PHILADELPHIA — Haason Butler entered the swelling ranks of Philadelphia’s gunshot victims in shocking fashion in May last year. While he smoked a cigarette on a South Philly corner, a stranger gave him a hard look, which led to words being exchanged and finally the man pulling a gun and opening fire.
While Butler, 20, describes himself as a “fighter” who often carried a gun for self-protection, he said he was unarmed that day and didn’t provoke the gunman, who shot him 18 times. Police found him in the 800 block of Wharton Street with bullet holes in his neck, back and elsewhere.
While recovering at Jefferson University Hospital, Butler said he seethed and thought of seeking revenge if he ever learned the identity of the shooter. The man remains at large, police said.
