In the summer of 2020, amidst the deadly pandemic when everyone was focused on battling COVID-19, I was fighting a different battle: surviving gunshot wounds that nearly took my life. July 9, 2020, was supposed to be a normal day as I headed to work at my research laboratory in Richmond, VA. Instead, I was attacked and shot in the arm. To this day, I don’t know who shot me; I was told a gang mistook me for someone else. Rushed to the hospital unconscious, and I was admitted to the emergency ward. After undergoing numerous tests, scans, and treatments, I learned that the bullet had shattered both bones in my forearm, leaving me with significant mobility deficits and nerve damage.
This experience was horrifying and has compelled me to take action. I have decided to speak up and join the movement to end gun violence. I don’t want anyone else to die or lose a loved one due to gun violence. Gun violence has claimed countless lives and injured many more. It’s time to end gun violence now.
