Gregory Batty was killed during a high school football game at the MCC grounds on March 14th of 2003, and in March of 2004, Mark Gardiner was cleared of manslaughter charges at the Supreme Court, only to be later re-arrested on the same charge. But Gardiner is not only in a fight for his freedom, he says he is in a fight for his life. Gardiner believes someone is out to get him and they tried again last night. He lived to tell his tale from his bed at the KHMH.
Speaking with us from his hospital bed, Mark Gardiner has a punctured lung and a gunshot wound to his buttocks. But that's the least of his worries; this 23 year old says someone has put out a hit on his life. Last night at 8:30, for the second time in two months Gardiner was shot. This time he was coming from his neighborhood grocery when two shooters on bicycles cornered him at his gate near Jane Usher Boulevard.
Mark Gardiner, Shooting Victim
“When I was returning back [from the store] I was opening up my door. I pushed in the key and was turning it and something just told me to look around and when I looked I just a shot and it flew me against the door. When I turned to finish open the door and hurry go inside, they shot me two more times and the next one caught me in my buttocks. All I could do was hurry finish open up the door and jump down and wait for them to go.”
Jules Vasquez,
Who would want to kill you and why?
Mark Gardiner,
“Well I have this case pending right. This young girl [mentions name] is paying people to let them come...because last time they already shot me in my hand right here. So now they paid this next set of young boys to come and do it.”
Jules Vasquez,
So you are saying how they put a hit out on your life?
Mark Gardiner,
“Yes. They said they won’t stop until they make sure I die.”
Jules Vasquez,
How will you stay alive? How will you keep them from killing you?
Mark Gardiner,
“God will make sure I don’t die.”
He's living under a clear, present and continued threat, but this young man says revenge is not on his mind.
Jules Vasquez,
Now most men in this situation would say ‘you bust, I bust.’
Mark Gardiner,
“I don’t have no gun. If the police they meet me with a gun...because they always see me and ask me...so I don’t want to. I am not into those things. I will just defend myself outright on the spot. And as for the retaliate and so well I don’t really believe in that.”
Jules Vasquez,
However on the night of the shooting at the MCC you had a gun?
Mark Gardiner,
“Yes.”
And now, as blood from his punctured lung drains off to the rhythm of his breathing, this young man knows that he must live by the symbol inscribed on his arm, a life under the gun.
Police say Gardiner is not cooperating and they have made no arrests. He told us he could not identify the shooter, but others in the neighborhood may be able to.