I Survived Being Shot 8 Times: Here’s My Story
Imagine being shot eight times and living to tell about it.
As emotional as this post will make me, I hope it reaches someone that needs to know how to bounce back from adversity. So let’s get started.
It was 21 years ago on March 19, 2002 that I was a victim of crime. I was shot eight times by a young man that was trying to get initiated into a gang. My fiancé and I were victims but not the only ones. We were two out of six victims that were affected by the actions of this young man, who also has a story of his own.
I was hit twice in my liver, twice in my intestines, twice in my back, once in my arm and once in my leg. I looked death in the face.
However, in the midst of the bullets raining upon my car, I saw life leave my fiancé’s body. My fiancé took one bullet in the back of her head, and I watched her die.
The shooting went fast. In a blink of an eye, my life was forever altered. While fighting for my life, the world around me became slow motion as I fought for every breath. Being shot burns. It’s a peculiar feeling, but I truly felt like my body was on a BBQ grill.
I held my eyes open, screaming the word “no.” And then, I blacked out. I saw a light. There was a light above me as I slipped into darkness, but it was peaceful. But then, I snapped back into reality when a helicopter light shined on me and that’s when I felt everything.
Living and surviving this experience was another battle that I had to fight. My fiancé and I weren’t the only victims as stated before.
Spiritually, I died when I saw her pass away. My family felt the effects of death when I was fighting for my life. And, there were more victims to top this off. My mom saw what had happened to me on the news. Imagine seeing a shooting unfold on the news. Now, imagine that shooting involving your son.
After surviving this incident, I had a lot of anger. I felt depression, and I was in a dark space. I attempted to take my life . . . several times. But then, the more I talked about my situation, the more I was able to unleash my depression, anger, trauma and the other emotions that were bottled within me.
I surrounded myself with a support system that made me feel safe, heard and healed.
I still re-live what happened to me. But, I’m able to see it in a different perspective. I don’t hold the darkness within me to eat me alive. We all have dark moments, but we can’t let these moments dictate our lives forever.
What we may think is the end is actually the beginning of a new life.
I was shot eight times. Biblically, the number eight signifies a new beginning. I was pronounced dead on the scene. But here I am, 21 years later telling my story to you and doing what I’m purposed to do.
If you’re going through a valley of darkness, please don’t walk alone. Tell your story, unleash and help someone else heal.
For mental health resources, click here for the CDC’s free and confidential resources.
