Little Rock man aims to teach that violence is not the answer after being shot in the head 30 years ago
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A Little Rock man is reflecting on choosing peace after being shot in the head 30 years ago.
Fred Johnson is sharing his story in hopes that the youth will make the choice he made. That choice was picking victory over violence.
Pine Bluff’s Gloves Not Guns aims to help youth stay off the streets as summer approaches
It was May of 1994 when Fred Johnson was shot in the head. He said the bullet is still there to this day.
He said the shooting happened at the corner of 35th and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Little Rock. Johnson added that the incident started with him getting into a fight. Soon after, instead of punches, a gun was aimed at him.
“I saw the gun. The next thing in my mind was to run and try to get away. When I ran, he just started shooting,” Johnson described.
He then woke up in the hospital with a full recovery ahead of him.
“I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t talk. I had to learn all that over again,” he said.
After a full recovery, Johnson said he could’ve gotten his revenge just blocks away from where he nearly lost his life.
A little over a year after being shot, Johnson says he ran into the person who shot him.
With the help of fellow gang members, Johnson had him at gunpoint with the chance to get his revenge.
“I pointed the gun to him just like this man. I just couldn’t pull the trigger,” Johnson said.
Former Little Rock gang leaders pleading for peace in the city
He says his friends were “all behind me looking at me like do it do it do it. But all I was thinking about was going to prison.”
“Believe it or not, the guys that were behind me, they dead now,” he said.
30 years later, he’s blessed to have a life and to not be behind bars.
His message to the youth is to stop and think before throwing their lives away.
“Gun violence is not the key,” he said.
Forgiveness is the key. Johnson said his shooter is still alive and they’re cordial if they bump into each other.
He said there is “no ill will against him.”
“That was one of my best decisions ever not to pull that trigger,” he said.
Little Rock nonprofit looks to help youth steer away from violence
Johnson says was a good basketball player for McClellan High School. During his recovery, he couldn’t even balance a ball but was able to fight back onto the court. He finished high school, went to play in college and now has a wife and kid.
He said he’s a true testament that taking a life is not worth throwing away yours.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLRT - FOX16.com.
