[Green Tree]

My neighbor and I haven't gotten along for many years. He would have loud parties and leave trash stashed between his place and mine. I have avoided confronting him for many years because he is very quickly angered, and I have no interest in physical confrontation.

The other night he aggressively approached me in our shared yard where I was BBQing, and he told me he would beat my butt (he used another word) if I kept the smoke going. I told him I would do my best to control the smoke, but that I couldn't control the wind, and I recommended that he close his windows for a bit until the smoke cleared.

Unhappy with my reply, he continued to attempt to intimidate me. I ignored him and continued cooking. As he kept on yelling at me and trying to control me, I told him that his attitude would one day land him in serious trouble. He asked if I was threatening him and I said no, that I was just trying to help him realize that not everyone handles direct confrontation as calmly as myself, and that one day he could be killed if he approached the wrong person in anger. He laughed and went back inside his place and closed the window.

I didn't hear from him for a day and a half, and then a new man was in my neighbors home. I spoke with the new man, who turned out to be my neighbor's brother. He said that my neighbor was shot and killed less than 12 hours before. Apparently he had intervened in an argument where he didn't belong, tried to control the situation, got angry, and was shot dead.

I don't know how to feel about this. On one hand I am glad my angry, loud, messy neighbor is no longer my neighbor, and on the other hand I'm creeped out by my seemingly prophetic utterance, and the suddenness of losing my neighbor in such a violent and preventable way. My wife considered him to be her friend, and she is a mess right now. I'm supporting her the best I can.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

GT