On the night of May 22, 2014, the police department responded to a 911 call about a man who was stabbed in front of a popular bar in the city. The victim, Jessie Neilsson, became embroiled in an altercation outside of Lulu’s. The scene of the crime was a very popular bar inside the city limits. Witnesses were present in large numbers at the scene, but only a small handful came forward to offer their first-hand accounts.

Rain, a woman who arrived at the scene just after the stabbing, described the victim and the area. Rain has a personal relationship with the victim, giving us a close description of both his character, and the situation right after the stabbing.

“[The victim was] a good man with a love of god. He didn’t do anything really to deserve it, but you really don’t have to do anything to deserve a good cut nowdays. I’d ran up after he got stabbed, I heard his scream from nearby. [The victim] is really sweet though, and in this city sweet doesn’t mix well. He hit the ground and there were two women there. One who stuck him got all offended when I yelled at her. She ran off right afterwards hollering something or another. I don’t know if the cops got her yet considerin they’re all after them rioters, I doubt they’ll be lookin for chick who random stabs religious folk. But when I got there he was already bleedin alot, the scent was real real heavy. […] Yeah.. another girl [was with her], she offered us a drink there at the bar. I couldn’t believe it. He was there on the ground bleedin out an this chick was tellin us about the damn drinks. Meenwhile you got this guy. He did a good job patchin him until the medics got there I’d guess though. I heard clothes rip so I’d figure he was doin somethin to stop the bleedin or at least slow it”

The victim, Mr. Neilsson, was also interviewed when he was well enough to speak. He recalled what happened before and after the stabbing, giving us a slight insight into the motive for the assailants. Mr. Neilsson provided some physical descriptions of his attackers. With this description, this reporter hopes that the police force will actively search and question any suspicious individuals who are a match.

“Well, it wasn’t a fight or anything like that. I’m a Mormon, and I was just doing my mission service out in the field. I was trying to spread the word to these two girls outside that bar with the big neon sign in the square. One of the girls seemed pretty upset, so I went to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be alright… I don’t think she liked hugging, that girl…because, well. […] Uh..well..uh the girls..black haired girl..and a blond…that blond girl had strange eyes. […] I..I’m sorry I blacked ou–“

A man simply trying to spread a message of mutual understanding and empathy is stabbed in front of dozens of people. Furthermore, according to police blotters, it took more than 20 minutes for first responders to arrive. In that time, there was enough time for 1) the perpetrators to offer drinks at the bar they just stabbed someone outside of, 2) enough time for them to flee the scene before police got there, and 3) enough time for the victim to bleed out to the point where he blacked out.

This reporter is focused not only on the heinous crime committed in such a public area on such an undeserving man, but also one very disturbing fact. The citizens of Dead End are apparently disconnected from their sympathetic natures, as well as from each other. The bartending staff of Lulu’s had no clue as to what happened right outside of their bar, or had no intention of sparing a few words regarding it. Furthermore, the large amount of people at Lulu’s simply passed over him, not offering to call for help until crucial and vital moments have long since passed.

Is this the world that we live in? Have we become so selfish as a society that we cannot bear any type of responsibility when it comes to saving someone’s life? Where a man can be stabbed, and the partner to said stabbing can offer a grieving woman a drink? Where the police cannot capture at least one assailant in a very crowded area? Where that same police force does not follow common sense and get witness reports at the scene? Where a man is left bleeding in an alleyway as people simply walk past to wet their gullets? Where first responders are so inept at their job that a man would have died in front of dozens of people had it not been for a Good Samaritan?

If this is what Dead End has devolved into, then what about the future? Will it be embroiled in crime while its citizens simply turn a blind eye – just like what happened that fateful night, or perhaps will things be controlled by a more effective and efficient police force, partnered with lawful citizens, in order to slowly curb the malice of the large and very influential crime syndicates? Can Dead End become a safe place for all of its citizens – where one can feel at ease walking the streets at night, or hugging a person in order to make them feel less sad will not result in stabbing?

Can Dead End go through a pseudo-evolution and become more human again?

Only time will answer these questions, and this reporter is anxiously waiting.

At the time of the printing of this article, the police have not yet caught the perpetrator nor her accomplice.

Karl ” Kiba” Baca, DE Daily Rookie Reporter