When you go on your phone, you most likely get lost in thought and sucked in by the screen. That’s what Hunter Diamond was doing on June 24, 2021 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was in his car, going through his phone just like any other person. It was a hot day in Springs, so he had his window down and a slight breeze was coming through. Suddenly he was getting hit and punched by some guy, trying to rob him. Just as suddenly, he stopped hitting him and demanded that Hunter give him his wallet. Hunter refused. The guy then pulled out a gun, shot him, then ran off.
Hunter sat there in shock, knowing something was wrong. “It was like a cartoon”, he explained. Like when a character doesn't respond right away to what happened to them. Driving to his friend's house; he had to figure out what to do. He hadn't yet noticed that he had been shot. “The only reason I realized I got shot was because my hand was split open.” Looking at his hand, then down to his side, he understood now that he had been shot. He continued to drive the two miles it took to get to his friends house while bleeding out.
Arriving at his friend's house, he was taken to the hospital. “I was in the hospital for 13 days” he stated. There is a scar from not only the gunshot, but also the chest tubes that were put in to keep him stable. The two broken ribs that are still broken to this day are the result of the chest tubes. He mentioned to me that he was bored. Doing nothing for 13 days in the hospital. Just laying there trying to get better, faster.
The doctors had to effectively break two of his ribs to put in the chest tubes that kept him alive. “Sometimes it looks like my ribs are poking out of my skin” he says looking down. He still has pain from the ribs and doesn't think it will get any better soon. “I have dreams about it” he dejectedly looks down while continuing with how he has trouble sleeping at night.
He also says that he was changed by getting shot. Oddly enough, he admits that he drives better. Using his turn signal, and driving the speed limit, is what changed for him. The thing that surprised me most was the fact that he is not afraid of guns. Maybe getting one pointed at you and actually getting shot would change how you feel about guns, but Hunter says it changed nothing.
Hunter has been through so much throughout his life. From being poisoned by drainage cleaner and having to ride in a helicopter to the hospital, to being ripped away from his mom at 3, and later being in jail. He has his moments but I’m so proud of him for still being here. I think the shot changed him in a sense that he understands how fast your life can be taken from you. I think he’s doing his best, and that’s all I can hope for.