Unsettling

Last night, the administration office at my apartment building circulated a memo alerting residents about a shooting that took place a couple of blocks away. A Georgia Tech student had been robbed and shot. They insisted that the intention was not to alarm, but rather to remind residents about precautionary measures that could be taken given the traditionally seedy nature of our part of town.

In Bogotá, where I was born and spent a good chunk of time, there is a common practice among thugs that involves kidnapping the victim, taking them to the nearest ATM, demanding he or she surrender their PIN, and emptying their bank accounts on the spot. It’s called “el paseo millonario” or the millionaire tour. At times, the victim is shot dead. Other times, they are let go.

Today, the AJC reports that a Georgia State University student was also robbed and shot near the same area were the Tech student had been attacked. This student, however, was taken to the nearest ATM where he was forced to surrender his PIN and take out $400 from his bank account.

And to think my family moved to this country to escape this kind of shit. What the fuck.