A Black photographer found himself fighting for his life after telling three teenagers not to use the “N-word,” and he happened to be live streaming during those terrifying moments when he was shot a total of nine times.
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“While I was on the ground I was just praying and asking God not now. I was just saying not now, not, not now,” the photographer told Fox 10 on Sunday.
The unidentified photographer was taking pictures at a park in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sept. 12 when according to Complex, three teenagers asked him to take pictures of them; they can be seen in the live stream as the photographer told them that he would not charge them. During their interaction, the teens began using the “n-word,” which rubbed the man the wrong way.
“My man, I told you you can’t say the n-word, you’re not Black,” the man said.
“I say what the [expletive] I want,” one of the teens responded.
“No, you cannot, not in front of me,” the man continued.
Then it would appear the teens did not stop as the man reiterated, “didn’t I tell you don’t say the n-word? Didn’t I say that?”
Then gunfire erupts and the camera fell to the ground. The three suspects fled the scene without taking the camera that contained their picture.
The photographer mustered up the strength to call 911 after being shot nine times and miraculously survived. According to Fox 10, he still has a bullet in his shoulder.
“It’s a complete miracle that’s a blessing cause a lot of people have been shot only one time and they didn’t even survive,” he said to the Fox affiliate.
Ricardo Mendoza-Sanchez and Angel Oretega Romero, both 18, were arrested along with a 17-year-old. Complex reported that Romero attempted to pull a gun on police, but the weapon was confiscated before he was able to. After executing a search warrant on two homes, police discovered methamphetamine, four handguns, and a ballistic vest. They were charged with aggravated assault, misconduct involving weapons, resisting arrest and gang activity, but the victim did not believe aggravated assault was a strict enough charge for what he endured.
“It was two people that shot me and they shot me nine times,” the man said, “so how can you call that aggravated assault like what was aggravated? Like they tried to kill me?”
A GoFundMe account was created to help the man, who was only being identified as CT, pay monthly expenses as he will be unable to work for several months due to his recovery. As of Tuesday morning, just over $2,000 was raised of the $50,000 goal.
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