Shot through the foot and you’re to blame

Shot through the foot and you’re to blame

It was a cold winter night, the year was 1991. MC Hammer was number one on the radio with U cant tough this and the Utah Claw Hair-doo was still in style. A couple of guys on the floor had gotten together to watch a video. Our other floormates were gathered at the weekly floor meeting down the Hallway. Then a guy from Kansas and his friend came in the room to watch the movie with us. One of them was cleaning his colt 45 six shooter. He was making us a little nervous, click, file, look through the “empty” chamber, click, a little oil. I thought of asking him to stop but had a weird feeling that I’d get the gun pointed at me with a click showing me how silly I was, so I didn’t say anything. John, my friend told me later that he had the same vivid feeling as therefore also said nothing. His friend was lying on the floor putting the video in the TV vcr combo. Out of the corner of my eye I heard the loudest noise I’d ever heard, and saw a bright light. It was probably a split second but it seemed like forever before it registered what had happened. “I’ve been shot” were the first words I heard. I then noticed the guy on the floor grabbing his foot. Quick, dial the operator was the next thing I heard (Maybe they don’t have 911 in Kansas). I hit 0, thought for a second and dialed 911. The annoying lady tried to keep me on the line. I told them someone had been shot in the foot near the dorms. She kept tying to get more info and I wasn’t in the mood so I hung up on her. Someone ran down the hallway to tell the younger brother of the guy who’d been shot. “you’re brothers been shot” he said, loud enough for the guys parents to hear. “mom, dad, I’ve got to go, click.” Now the brain trust is in full swing. Let’s get him out of here and take him to the hospital. Just a sec, I thought the hall meeting is still in full swing. I walk up to the open door with a few hey Joe, what’s up, not much I say as I wait till I’m no longer in anyone’s attention and I close the door. I run back to the room, the shoe is removed not but he foot is still in shock and there is only a small circle of blood on his white sock. Where is the bullet, no one knows, is it still in the foot. His brother and I pick him out boy scout chair style and we head out the door hoping not to run into any authority figures. Our small pack heads down the hallway towards the elevator. Two scouts up ahead, the wounded with his carrying squad and someone guarding the rear. Push the elevator call button and luckily get into an empty elevator. Only to be stopped on the second floor. We get a weird look as no one notices the socked foot and the circle of blood. We carry him out through the lobby as the lounge lovers politely ignore us. “Take him to my truck” We walk through the heavy falling snow when a flashlight shines in our eyes, stop right there!, It was of course the man. Put him down right now says the highly intelligent police officer, so we put the coatless victim down in a small snow drift. As the interrogation starts, I ask the officer permission to give the guy my coat, who was shivering by now and still in slight shock. As the ambulance arrives a crowd of a couple hundred has gathered around in time to see me, now shivering I didn’t have a coat by now, being put into the back of a cop car. It was only to give my statement but I knew there would be explaining to do in the ward on Sunday. The next day on campus the rumors started, some guy was shot and is in critical condition, or was it gang related from the Samoan priests quorum from salt lake. The meeting down the hall thought we’d dropped a book really loud, while the dorm across the say said all the windows shook. Amazingly, the bullet passed all the way through his foot, hit solid concrete, bounced off and couldn’t penetrate the carpet again on the way out, not a bone in his foot was broken, and he was walking normally again three weeks later. His friend did have to check his gun in at the front desk. I was mentioned in police beat along with the others guys, as others were present.
Joseph 2004