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Speaker 1: I moved from Vietnam to Seattle when I was in

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my early twenties. My family was very poor in Vietnam

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and there weren't many opportunities for me back home. I

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didn't know much about the places on the West coast

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of America, but I heard that Seattle was a welcoming

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city for immigrants with plenty of ways to make good money.

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My little brother also moved with me in hopes of

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getting a good education once we could afford it, and

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since then we've been working our asses off. After about

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a year, I became good friends with one of my coworkers.

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Right around then, the fourth of July was coming up.

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That's when the three of us planned a trip out

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to the best beach my friend knew about, which was

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a place called Ocean Shores. On the morning of July fourth,

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we bought some bootleg fireworks and a bottle of whiskey.

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Then in the evening, we piled into my friend's car

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and made our way to the beach. We all shared

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the bottle, enjoyed the views with the other beachgoers, set

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off fireworks. It was quite the blast. Some cops came

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and kicked us off the beach. Saying the fun was over.

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We decided to head back to Seattle, but before then

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we wanted to grab some snacks and soda for the road.

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We pulled up to the nearest gas station and that's

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when our wonderful night ended. There was a small group

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of men standing around the case of beer in front

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of the store. They were waving a big flag I

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didn't recognize, so I asked my friend about it. He

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said it was the Confederate flag, or, as he put it,

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something very bad. As soon as we stepped out of

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the car, all their attention was on me and my brother.

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Bit nasty things at us, a lot of which I

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won't speak.

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Speaker 2: Hi pig, yes, kypop boys. We don't want you here. Hey,

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we'll leave it. We just want some sodas first. Maybe

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you didn't understand my engrish. I said, go back to

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your country, invite over there, dipshit, dude, Just ignore them.

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They're drunk.

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Speaker 1: We managed to get into the store, but I knew

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it wasn't over. They were watching us through the windows.

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The main guy kept banging on the glass and yelling

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to get our attention. Then every time we caved in

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and looked, he would run a finger across his throat.

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The thought that they wanted to harm us freaked me

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the hell out. My friend tried to tell me they

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wouldn't actually do anything, but I'd never encountered such an

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angry person before, so I was terrified, thinking I might

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need to defend myself. I looked for weapons. That's when

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I found some small knives on a shelf, so while

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the cashier was distracted, I took two out of their

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packaging and put them in my pocket, one for me

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and one for my brother. I felt bad for stealing,

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but I was scared of not being able to defend

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myself against those freaks. After a few minutes, we got

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what we wanted from the store and checked out, which

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led us to the hard part getting past those jerks

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and into the car. The moment we went out the door,

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they were surrounding us and yelling in our faces. They

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kept trying to get us to fight them, but we

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just wanted to leave. By sticking together, we got out

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the store, made it to the car, and got inside.

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We quickly locked the doors, but then just as we

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thought we were safe, they blocked us from leaving. The

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car was completely surrounded, so there was no way for

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my friend to get away without running them over. I

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was panicking out of nowhere. The same guy that was

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outside his window started punching the glass and screaming. I

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could tell he was getting under my brother's skin, but

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I had no idea what would happen next.

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Speaker 2: Whyn't you come out of the car and make me

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something for Amazon? Leave us alone, you asshole? What did

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you call me? Come out and fight me? Then, come on,

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fight me like a man, you little bitch.

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Speaker 3: Then, in the blink of an eye, my brother unlocked

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the door and opened it. The man outside ripped it

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open and pulled my brother out, then started attacking him.

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I rushed out to stop it, but by the time

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I got there, my brother was on the ground and

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wasn't moving, while that asshole was still standing over him

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and screaming at him. For the first and only time

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in my life, I truly lost control of myself. That's

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when I took the knife out of my pocket and

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did be unthinkable.

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Speaker 1: I didn't.

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Speaker 3: I just kept stabbing him without holding myself back. I

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don't know how long it went before I was finally

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pulled off. I was relieved as I saw my brother

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getting up, but then I noticed what I had done

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to that man. He was on the ground, lifeless. As

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the cops came and took me to jail, all I

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could think about was that I had ruined both my

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life and my brothers. I would go to prison or

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get deported, then he would be on his own. Luckily, however,

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that wasn't the case WHI I went back and forth

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for months, but the jury eventually ended up in a

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stalemate and I wasn't tried again. Still, what happened that

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night still haunts me, as I'm sure it haunts the

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friends and family of the man.

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Speaker 1: I took out. I didn't want to do it. I

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just wanted to protect my brother. I hope everyone can

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understand that this story what's inspired by a disturbing incident

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regarding a male name Maine Duck Hong, who stabbed his harassmer,

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Christopher Kennison twenty three times. On the fourth of July. Hong,

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his brother, and a friend were all visiting from Seattle

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when they pulled into a Texico station shortly after one

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am to get a snack. Kennison, drinking beer with a

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small crowd in the parking lot, waved a Confederate battle

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flag and yelled racial slurs at them. Once the three

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were inside, Kennison banged on the store's window, pointed at

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them through the glass, and repeatedly drew his finger across

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his throat. Outside. One witness said she asked Kennison what

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he was doing. It's called racism, was his reported answer.

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Honk stole the two small pairing knives from the store,

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later testifying that he was frightened. Kinnison and his friends

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screamed at the three and even spat on them as

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they made their way back to the car. Kennison then

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blocked their path when they tried to drive away, and

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punched Hong's brother when they got out of the car.

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Honk admitted that he did try to stab Kennison, but

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he said he was unsure if his blows had connected.

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The case split the town. Some complained that Honk was

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not being prosecuted accordingly, while others angrily criticized authorities for

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trying him at all, noting that Kennison had recently been

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involved in a series of past racially driven incidents. Hong

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was ultimately freed in his manslaughter trial. My second husband,

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Alan was a wonderful man. He was raising his son

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from his first marriage. When I met him, and I

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was also a single mother with my daughter at the time. Together,

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we created a new family and stayed together for years.

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He was a hard working guy. Of course, despite being

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a grown man with children, Alan still had some immature

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tendencies that he needed to get sorted out. For instance,

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Alan had a thing where he would go overboard with

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drinking on certain celebrations, and no example was worse than

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the Fourth of July. It was Alan's favorite holiday. He

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touted himself as the all American patriot and made himself

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the center of attention every Fourth of July celebration. Sadly,

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I don't mean that he took charge of coordinating cookouts

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and firework shows for the neighborhood, but that he would

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dress up like Uncle Sam and make a damn full

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of himself. Every year. He would find out where everyone

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was gathering and go there after drinking a bunch of

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beer all afternoon, then start dancing and yelling a bunch

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of nonsense. He even carried a tip jar around with

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him like some strung out bum. I have to be honest,

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I hated it so much. Everyone else in the neighborhood

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seemed to love it, though, egging him on and even

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throwing money at him. It always made me feel like

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I'd married a clown. It creeped the kids out, too,

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because they would always wonder why their daddy was acting

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so strange and scary. I asked people around the neighborhood

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if we should talk to Alan, but everyone would tell

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me that he was just doing it to help people

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have a good time and maybe scrape up a few

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extra bucks for us. Despite the problems I had with

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Alan's Uncle Sam routine, I tried my best to be supportive.

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But then one year Alan threw me another curveball. He

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wanted to add fireworks to his act. I was immediately

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against the idea, as whenever he was Uncle Sam, he

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was pissed drunk Uncle Sam. I knew nobody that intoxicated

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should ever mess around with fireworks, not even the little

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stuff like firecrackers, let alone anything more dangerous. Unfortunately, Alan's

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mind was already made up and it cost one of

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our only nasty fights.

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Speaker 3: Alan, you can't do this. What kind of example is

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that gonna send for our kids?

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Speaker 2: Are you saying I'm too stupid to handle some fireworks?

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Speaker 3: Up and setting them off my whole life and.

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Speaker 2: Didn't get hurt. What's the difference.

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Speaker 3: Now you're a drunk, you idiot. I don't want you

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to blow your hand off.

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Speaker 2: Oh right, because then I wouldn't be able to work

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and pay for all your goddamn bills anymore. Right? Or

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maybe because I won't be able to tickle your sausage

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wallet anymore.

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Speaker 3: God damn it. You know that's not what I meant.

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Speaker 2: Don't get off my case, you nagging bitch. Just leave

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me alone, or I'm calling the cops.

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Speaker 1: Our kids witnessed the fight too. Alan stormed off with

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his tip jar and his fireworks and left us in

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the dust. I had to calm the kids down for

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a while before we were ready to join everyone at

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the park. By the time we got there, Alan was

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even more wasted than he was when he was screaming

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at me. He was at the point he could barely

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put a coherent sentence together, but that didn't stop everyone

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from enjoying the yearly pre firework show featuring good old

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Uncle Sam. They thought they were waiting until showdown for

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the big Fourth of July show to start, but they

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didn't realize that Uncle Sam had brought his own gunpowder

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that year, so nobody was prepared to stop him.

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Speaker 2: Here Hereie, gather around for a show of patriotism. I'm

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Uncle Sam and this is my bag of trips. Oh God.

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First things first, hon needs you to come home. You know,

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uh whatever? Good enough? All right? Straight to the point.

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My wife, the stupid bitch things. I can't operate this

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year or rocking, So for my first trick, I am

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gonna breathe or chairman. Happy Fourth of July. Everyone, Uncle

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Sam is doing it for all the Americans. Sure what

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was that? I can't hear you over.

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Speaker 3: My entire reality shattered in that moment. It was like

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a scene from a horror movie, but it was real.

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I saw, our kids, saw the entire neighborhood witnessed it.

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The cops for the first to arrive, but they knew

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there was nothing that could be done. The paramedics couldn't

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save him and pronounced him dead on a rifle. Every

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Fourth of July since then, this moment just plays in

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my head over and over again. This story was inspired

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by a horrific Fourth of July incident regarding as South

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Carolina dad who was seen dancing in his front yard

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while dressed as Uncle Sam moments before he passed away

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after igniting a large firework on the top of his head.

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Alan Ray McGraw, forty one, had been celebrating the Fourth

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of July on Thursday evening at a neighborhood block party

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in Somerville, Dorchester County, dressed as Uncle Sam. Footage captured

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by his wife Page showed McGraw dancing a jig in

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his full festive outfit as he celebrated the holiday. Witnesses

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told investigators that McGraw had placed a large firework on

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the top hat he was wearing before lighting it, causing

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the device to explode. McGraw's wife told deputies she believed

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he placed the firework on his head to show off

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and was drunk at the time. McGraw was found lying

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irresponsive in the road by deputies who rushed to the

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scene after the party came to an abrupt end. It

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was said that the exploding device had caused massive head

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trauma that took out McGraw instantly. His wife, Page said

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she had been telling him to stop playing with the

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fireworks before it exploded and did what he did. She

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told the outlet he was holding this firework over his

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top hat. I thought he was just show voting before

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he set it on the ground. I didn't realize he

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had already lit it. I was lucky enough to have

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met my wife in high school, eventually marrying her and

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starting our own family. We had a son named Jamie.

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He grew up to be around twelve years old when

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this occurrence happened, which just happened to be on American

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Independence Day. It was supposed to be a good day.

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On July fourth, my neighborhood hosted a block party at

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the local community park before the big annual fireworks show.

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When we got there, the place was already packed. There

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were flags waving, large groups of families dispersed everywhere, and

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some people out with their lows on chairs waiting for

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the fireworks show to start.

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Speaker 1: There were food trucks along the sidewalks. That's when my

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wife asked if I could grab some food from the

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food trucks. I agreed, but just before I went, I

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saw him. A beat up, dark colored sedan pulled up

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across the street from the park and in there was

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a young man just sitting there watching us. He had

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this look that scared the shit out of me. His

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face was covered in tattoos. I didn't want to judge

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him by his appearance, but the guy looked like some

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gang member or someone just there trying to stir up trouble.

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He seemed to be intrigued by everyone, staring at the

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direction of some teenage girls near a taco truck. That's

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when I asked my.

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Speaker 2: Wife, Hey, Claire, do you see that guy over there

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in the car? Uh?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, who is that?

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Speaker 2: I don't know. Something just feels off.

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Speaker 1: He's probably just waiting for someone.

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Speaker 2: I'm gonna just grab the food. You two stay here,

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all right.

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Speaker 3: Of course, we'll be right here.

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Speaker 1: I walked to the nearest food truck and stood in line.

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I kept glancing back to see if the car had

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left or something, but it, unfortunately, was still there. The

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man hadn't moved, he just sat there watching. After several

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minutes of waiting, I finally made it to the food

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truck to place my order. That's when I heard it,

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a loud bang, followed by another. At first I thought

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the fireworks had started early, but then came the screams.

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I turned around and saw people running, pushing, shoving, dropping

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their food and drinks everywhere in a frantic state. More

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bangs echoed through the air, and that's when I finally realized.

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Speaker 3: What they were. Someone was letting off either fireworks or

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a firearm into the crowd. I ducked for cuffer, hiding

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along with a large group of people behind the food trucks.

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Speaker 1: I was scared shitless. The only two people in my

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mind was my wife and son. God I couldn't see them.

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People were running and scattering everywhere, making it near impossible

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to find them in the chaos. But after a few

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minutes of surveying.

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Speaker 3: The area, I saw her, my wife. She was lying

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on the ground and Jamie was kneeling beside her, sobbing,

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holding her hand, screaming for help.

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Speaker 2: No, no, somebody help us. Ah.

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Speaker 3: I couldn't stop screaming, no matter how much I tried

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to call for help. Everyone was in survival mode.

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Speaker 1: I was helpless. I could hear the sirens from a distance,

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which meant the police and paramedics were on the way,

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but every minute seemed like forever. I was nung, barely

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seeing the flashing lights as they carried her to the ambulance.

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They wouldn't let me ride with her. They said they

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needed space to work on her. My son and I

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got to the hospital, praying and begging for the best

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possible outcome. But then the doctor came out and gave

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us the worst possible names, saying my wife had passed

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and that there was nothing they could do to save her.

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And just like that, I lost my wife forever. I

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dropped to my knees in front of the doctor and

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lost my shit. The next day, the news exploded with

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headlines and on the screen was the face of a

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familiar man. It was him, the guy in the car.

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The suspect turned out to be a twenty one year

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old man named Robert Cramo. Police say he is the

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person of interest in the random attack at the Fourth

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of July parade. It was alleged that he was a

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criminal that had a long history of offenses. What makes

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this story all the more disturbing was that he didn't

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have any real motive. He didn't have any connection to

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anyone in the park. He just wanted to take people out.

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It was just random.

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Speaker 3: Terror.

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Speaker 1: Footage showed that he opened fire from his driver's seat

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while screaming I'm.

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Speaker 2: Gonna get ya, I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get ya.

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Speaker 1: They caught him later that night. When police approached him,

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he was crouched on the floor, smiling back at them

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with no signs of remorse. It's been a year now.

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My son Jamie is in therapy. Has for me. I

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barely sleep. I still see my wife Claire in my dreams,

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but sometimes I also see that guy. I see him

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smiling back at me with the firearm pointed at me.

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People tell me I was lucky, but it doesn't feel

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like luck when you lose somewhat important. Every time Fourth

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of July creeps back around, my son and I stay

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home because every time we hear fireworks, we think it's

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that guy coming back for more. This story was inspired

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by a disturbing incident regarding a man named Robert E.

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Cremo the Third, the suspect responsible for a deadly mass

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attack at a July fourth parade in Highland Park, Illinois.

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At least six people were taken out in the firearm attack,

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and dozens were injured. Police said the suspect appeared to

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carry his attack out from a rooftop. Witnesses described frantically

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fleeing when they realized they heard loud bang sounds and

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not fireworks. Authority said that Cremo was spotted by a

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North Chicago officer who attempted to initiate a traffic stop.

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Cremo then fled and led the officers on a brief

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pursue before being stopped in Lake Forest. Still, he has

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been arrested by the police and taken into custody. When asked,

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authorities said they are still calling Cremo a person of

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interest while they investigate and connect him to the scene. Allegedly.

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The event was scheduled to include floats, marching bands, and

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community entertainment as part of the city's Independence Day celebrations,

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but what should have been one of the happiest days

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of the year quickly turned into panic, with pushchairs, purses,

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and lawn chairs left discarded on the street as crowds

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fled from the scene.