Bystander describes getting shot in June 9 Mission District mass shooting
San Francisco man says he was among the 9 people injured in Mission district mass shooting.
A San Francisco native says he is in pain and has had two surgeries after being shot in the leg during the June 9th Mission District shooting that left 9 people injured. Alonzo Scott says now, he is trying to make it through a painful recovery and still provide for his daughter, nieces, and nephews. He says his family recently lost his younger brother to violence and another brother was shot and killed in 2011.
SAN FRANCISCO - Alonzo Scott never thought he would be a victim of a mass shooting.
A few weeks ago, Scott and one of his relatives were out enjoying a Friday evening in San Francisco's Mission District, and thought they would take a brief stop at a shop on 24th Street.
"I happened to be there five maybe 10 minutes," Scott told KTVU.
But those five to 10 minutes ended up putting Scott right in the middle of the June 9 mass shooting in the Mission District that sent nine people to the hospital.
Scott, 29, says he grew up in San Francisco and had never been to the Dying Breed apparel shop in the Mission, so he and his relative decided to drop by the store to buy a hat.
Outside, music was playing, and the vibes seemed right, so Scott said they paused to listen and that's when he said he heard the gunshots.
"[I] bought a hat and just like that I heard 'pow,' I didn't even look around," Scott said. "I just kind of like flinched and next thing you know, you heard ‘pow.’ And I felt the wave and pressure hit me, and I was on the floor and looking around, and I didn't know why I was on the floor," said Scott.
He says he tried to stand up and then collapsed.
"I saw blood coming out of my leg and I just from there, I tried to crawl myself to safety," Scott said.
Scott said his relative didn't wait for ambulances, but rushed him to the hospital in their car.
"Potentially, saved my life," he said.
Photos on a Gofundme site started by his girlfriend show the severity of Scott's injuries. He said he's had to have multiple surgeries.
The bullet went through his leg.
Now, he has a painful path ahead to recover.
The injuries are making it more difficult for him to support his family. He said he is a roofer and was attending cosmetology school to become a barber. Both are jobs that require him to stand for long periods of time.
Scott's family has felt the pain of gun violence before: He lost a younger brother this past year and a tattoo on his arm marks the date another brother died in a shooting.
"I lost a brother in 2011 to violence and his anniversary is coming up," Scott said. "I really choose peace over violence. I have a daughter. Got to be there for her, nephew and nieces."
Scott's glad he is still alive to be a father figure to his nine-year-old girl and his late brother's children.
He said his family has faced poverty and struggles and has a message to whoever fired the shots.
"I really hope we can show peace and love towards each other and put negativity aside because it's not going to end unless we make it," Scott said. "Respect life and understand that we all have some type of trouble that we go through."
"Whatever he got going on, I pray for him to look inside himself and understand there's bigger things in life," Scott added. "I pray for him."
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