Solved Murders - True Crime Stories - A Stormy Night, a Screaming Woman, and a Gunman Arizona Trips Gone Horribly Wrong PART2 #76

Episode Date: July 9, 2025

#horrorstories #reddithorrorstories #ScaryStories #creepypasta #horrortales #arizonahorror #gunmanterror #stormynight #survivalstory #trueencounter  In this second part, the story deepens, revealing more about the harrowing night filled with fear and chaos. The narrator faces escalating danger from the gunman while navigating the storm and the eerie wilderness. Survival instincts kick in as every moment becomes a test of courage and wits in this chilling true encounter.  horrorstories, reddithorrorstories, scarystories, horrorstory, creepypasta, horrortales, arizonahorror, survivalstory, gunmanencounter, stormynight, nightterror, trueencounter, wildernessfear, travelnightmare, terrifyingexperience, darkencounter, realhorror, frighteningnight, dangerinthedark, escapeattempt

It all started on what was supposed to be just another chill summer night in Phoenix. Five of us were packed into my buddy's beat-up Camry, windows down, joints lit, music up. We were just driving around, not really going anywhere, just viving. The desert breeze at night, even in Phoenix, can feel kind of nice when you're buzzed and full of nothing to worry about. But that calm didn't last long. We pulled up to a red light at some sketchy intersection when we noticed this black essence. SUV pull up next to us. Something about it felt, off. The windows were tinted way too dark, and it rolled up real slow, like the driver was sizing us up. Then, just like out of a movie,

the driver's window came down. Behind the wheel was this guy wearing aviators and a baseball cap, even though it was damn near midnight. He didn't say much at first, just stared. Then he flashed a gun. I swear the world just froze for a second. We couldn't even process what was happening before he shouted something, but none of us caught it. Might have been a threat, or just crazy talk. Whatever it was, it was enough to make our driver slam the gas, red light or not. The Camry jerked forward, tires screeching, engine sputtering like it was choking on fear just like the rest of us. But the SUV followed.

It was like some twisted video game line. level. We took turns so sharp we nearly flipped, dodging cars, trying to lose the guy. But our car was a clunker, and his was definitely not. No matter what we did, he stuck to us like glue. At one point we hit this power station or some kind of fenced-in utility area. We were cornered. Dead end. No way through. Headlights from the SUV blasted into our car, lighting us up like animals in a cage. I was in the back passenger seat, trying not to piss myself. The guy and the Camry driving put both hands up, silently telling us we were screwed. The SUV guy got out.

We heard the door slam and the slow, deliberate steps as he walked to our driver's window. The one we'd left open earlier when we lit up. Mistake of the year. The guy just stood there. Gun still in hand. We all held our breath. Then he looked at our driver, paused, and said, Sorry, Kid. Thought you were someone else.

He turned, got back in his car, and drove off. Just like that. Like he didn't just traumatize five high school kids for life. We didn't move. Nobody said a word. We sat there in total disbelief, processing what just happened. When we finally got the courage to drive back home, we didn't say a thing to anyone. No cops. No parents. We knew we had open containers and weed in the car.

Arizona wasn't a friendly estate for that kind of stuff back then. We would have ended up behind bars. But Phoenix? Phoenix is wild. Drugs, gangs, shady characters, it's not just the heat that'll kill you. That night we got lucky. Real lucky. Now, this next part, part of the story isn't said in Phoenix. I actually grew up there, but this happened about 15 years ago, in Sedona. Yeah, Arizona isn't all cactus and scorpions. Up north, it's full of pine trees, rivers, red rocks, and that whole mystical vibe tourists go crazy for. We used to go there every summer, and it always felt safe, until that 1 4th of July. I was 8 years old, and our big blended family made a trip to some random spot near a river.

Don't remember the name, but I can still picture it. You'd drive down a cul-de-sac, pass a hill with a pavilion and those long green picnic tables, then head down a rocky trail lined with thick brush that led straight to the river. It was a great day. The kind of day you wish you could bottle up. Swimming, running around, just being kids. I loved collecting rocks, geodes, fossils, anything weird or shiny. I was probably halfway down the riverbank when my dad and the rest of the family left to grab

barbecue. Only my stepmom, one of my sisters, and I stayed behind. About 30 minutes later, I heard a gunshot. It came from the direction of the pavilion where my stepmom was. I rushed back, heart pounding, only to find her calm as ever. She told me she accidentally discharged her handgun. Sounded kind of sketchy, but she played it off well enough that my little kid brain didn't question it. It wasn't until five years later, when I was 13, that I learned the truth. Here's how it really went down, from her side. After my dad left, she let us explore while she sat at one of the tables, her bag with the gun next to her. She wasn't nervous at first, until this red car pulled into the parking lot.

Two men inside. They didn't park. They didn't get out. They just sat there, engine running, watching her. She got a weird vibe. The kind that creeps up your spine and settles like ice in your stomach. So, she moved to the end of the table and kept the gun close. Still, the car didn't move.

When it finally did, it pulled into the closest spot to her. Still, they didn't get out. Just sat. She pretended to be on the phone. faking a conversation. Then the doors opened. Two men stepped out, both dressed sharp, nice shirts, clean haircuts, trimmed beards, expensive sunglasses. They didn't look like hikers. But something clicked. She had seen them earlier. Dirty, ragged, bearded hikers passed us earlier that day. These guys were cleaned up. But the faces? Same guys.

No doubt. One walked around the left side of the pavilion. The other circled to the right. Like they were flanking her. I don't know what you two want, but you better back off, she said. No, I don't think so, beautiful. I think you need to come with us. She pulled her gun, pointed it at the guy on the left. I'm not going anywhere with you. Back. Off. Then the guy on the right rushed her. She turned and fired. Shot hit the ground, but close enough to freeze him in his tracks. The guy on the left tripped and fell, his glasses flew off. That's when she recognized him. One of the earlier hikers. His disguise gone. And then, they panicked. Straight up bolted. One dove into the car, the other scrambled after him, and they tore out of the lot like bats out of hell.

She didn't tell me the truth then, because I was just a kid. She didn't want to scare me. But she told my dad, and they reported it to the cops. Descriptions, car color, everything. And what really haunted her? Why did those guys come back dressed differently? Why did they target her? We were a family out enjoying the holiday.

It's not like she was alone in the wilderness. Maybe they saw an opening. Maybe they were watching all along, waiting for the perfect time. But she thinks they were part of some kind of human trafficking operation. Predators looking for easy targets. They probably didn't expect her to be armed. And definitely didn't expect her to stand her ground. That gunshot saved her life.

It makes my skin crawl to think how close we came to losing her. And if I'd walked up just a minute earlier, who knows what I would have seen? Or what could have happened to me? To this day, she's a hero in my eyes. Not just because she had a gun, but because she kept her head straight when things went sideways. Most people freeze. Most people panic. Not her.

She saw evil walk up to her face and said, not today. So yeah. Phoenix might be wild, but even Sedona, quiet, peaceful Sedona, has its shadows. Just remember, evil doesn't always look like evil. Sometimes, it wears nice clothes, smiles politely, and drives a red car. And sometimes, all it takes to survive is being ready to fight back. The end.