A 10-year-old boy who was shot at a Long Beach gas station in March wrote a letter describing the experience in a heartbreakingly innocent scrawl.
"If anyone wants to know how I felt well I felt nervious, scared, worried I didn't felt no pain I didn't even know I got shoot untill my Dad asked if I got shoot," the hand-written letter said.
The boy was struck on March 22 as he sat in the backseat of his family's sport utility vehicle, parked at pump No. 1. Witnesses said the boy told his parents that his chest "felt hot" after the bullet pierced the SUV. His mother saw blood running down his chest.
His parents -- who hadn't yet filled up their tank -- drove to the police station a quarter mile away for fear they couldn't make it to the hospital without running out of fuel, according to Long Beach City Councilman Al Austin, who visited the family in the hospital after the shooting.
The boy wrote that his father "took me to the police station and pulled me out of the car and told me he love me then the police officers rush to the hospital."
No arrests have been made.
The young shooting victim thanked police officers, nurses and doctors at Long Beach Memorial Hospital who saved his life.
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"But the only thing that maters now is im okay at home with my family," said the letter, signed: "a lucky boy."
The full text of the letter (errors sic):
First i will like to say thank you to the police officers for helping me out and taking me to the Hospital and I want to say thank you to Long Beach memorial to all the nurses and doctors that help save my life. For all the people who will like to know how am i doing I am doing Fantastic and happy i am out of the hospital. If any one wants to know how i felt well i felt nervious, scared, worried I didn't felt no pain I didn't even know i got shoot untill my Dad asked if i got shoot and i said yes then he took me to the police station and pulled me out of the car and told me he Love me then the police officers rush to the hospital But the only thing that maters now is im okay at home with my family.
a Lucky boy
