Female Caller 2
The fire department’s just across the street.
911 Operator
They need police officers there as well – someone’s standing there with a gun.
Female Caller 2
Okay. There was a police officer that lives right around the corner. Should I walk back and get him?
911 Operator
No. The units that are on duty got to respond, ma’am.
Female Caller 2
Hey, don’t hear any sirens or anything.
911 Operator
Just stay on the phone with me until I get there.
Female Caller 2
That’s what A-D said.
911 Operator
And who else is calling ma’am?
Female Caller 2
The next-door neighbor.
911 Operator
And that’s the one that was in the house?
Female Caller 2
No, the next-door neighbor was at her house and she fire gunfire. She came running out. She’s on the phone – I don’t know with who because I’m consumed with this phone call.
911 Operator
Right. But we have somebody else on the line called before you.
Female Caller 2
That might be the next-door neighbor. I’m going to walk back. (Inaudible) so I’m going to walk around back. You want to with me?
911 Operator
Ma’am, wait for the officers, ma’am. Don’t do that.
Female Caller 2
No! Nobody’s coming! I don’t even hear a siren or anything. I’m walking.
911 Operator
Ma’am, hello? If we have officers pulling up on scene and there’s a shooter in the house, they’re going to be coming there with their weapons drawn and you should not be–
Female Caller 2
I understand that.
911 Operator
So you need to get away from that area. You also told me that somebody’s shooting inside the house. Why would you walk onto the property and walk by–
Female Caller 2
I’m not on the property.
911 Operator
Stay off the property.
Female Caller 2
I’m not on the property. (Inaudible) on the back deck. Oh my God. Are you still there?
911 Operator
Yes, ma’am.
Female Caller 2
I’ll wait for you on the back porch. Oh, my heart’s racing. He shot himself too. So there are three bodies on the back porch.
911 Operator
Okay, so you went back there? Ma’am?
Female Caller 2
I’m sorry, go ahead.
911 Operator
All right, so you went back there?
Female Caller 2
Yeah. Well, I’m not on the property. I’m next door. I’m looking on the back deck and I see three bodies. One girl, two men.
911 Operator
One girl and two men.
Female Caller 2
Yes.
911 Operator
Okay.
Female Caller 2
And it doesn’t look like anybody’s breathing.
911 Operator
Okay.
Female Caller 2
Oh my God. This is unbelievable. This is unbelievable. Somebody got to get here right now. Where are they?
911 Operator
They’re driving there, ma’am.
Female Caller 2
Okay. I got to go. I have to see if anybody is alive. Oh my God. Where are they? Where are they?
911 Operator
Ma’am, they’re driving there. I need you to calm down.
Female Caller 2
I’m calm. I’m calm. But my heart– (inaudible)
911 Operator
You need to get away from there because the officers are going to be pulling up and they’re going to be trying to clear that area. So you need to get away from there.
Female Caller 2
I’ve got to go get the dog. It’s a great dane inside. Actually. It’s in the back.
911 Operator
At where? At the house or– ma’am, you need to stay out of there. Stay out of there. The officers are pulling up with their guns drawn. Stay out of there.
Female Caller 2
She’s yelling at him to see if he’s alive. She’s not listening to me. She’s going in – the next-door neighbor.
911 Operator
Who just went in the house?! Who’s going in there?!
Female Caller 2
The next-door neighbor.
911 Operator
The next-door neighbor? You need to stay out of the house. How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of the house?
Female Caller 2
Then you better get somebody here.
911 Operator
Ma’am, we have officers– (crosstalk) Ma’am! Ma’am! This is the sheriff’s office. That’s a crime scene. Get out of that house. I’m telling you to get out of the house now.
Female Caller 2
This is a crime scene. You got to get away.
911 Operator
Get out of the house! I’m ordering you to get out of the house! Period. The deputies are coming on scene. Get out of there and go meet with the deputies.
Female Caller 2
(Screaming in background) I agree.
911 Operator
Tell her to get out of that house, ma’am because you’re putting–
Female Caller 2
I’m not in the house (crosstalk).
911 Operator
Tell her to get out. She’s going to get shot by a deputy if she don’t get out of the house. That’s a problem.
Female Caller 2
Can you grab her? She needs to get out of there.
911 Operator
Get her out of there and go meet the deputies please, okay?
Female Caller 2
Here they come. The sirens are coming. Come on, you got to get out of there.
911 Operator
Just get out of there. Go meet the deputies. Okay?
Female Caller 2
I hear the deputies. I’m going to hang up. I got to get the other dogs.
911 Operator
Okay. Alright, thank you.
Scott
When police arrived, they found Lara and Phil dead on the scene. Carlos had also killed himself with his gun, which was found near his body. Adrianna, now orphaned, was put in the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Hollywood, Florida, north of Miami. Luis was 11 years old at the time. This happened on a Thursday afternoon. His dad went out for a bit to pick up dinner, so Luis was home by himself watching television. He heard a loud knock at the front door. Shortly after that, he heard the glass being smashed out of a back window. He called his father who told him to call 911. Luis quickly ran to his bedroom and dialed 911 while he was hiding. And for the first part of the call, the dispatcher was questioning if it was a prank call.
911 Operator
- Where is the emergency?
Luis
(Whispering inaudibly)
911 Operator
Where?
Luis
(Whispering inaudibly)
911 Operator
Is there an apartment number?
Luis
No, it’s a house.
911 Operator
What’s your name?
Luis
Somebody broke into the house.
911 Operator
Are you inside the house?
Luis
Yes.
911 Operator
Are you alone inside the house?
Luis
No.
911 Operator
How old are you?
Luis
911 Operator
What room are you in?
Luis
In my room.
911 Operator
In your bedroom?
Luis
Mmhmm
911 Operator
Is the person inside the house?
Luis
Yes, ma’am.
911 Operator
What does he look like? What does he look like?
Luis
I don’t know
911 Operator
You don’t know if he’s a white male or a black male?
Luis
No. (Inaudible)
911 Operator
Okay. And you don’t know what he looks like. How do you know he’s in the house if you can’t see him?
Luis
I hear him.
911 Operator
You hear him?
Luis
They’re coming.
911 Operator
Where are they?
Luis
(Whispering inaudibly)
911 Operator
Where?
Luis
(Whispering inaudibly)
911 Operator
Where are your parents?
Luis
In the gas station.
911 Operator
In the gas station. Okay. I just heard somebody. What are you doing? What’s all that noise in the background?
Luis
I’m trying to hide.
911 Operator
Are you moving furniture?
Luis
Yeah. (Whispering inaudibly)
911 Operator
What?
Luis
(Whispering inaudibly)
911 Operator
What are you doing?
Luis
Hiding.
911 Operator
Okay. You’re still in your bedroom?
Luis
Mmhmm.
911 Operator
Hold on a second. I don’t know if it’s real or not.
Luis
It’s real! It’s real!
911 Operator
Well, he said someone. Did you hear the person talking or anything?
Luis
Yes.
911 Operator
You heard him talking? What was the person saying?
Luis
I don’t know. He’s in my parent room.
911 Operator
He’s in your parents’ room. Do you know how he got into the house?
Luis
He broke the glass.
911 Operator
From which window?
Luis
The kitchen. He’s coming.
911 Operator
Can you go into your closet and hide in your closet?
Luis
It’s two people.
911 Operator
It’s two people?
Luis
Here they come.
911 Operator
What kind of voices do you hear? Do you hear two men or a man and a woman? Two men?
Luis
Mmhmm.
911 Operator
Can you tell me what they’re saying?
Luis
I don’t know. I can’t hear anymore.
911 Operator
Do you know what side of the house they’re on?
Luis
No.
911 Operator
The north, the south, the east, the west, or anything like that?
Luis
North.
911 Operator
North. Okay. You’re looking at the house. Are they on the right or the left side of the house?
Luis
Left side.
911 Operator
Left side.
Luis
It’s a yellow house.
911 Operator
It’s what?
Luis
A yellow house.
911 Operator
Okay. He said, if you’re looking at the house, it’s the left side.
Luis
(Inaudible)
911 Operator
Looking at your house, is your bedroom on the right or the left?
Luis
What? No.
911 Operator
What did they yell?
Luis
I don’t know. I’m in my room under my bed. Are the cops here, yet?
911 Operator
Be quiet, okay? Talk very softly, okay? Hello?
Luis
Hello.
911 Operator
He’s under the bed. If I’m looking at your house, what side is the bedroom? Where is the bedroom?
Luis
In the left on the north side.
911 Operator
On the left. In the back or in the front?
Luis
In the front.
911 Operator
In the front?
Luis
Mmhmm.
911 Operator
Okay. Front of the house.
Luis
Are the cops here?
911 Operator
They’re outside. I want you to stay on the phone, okay? Did you hear a knock at the window?
Luis
Yeah, I hear them knocking.
911 Operator
You hear the officers knocking on your window. Go to the window. He’s going to the window.
Luis
I see them.
911 Operator
You see that? You see the officers?
Luis
Can I come out from under my bed?
911 Operator
Yes. Come out from underneath your bed and go to the officers at your bedroom window. Can you see them?
Luis
I’m coming up
Scott
With the burglars still inside the house, police were able to pull Luis out to safety through his bedroom window. Officers then made entry and apprehended two teenagers both aged 17. They had ransacked the home. There was a third burglar, also a 17-year-old who was captured later. The three suspects were charged with burglary of an occupied structure, grand theft, and possession of burglary tools. Luis was a straight-A student. and he said later that he didn’t understand why the burglars tore up his academic awards. His father planned to contact the school and see about getting those awards replaced. In a statement, Lieutenant Nicole Coffin of the Hollywood Police Department said, “The quick thinking and smart actions of the child and the rapid response of officers led to a successful outcome in this incident.”
I hope you enjoyed this episode. For me, there’s just something about hearing an actual 911 call that makes everything so much more real.
And if you want to binge all 32 Raw Audio episodes, and get all the new What Was That Like episodes ad-free, come on over and sign up as a supporter. That’s at WhatWasThatLike.com/support. You know, when you do that, it’s not just about the money, although that is definitely appreciated. But it’s also you telling me, hey Scott, I like what you’re doing here! And that means a lot, it really does.
As always, graphics for this episode were created by Bob Bretz and the full episode transcription was created by James Lai.
And this week’s Listener Story is about something I have never done – and probably never will – karaoke.
Stay safe, and I’ll see you in a week.
(Listener story)
(Listener Story)
It’s fair to say I’m a karaoke fiend. The first time I remember doing karaoke was at Six Flags in Great America, the one in Gurnee, Illinois. To be specific, our high school class was there for a physics trip. I think we were supposed to learn how roller coasters react to gravity and different kind of angles and G-forces and things like that. I don’t really remember learning anything, but I do remember performing the song Fat Lip by Sum 41 with one of my high school friends. It was a delightful time and it got me hooked. To date, I have performed over 600 songs at karaoke at places all around the world. How do I know it’s over 600 songs? I have a Spotify playlist of all the songs that I have done, which is just all kinds of bananas, but never fails to produce a good song.
I also hosted karaoke when I lived in Los Angeles at a bar where Jewel, as part of a Funny Or Die video, went undercover to do karaoke. If you’ve not seen that video, I highly recommend checking it out. About 75% of the people in that video were still local, still regulars when I was hosting karaoke just a few months later there. I even won $50 in a karaoke contest. One time, I sang the song My Band by D12, which features six different rappers in it. I got second place behind a woman who used to be a Chaka Khan backup singer. I still maintained that she had quite the advantage and the leg up, and it showed in the judging. All of that led to the foundation of what I consider my crowning karaoke achievement, which was performing at halftime of a WNBA basketball game. My friend was having her birthday at a bar that did gong karaoke. It’s kind of, like, showtime at the Apollo, but for singers. If you get enough people that are displeased with your performance, they’ll hit a gong. You’ll be escorted off the stage and you don’t get to finish. Little did I know that my friend’s sister worked for the San Antonio Spurs entertainment crew, and she told me about something new that they were trying for the WNBA’s Silver Stars – halftime Karaoke.
One week later I was driving down to San Antonio ready for my big break. I had a friend with me. We got there about three minutes before halftime was going to happen. My friend’s sister was frantically running around looking for me. We bumped into each other and got all set. She said, “Go up to the second level. There’ll be people up there that can get you all set up and all that.” There were three of us that would be performing during halftime. The first is a 13-year-old girl who’s the daughter of one of the executives in the Spurs organization. I don’t remember exactly who it was, but I remember hearing that she was the daughter of one of the higher-ups. She sang Michael Jackson’s Human Nature, which I think is a challenging choice for anyone, let alone a 13-year-old. But hey, teenage years. That’s probably the hardest part of our lives, right? Like, we’re going through some stuff and that’s a song all about that, and she nailed it. She knocked it out of the park. She did a fantastic job.
I want to lighten the mood a little bit. So the song I had chosen was I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness. It’s got all the classics of a nice karaoke. It’s got a guitar solo that you introduced by yelling guitar. It’s got a nice high falsetto, a part where people can clap along, and it’s just a great classic rock song. As I was waiting my turn, I felt less like Justin Hawkins – the frontman of The Darkness. I certainly didn’t have a skin-type spandex body suit on like he often likes to rock. I was more like Eminem at the start of Lose Yourself. My knees were weak. My palms were sweaty. Thankfully, no vomit or spaghetti on my sweater.
Then, I got handed the mic. They told me where I could kind of move around to. I said all right. That’s going to be my pong esque back and forth because I like to move around at karaoke. The guitar started and the drums kicked in, and I just lost myself in the song. It was a little disorienting seeing myself on the jumbotron as I was performing, but I did my best to scan through the audience and look at the people who looked like they were having fun, who looked like they were enjoying the song they were singing along to. Those were my people. When I made eye contact and gave them a grin, it was just the coolest moment. When that guitar solo kicked in, I said “Guitar” and handed my microphone to one of the employees there because I was going to go around and high-five people in the section that was closest to me. They were all enjoying it. I said, “Hey, I going to give you some dap here.” They thought I was done performing though, so I didn’t get to sing the end of the song, but I got through 2 verses, 2 choruses, and part of a solo. I’d say that’s pretty good.
I got back down to my seat. My friend was super excited for me. She gave me a high five. Other people around me were saying how much they enjoyed it. I sat back in my chair and watched the Silver Stars play the rest of their game. I think they lost by, like, 25 points that game. They were playing the Minnesota Lynx who were the top team in the WNBA that year. So perhaps, like my battle with the Chaka Khan backup singer– not the fairest of fights, but we powered through and it was a wonderful time.
I think the takeaway that I got from that is to say yes to things I didn’t know what to expect. Sure, I had done karaoke, but never in front of thousands of people, and it was just the coolest experience I got over my stage fright. I was never going to see these people again except for the one friend that I came with and maybe my friend’s sister. Other than that, who cares? Let loose the wind. I think, sometimes, it’s so easy to get caught up in our own insecurities and our own self-doubt. Throw it all into the wind. Try something new. Get out of the comfort zone. All the cliches– they’re cliches for a reason – because they work. I felt awesome with it. I still karaoke to this day.
The next time you are out at a karaoke bar and someone is on stage and they look a little uncomfortable, they look like maybe they don’t know what they’ve done, maybe they’re even saying, “Hey, this is my first time ever performing karaoke,” go up to the stage and give them a high-five. If you don’t want to touch anyone, just give them some words of encouragement. They will certainly appreciate it knowing that someone has their back just like thousands of people had my back, and I am very appreciative of it. Thank you for listening and whatever you do today, whatever new thing you try today, I know you’re going to rock it.