Last night we had the tragic story of Anthony Major King who has been left paralysed by a gunshot which damaged his spine. But tonight we have the other side of the story, a man who survived a shot that almost damaged his spine.
He is Cayo Resident Dean Dougal and he was allegedly shot by Dionicio "Life" Salazaar 8 months ago. He survived 5 gunshots and told us how he's doing…
Dean Dougal
"Well I got shot in my shoulder, in my neck, in my arm, in the front of my shoulder, in my head and I only have one more bullet left inside of me which is in my muscle in the back of my shoulder. When I got shot I could not talk, I just really got back my voice because I had a pump something to breathe through here, my neck."
Jules Vasquez
"You have to have some mixed feelings now Mr. Dougal, in terms of, one; well obviously it has to be a near miracle that you survived five shots, but at the same time you lost a friend and the gun man was supposedly after you."
Dean Dougal
"They said the guy wanted to kill me, but then I don't understand why he killed Mr. Rivera you know, if he wanted to kill me why he killed my friend, and if it was me, he should have killed me, but I guess it didn't work out for him. I watch my surrounding, I watch my surrounding and be careful where I go and it's funny Jules after everything I went through, I am not afraid of the 'lee balli" I am not afraid of him, just that, he had no reason that night to shoot us two because we were not messing with him. But it's like what they say, he wants to finish the family off, but he did not have to come like that, he came from behind, just like he killed my nephew he shot me, he shot my nephew from behind, because Mr. Rivero and myself were never expecting him to come, it's not like we were fighting him the night before or we had an misunderstanding, we don't know where he come from, he had that planned."
Jules Vasquez
"You feel more grateful, more thankful every day now, for life knowing you survived, knowing the odds were against you?"
Dean Dougal
"Without a doubt, yes. Every day when I wake up, I know the value now, yup, because everybody knew who I was. I am not too good either. I am not a nice little boy, but after that yes I spend more time with my children, love my wife more."
Jules Vasquez
"Now last night on T.V. we saw a guy who got shot similar to you I guess. But whereas your one pierced your throat it didn't pierce you spine, his one pierced his spine. How did you feel seeing, Anthony King Major?"
Dean Dougal
"Yes, My family and I sat down and watched that last night Jules, and you know one of my shots stopped right in front of my spinal cord and I think a lot, what if I had - just the position I would have put my family in, just being in a position like that. Because I watch the position the boy put his mother in. When I saw the pain that he is going through I know because I went through it. My brother and my sister-in-law had to go through all kinds of pharmacy, you know how much money they spent to try and get medication to stop my pain? If you notice my face, with the medication was too strong they had to stop me from it because I had a lot of rash. I went through some heavy medication, when time to stop it I couldn't, I was addicted, I started to bite myself, eat myself, because the doctor didn't want to give me that medication, he said it was too strong for me and I told him anything to stop the pain. When you get shot you don't feel it, it's after you done get shot, you know and the pain, Last night when I saw that little boy, when I saw him doing (making a fist), I felt it. I want to say thanks to my brother because he made it possible for me, made everything that happen and paid all the expense."
Jules Vasquez
"You feel you were spared Dean?"
Dean Dougal
"Yes, that's why, even my doctor told me, he said don't tell them that I healed you, tell them that God healed you. But I have a sister too that always prayed for me and I was more than spared, I think. I don't know how to say that Jules, but I was very lucky."
Dionicio Life Salazaar was captured days after the shooting - and is on remand pending trial. He had been convicted of killing Dougal's nephew years earlier, but got out when the conviction was overturned…
