Gadsden police investigating shooting of 18 year old

Gadsden police are investigating the Wednesday night shooting of An 18-year-old man who was shot in the face in front of his Slusser Avenue home.

Police were called about 8 p.m. Wednesday  to a reported shooting in the 1200 block of Slusser Avenue. When officers turned onto Slusser from Stillman Avenue, they saw the victim standing on the sidewalk. The officers could see a close-contact entry wound from a bullet on the right side of his face, about 3 inches below his eye socket. He was quickly taken to the hospital while officers investigated the scene.

The victim told police the incident happened after his ex-girlfriend told a man that the victim had broken into his residence. The man came to the victim’s house, looking to fight him. When the victim denied breaking into anyone’s house and turned to leave, the man grabbed him by the shoulder, turned him around and pointed a gun to his face. The man told the victim to lie flat on the ground “and kiss it.” The victim said no and tried to grab the gun. As they wrestled for it, one shot was fired that hit no one.

The victim told police that as they continued to wrestle for the gun, he saw that it was pointed at his right eye and he tried to move it away from his face, but the man fired a second shot, striking him.

The victim said he fell back and played dead, and the suspect fled. He was able to make it to his front porch and get his mother to call 911.

The victim remained hospitalized Thursday, and was listed in good condition.