Man Shot In Face Speaks From Hospital Bed

Martin Hanna
SAN DIEGO — A man who was shot in the parking lot of an El Cajon fast food restaurant spoke out from his hospital bed for the first time on Wednesday.

Martin Hanna, 23, was shot at the In-N-Out parking lot on Aug. 6. He told 10News he was in his car getting ready to leave when a man he did not know drove up alongside him and shot him in the face.

The gunshot left Hanna with multiple injuries beneath the surface of his face. His upper jaw was completely gone, with no bone, no teeth and no gums.

Hanna primarily speaks Arabic, so his sister, who did not want to be identified, translated for him by his bedside. She described what her brother remembered about moment he was shot.

“He hit him right away,” she said. “He doesn’t have any idea who this guy is… didn’t even saw his face.”

Soon after Hanna was rushed to the hospital and regained consciousness, his sister said he broke down after he heard that San Diego police Officer Jeremy Henwood had been shot and killed by the same gunman, Dejon White, just moments after shooting him.

His sister said Hanna struggles with that revelation to this day.

“He got really, really upset and he felt bad for [Henwood] and his family,” she said.

Hanna’s family said they have no idea how long it will take for him to heal from his numerous internal injuries.

“He says God gave him a new life,” said the sister.

Before Hanna was shot, he played the drum in a Chaldean musical group alongside his father and also worked to prepare U.S. troops for missions to the Middle East by teaching them the ways of the Iraqi people.

He told 10News in English that he hopes to return to that passion one day.

“Yeah, I would, because I love the U.S. army,” said Hanna. “I love to work with them.”

http://www.10news.com/news/28970162/detail.html