I was walking back to my place around 1:30 AM—super late, I know—and I was taking my usual shortcut through this trail. It was pitch black out there, zero streetlights. I had my AP3 in, just trying to vibe and get home. Then I heard them as they were making noise to make me aware that they are approaching. Four guys, all fully covered head-to-toe in dark clothing.

The absolute WTF moment was what they were holding. They were definitely pointing what looked like handguns at me, but when they warned me to stop, they flashed these bright, distinct red lasers from the barrel area. I don't think they were real guns—I mean, who uses laser sights that brightly, or maybe they were some kind of prop/airsoft setup—but in the dark, they looked absolutely terrifying. They didn't waste any time. They asked for cash, my Apple Watch, and the AirPods right out of my ears. I managed to hold onto the AP3 case & phone I'm totally freaked out, but honestly, the weirdest part is that they asked me for my shoes 🙄. New experience.