In late Nov. 2021, Khamani Garrett, a 14-year-old attempting to catch a train to the Manhattan Business Academy in Chelsea, was shot in the neck by Hubert Wiggs, a 36-year-old who reportedly committed the crime in the Bronx, New York, ABC 7 reported. A week later, the brave teen revealed how his faith had helped him in his journey, offering forgiveness to the shooter.
According to ABC 7, Garrett shared that he “would honestly forgive him because if I still hold a grudge against him…I feel like it would leave me with guilt,” adding, “I know God’s on my side, and I know he helped protect me, so I don’t have to worry about anything.”
Teen shot in neck on way to school says he forgives man who could have killed him https://t.co/xug2DTuvKT pic.twitter.com/SKCF9H8prD
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) December 1, 2021
Garrett was reportedly struck in the left side of his neck on Nov. 23 but miraculously survived.
Recounting the frightening shooting to the news outlet, the 14-year-old stated that he didn’t realize he had been injured until he fell to the ground and caught a glimpse of his own blood, saying, “I felt like a force in me, and my chest and my arm felt tight, and it kind of got hard to breathe. I didn’t know I got shot at first until I kneeled down because it was hard to breathe, and then I saw the blood dripping.”
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Looking for help nearby, Garrett reportedly asked Wiggs for assistance. “He didn’t want to help me. He threw something at me,” the teen told ABC 7 about the encounter. “And then when I was walking away to the other guy who called the cops, he started mumbling, ‘I can’t deal with this, I can’t deal with this.’”
A fundraiser was started on GoFundMe to help support Garrett’s family during the teen’s healing journey. So far, they have raised over $7,000, surpassing their original goal of $2,500.
Wiggs, who local police say had been pointing a gun at people near his Bronx home, was soon after charged with attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, assault and more. He was reportedly out on parole during the time of the shooting.
