A 16 year old is facing the prospect of life in prison and the man he is accused of shooting is facing the prospect of the rest of his life in a wheel chair. The shooting victim is Richard Flowers and he was shot inside his yard on Fern Lane Friday night. He told us his story today.
Richard Flowers, Shooting Victim
“I noh gang bang, I noh have beef with nobody…nobody.”
And that’s why Richard Flowers wants to know why someone tried to kill him on Friday night. The 29 year old was inside his home here on Fern Lane when he was called to his death.
Richard Flowers,
“I heard someone yell out my name three times so upon opening my door to check who it was, I walked to the fence and I saw a young man, fair skinned with a camouflage hat and a striped shirt. But he didn’t utter any word to me so I said, ‘yes can I help you.’ And when I said that I saw him dip under his shirt and hauled out a firearm which is when I took two steps backward and tripped over the line stick and I heard about three shots. I got up to run again and I heard about seven more. One of them caught me in my back and in my belly and I dropped on the ground and he sped off.”
One of the bullets entered Flowers’ back and exited through his stomach – touching his spinal cord which could leave him paralyzed.
Richard Flowers,
“Right one of my foot is numb because the bullet entered my spine and tore up my lungs and my guts so I don’t know if I might could walk back again which I pray and hope. I don’t know why somebody wants to hurt me like that. If I did something to somebody wrong I will just say sorry again. I know I didn’t do nobody nothing. I didn’t do anyone anything. I am loving to everybody. Anyone who asks for anything I always try to reach out. I don’t hurt people, I am a loving somebody so why would they want to hurt me.”
Keith Swift,
What do you want to say to the shooter?
Richard Flowers,
“I don’t have anything against him. I just want to address this. I don’t have anything against him, I will leave those judgements to God. I don’t have time to retaliate and I don’t want anyone to retaliate back at me or nothing. I just want this thing to stop, I want it to done.”
Police were in the area at the time of the shooting and saw a young man with a camouflage hat on a white beach cruiser. He sped off after seeing the police mobile and they set chase. During the pursuit, police say the teenager threw something into a bush. They eventually caught up with him and took him back to the bush where they recovered a 9 milimeter gun with 5 live rounds. The serial number was filed off but it did have the inscription “Jericho IMI” which stands for the Israeli Military Industry.
The 16 year old, whose name we cannot tell you because he’s a minor, was charged for attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, dangerous harm, and for keeping an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. He was remanded and will reappear in court on December 23rd.
