Man Says a Drunk Neighbor Came Back Outside With a 12-Gauge and Waved It at Him During an Argument

The man said the argument had already started before the gun appeared. According to the Reddit post, he and his neighbor were outside when things got heated. Neighbor arguments can get ugly fast, especially when alcohol is involved, but there is usually still a line people understand not to cross.

This neighbor allegedly crossed it.

The poster said the neighbor had been drinking, went back inside, and came out with a 12-gauge shotgun. He allegedly waved it at the poster during the argument. That changed the situation completely. One minute, it was a confrontation between neighbors. The next, it involved a drunk man holding a firearm.

The original Reddit post can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/s40ekc/my_neighbor_pointed_a_gun_at_me_what_do_i_do_next/

The poster wanted to know what to do next. That question carried the whole weight of the situation. A neighbor waving or pointing a gun is not something you can just forget after everyone goes back inside. The person still lives nearby. The next argument could start over noise, parking, dogs, trash, a property line, or something even smaller.

Alcohol made the threat feel worse. A sober person holding a shotgun during an argument is already dangerous. A drunk person doing it creates even less room for trust. Judgment is impaired, emotions are higher, and the person holding the gun may not fully understand how close they are to turning a neighborhood dispute into a tragedy.

The poster seemed to be looking for more than reassurance. They wanted to know whether police would take it seriously, whether they should file a report, and whether there was any way to keep the neighbor from doing it again. That is the hard part with threats. The immediate moment may pass, but the fear does not.

There is also the question of what exactly happened with the shotgun. Was it pointed directly at the poster? Was it waved around? Was the neighbor making threats while holding it? Those details can matter legally, but for the person standing there, the fear is not split into technical categories. A drunk neighbor came outside with a 12-gauge during an argument. That is enough to make anyone back away.

The poster was also likely thinking about retaliation. Reporting a neighbor can feel risky when the person already showed they were willing to involve a gun. If police come and leave, the poster still has to live next to him afterward. But doing nothing could leave the next encounter even more dangerous.

That is what makes armed neighbor disputes so unsettling. They do not end when the argument ends. The memory follows you every time you step outside.

Commenters strongly encouraged the poster to report the incident. Several said a drunk neighbor waving or pointing a shotgun during an argument should be treated as a serious threat, not a private disagreement. Even if officers did not arrest the neighbor immediately, a report would create a record.

Others suggested asking about a protective order, especially if the neighbor made specific threats or if there had been a history of harassment. Commenters said the poster should document every detail while it was fresh: time, date, witnesses, exact words, whether the shotgun was pointed, and whether the neighbor appeared intoxicated.

A number of people also told the poster not to confront the neighbor again. That advice came up repeatedly. If someone has already brought a shotgun into one argument, there is no good reason to test whether the next argument stays verbal.

Some commenters focused on cameras. They suggested doorbell cameras, driveway cameras, or anything that could record future incidents from a safe distance. The point was not to provoke the neighbor. It was to make sure there was evidence if the behavior continued.

Others pointed out that alcohol and firearms are a dangerous mix regardless of the legal details. Responsible gun owners do not bring shotguns into neighborhood arguments, and they definitely do not do it while drunk.

The post ended with the poster facing a choice that no one wants to make. Reporting the neighbor could escalate the tension. Staying silent could leave him waiting for the next drunken argument, wondering whether the shotgun would come out again.