May 22
Google Earth Mysteries
Picture of a Chicago street captured on Google Earth. Some think it shows a young man with a gun, but I’m not so sure.
It certainly looks like he’s pointing something, and the reaction of the child on the sidewalk — who looks startled, and in the midst of breaking into a run — leans to that interpretation. But trying to determine what, if anything, is in the boy’s hand is a bit trickier.
For one thing, it appears to be bright white in color. It could be nickel-plated, and catching the light at an odd angle, but there’s no metallic glint that I can see.
Furthermore, if it is a gun, what is he aiming at? If you go into Google Earth (it’s been a while since I last used it, but I don’t think there’s anything to install. I certainly haven’t on this relatively-new computer) at this link and pan and zoom around.
The little girl (?) on the sidewalk doesn’t appear to be a target; as best as I can see, the “gunboy” is pointing at something parallel to it. There are some people on a staircase about 50 or 60 feet ahead; but they, too, are out of the line of fire (and it’s not exactly optimum pistol-shooting range).
But follow the path of the Google camera as it travels south on the street. The first photo shows the boy behind the vehicle. The second shows the “shooting” pose. In the third, he looks like he is talking to the child, and his “gun” hand is nowhere to be seen.
So, in conclusion: No harm; no foul. Of course, if you’ve spotted something I’ve missed, I’m certain the Chicago Police would be delighted to hear from you. (Please don’t mention my name.)
As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher’s Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around… per the Watcher’s instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.
Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.
2 Comments so far
That looks like Phil “Clean Phil” Brown with his Raven .25ACP. That house was raided in Operation Candiru. Back in the day, that neighborhood was just across No Man’s Land (Western Avenue) from a girlfriend’s house in Marquette Park. For details on that drug bust, including that and adjacent properties, see:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?blockName=Police%2f2005%2fI+Want+To&deptMainCategoryOID=-10542&channelId=0&programId=0&entityName=Police&topChannelName=Dept&contentOID=536932609&Failed_Reason=Invalid+timestamp,+engine+has+been+restarted&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&Failed_Page=%2fwebportal%2fportalContentItemAction.do&context=dept
Intriguing theory, and from someone who knows the area.
But the press release is from late 2005, and I’m guessing that Google didn’t get around to trawling those neighborhoods until fairly recently.
Also (though it’s very difficult to determine, given the low resolution) I’d be very surprised if the boy in the picture is much more than 14 or 15 years old. (The third picture on the drive-by is the clearest of him.)