That Tuesday night, many residents around East Ninth Street were alarmed and called into the "Gazette" and "News" that they believed more murders had been committed because they heard sirens. The sirens turned out to be sound effects from a carnival. Guard dogs became a hot commodity in local want-ads. Terrified wives refused to go out after dark. In addition to arming and barricading themselves in, residents took to extreme measures, such as creating booby-traps, installing lights, and even temporarily moving into hotels or relatives' homes for safety in numbers. Overnight watches were kept, and tensions were high, with police questioning anyone who appeared suspicious.