Why are most people “adrenaline junkies”?

Last Sunday, as local law enforcement were trying to cordon off a section of the north side and evaluate exactly what they were facing after shots had been fired in the neighborhood close to the Decorative Panels International plant, the spectators started coming.

Like ants to honey, they showed up on bike, on foot, and by car to see what was going on.

Oblivious to the potential dangers they put themselves into, their appearance created extra pressure on law enforcement who now had to split some of their numbers away from the area the shooting took place to keep the public at bay.

Thankfully, it all ended well.

This time.

But what about the next time?

What about the next fire, the next auto accident, or the next incident?

Take it from a professional who is being paid to be at those places: Let the police, fire and emergency crews do their job by staying out of their way. Let others, like the media, do their jobs, as well. Don’t hinder us as we gather information and shoot video or film at the scene.

Situations like last weekend are intense. Police had no way of knowing the mental stability of the shooter, the reason why he was shooting, or what led to his actions. They had no idea whether he was alone in the house, or whether there were others with him.

They were focused on ending the situation without anyone getting hurt. They did not need any distractions.

We understand people are curious.

But please, in the future, stay away from scenes like that of this past weekend.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)