Of course, the odds of you having the time of your life in downtown Los Angeles far outweigh these random incidents, but stay aware and with regard for your own safety, like in any other major urban metropolis, there are 101 Ways to Die in Downtown LA. Â
Death from Above
On October 21st an unidentified man apparently jumped or was pushed from the rooftop of the Rosslyn Hotel in the Historic Core. As with anyone who plunges from 5 stories or above to the hard concrete below, death is certain, but for this particular jumper, the scene was more gruesome than most, if thatâs at all possible. Seems the man hit one of the Historic Coreâs vintage lamppost, shattering the glass on the way down, and possibly severing his body in half, as witnesses say his torso looked as if it was completely separated from the rest of his body. We wonât mention what the head looked like. There are no words because there was no longer what could be described as a head, just a splatter of clumps and an ever-growing puddle of blood that drained from the sidewalk to the gutter below. Unfortunately, this jumper is not the first to use gravity and pavement to end their own life in Downtown, and they most certainly wonât be the last. In March of this year, a construction worker plummeted from the 53rd floor of the Wilshire Grand construction site in the Financial District landing on a moving car, with a driver in it. Although this time the innocent bystander wasnât injured, no one can say where or when the next jumper will come crashing down, and there are no guarantees, one of those miserable blokes wonât fall on you. To avoid the grim reaper in this situation, always remember to walk as close to the bastions as possible, (also a good tip during earthquakes), and keep your eyes open when you see crowds of people forming around you. If they are looking up towards the rooftops gasping in horror, there is probably a good reason.
Business as Usual
On September 14th, a man was found hanging from an apparent suicide at a local wine and beer bar in the Historic Core. The bar, whoâs owner was well known for being semi-crass, cold and with a darker sense of humor, decided it may have been a good idea to reopen almost immediately after the man had been cut down and taken away by the coroner. The aftermath led to an explosion of criticism on social media and other media outlets, condemning the shopkeeper for what many deemed heartless behavior and unethical business practices in a quest to make a quick buck. Most demanded to know how finding his favored employee cold and lifeless would not have made the shopkeeper more uneasy, at least enough to close down for the rest of the day. Surprisingly, the shop had enjoyed overly positive reviews on social media before the incident happened, due in part to the shopkeeperâs unwavering tenacity when it came to service, selection of stock and demeanor when it came to employee conduct. Now, a month later, for the shop, itâs business as usual. Guess this incident was not so unprecedented or shocking as it would have seemed. DTLA can be very cold to some of its dearly departed. With Downtown having the 2nd highest population of homeless people in the country, many of which die from crime, suicide or natural elements on the streets of Downtown, every year, there are seldom tales of bars, streets, hotels or restaurants closing because of nearby deaths. The streets donât often close for long periods of time when there are fatal accidents, nor do hotels when people are found decomposing in their water tanks. For those who thought this incident being so widely pronounced by social media as atrocious would become the catalyst downtown needed to put a spark back into its morality while plucking away at its heartstrings, it didnât. Instead maybe looked at as more of a personal attempt to get back at a shopkeeper rumored to treat some of the people he came across like fodder. To keep in tradition with the usual local barkeep mourning procedures, this bar would have only had to close for the rest of the day and eventually host a memorial party for the young lad, with ever more self-destructive patrons, who with every drink, were willing to fall deeper and deeper into liver, brain, heart disease and other physiological damage; all at the bars profit of course. Damned if you do? To avoid giving up the ghost in this situation, be sure to choose your anti-depressants carefully, and maybe not use alcohol or your last jobâs ceiling beam as your only cure all.
Voices From Beyond
On April 2nd on 7th and Olive, an 83-year-old man was brutally beaten, only later to die from his injuries by a transient who attacked him outside a popular marketplace in South Park, of all places. Witnesses told police, the attacker, a middle aged man, who was obviously mentally ill, chased the man from inside the market place to the sidewalk across the street, where he pushed him down and began punching, kicking and stomping the victims head, leaving the elderly man in a pool of his own blood. It wasnât until the market place security guard tackled the killer; pepper sprayed him and held him until the police arrived that the vicious attack came to a halt. The reason for the attack, as stated by the attacker himself was, âKoreans have been raping me.â WTF? Just what was going through the head of the assailant will never be known for sure, but the man seems to share a similar trait among some other transients who walk the streets of Downtown. Hearing voices. The list of attacks being reported on social media groups involving Downtown and mentally ill persons are staggering, and no one knows when the next encounter will occur, it could happen anywhere, like the attack on a young child outside of a popular museum in just months before, or an even more recent attempt by a local transient to stomp some poor ladies pooch, and so on and so on. One good way to avoid taking a dirt nap because of some crazed transients wishes is to definitely avoid those who seem to be hearing voices from beyond and the popular social media solution, stocking up on a good supply of pepper spray.
