Man shot in the eye while driving on Parkway West says he forgives shooter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man who was injured in a shooting on the Parkway West is speaking out after losing an eye.
Bob Long was in town on business when he was traveling on the Parkway West to Pittsburgh International Airport when he was shot in the eye.
"It feels nice to be back home," Long said.
He is back home in Indiana after spending several weeks at UPMC Mercy Hospital.
"They came up on my left-hand side and the first knowledge that they were even there was when the bullet came through the window and hit me," Long said.
He said rifle rounds were fired from a passing vehicle into his car, hitting his left eye. The bullet narrowly missed his brain, he said.
At first, he said he thought he was in a crash, but he quickly realized it was far worse.
"Everything was gray on the left side of my face in terms of the eye area. It went gray, and it felt like I was just floating and spinning in mid-air," Long said.
While Long recovered in the hospital, weeks went by without any arrests until earlier this week when Rashawn Hall was charged in connection with the shooting. Police have not released a motive for the shooting, but Long has his theory: mistaken identity.
"I thought maybe they targeted me because they knew somebody that drove that same car," Long said.
Regardless of the motive, Long said he forgives the shooter. He believes with forgiveness comes peace and a clear path to heaven.
"But having said that, we also know they still have to pay the penalty for what they've done," Long said.
Long says a taxi cab driver was the first person to stop and help him. He says he took the shirt off his back and held it over his eye until paramedics arrived. He says he hopes to one day be able to meet him and thank him in person.
