around the corner from my house, there's two bars in the same little strip mall thing. i was out back at one with my buddy, and there was a shooting over at the other one. he's been firing guns for a lot longer than me, but we both didn't recognize it at first. i'd say our ears did, but our brains didn't. it seems unbeleivable when it happens. it was like 1 am, but for whatever reason, i thought for the first few seconds it was a nailgun. it makes no sense, and when i processed it, it was obvious what it was. i know how stupid that sounds, but my mind considered and dismissed the possibility of gunshots on a subconcious level. it doesn't take too long to sort it out, but it's not immediate, at least not for me. it's just the last thing you'd expect.
as to how or why, i don't know.