Carjacking victim’s life spared when assailant’s gun fails to fire
An east Charlotte man is grateful to be alive after being shot and carjacked outside his apartment as people were coming home from work.
A witness told police they saw the victim fall to the ground after he was shot.
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They said they watched the gunman attempt to shoot him again, but the gun only clicked, a glitch that may have spared the victim’s life.
However, the victim, who did not want to be identified, said he doesn’t expect his life will be normal again.
“I’m still feeling pain,” the victim said. “And I still have this ostomy bag in my stomach.”
The man still has nightmares about when his life nearly ended on Jan. 22.
“I was very scared, and I was praying to God not to die,” the man said.
Witnesses told police they heard four to eight gunshots in an apartment parking lot near Albemarle Road and W.T. Harris Boulevard, according to a search warrant.
They saw someone wearing black shoot a man as he got out of his red Camaro.
“He was in front of my door,” the victim told Channel 9. “He was pointing at me. He didn’t let me in, and he shot at me several times.”
A witness said they saw the gunman pull the trigger several more times, but the gun didn’t fire. It only made clicking sounds.
They said they watched the gunman steal the victim’s bag, keys, and the Camaro.
“Yes. At that moment, I felt dead,” the man said.
The victim said he can’t work with his injuries.
“I’m no longer normal,” he said.
He said he’s struggling to afford food, rent, and medications but is determined to make the most out of life after it nearly ended.
“I’m not going to look normal, but I’ll try to recover so I can go back to work,” he said. “So I can go back to doing what I was doing before.”
The suspects
Investigators arrested Kaionta Dabney and Bobby Gene Valentine.
The convicted felons were charged with attempted murder, armed robbery, and felony gun possession.
The warrant shows they had phone conversations about acquiring vehicles and having gang relations.
Dabney was released from jail Monday morning.
Valentine is still behind bars.
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