A Liverpool man shot in the back while on holiday in California told the ECHO he "feels sorry" for the man who very nearly took his life.
Shaun Byrne, 35, was drinking with friends outside a bar in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, when an altercation took place with an American man in the street. A friend of the man pulled out a handgun and chased Shaun, from Old Swan, and his friend, from Birmingham, before opening fire at close range.
This week the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) issued a wanted appeal for suspected gunman Brandon Manyo Dixon after the incident, on Saturday, July 30.
Shaun says he can remember nothing of the what happened until he awoke in the Ronald Reagan UCLA hospital after emergency surgery. It was only when doctors explained that he released how close he came to losing his life.
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He told the ECHO: "I found out I got shot in the back and the bullet went straight through, exiting my chest. I was treated at the scene by the LAPD and paramedics who resuscitated me.
"I stayed in hospital for a few weeks then flew home. I've been recovering and I'm good now. I can’t complain though, it could have been a lot worse so I'm lucky. The LAPD and UCLA hospital staff definitely saved my life."
Remarkably former Royal Navy engineer Shaun says he feels no anger towards the man who shot him. He told the ECHO: "I feel sorry for him. He's ruined his life. It's a waste."
Shaun, who now works as a chief engineer specialising in yachts, says the bullet passed through his lung "very close to my heart", and a short time after being struck he collapsed. He said: "I blacked out. They were doing CPR and I wasn’t responding."
Chilling CCTV footage, released by the LAPD, showed the gunman chasing Shaun and his friend before opening fire from extremely close range. A statement from the LAPD said detectives from its Pacific Division are hunting for Dixon, who the force said should be considered "armed and dangerous". A statement from the force said: "The suspect, the suspect’s friend and two United Kingdom tourists were involved in a verbal argument outside a heavily populated bar in the 20 block of Windward Avenue.
"The argument escalated into a physical fight and then turned violent when the suspect chased after both tourists with a gun. As the tourists ran away, the suspect shot the tourists and then fled on foot from the scene."
Shaun says he has made a full recovery physically, despite a painful period in the immediate aftermath. The ECHO understands the other man wounded in the incident was shot in the leg and has recovered.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Pacific Division Robbery Detective Jurado D: (310) 482-6369, C: (323) 229-6286 or via email at 32284@lapd.online. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).
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