‘Nobody Wants to Die Alone’: Kind Stranger Who Stayed With Gunshot Victim to His Last Breath Reflects on Fragility of Life By Billy Hallowell for Faith Wire
GNN Note – Compassion on a level most of us will never know or understand. / END
“All this gun violence gotta stop.”
That was Racquan Hazelwood’s message after the good Samaritan witnessed an unthinkable tragedy Tuesday afternoon in Richmond, Virginia when a man died after being shot and crashing his car.
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Hazelwood, who witnessed the victim’s car crash into a pole, went toward the vehicle to help.
That’s when he noticed gunshot holes, discovered the man was shot, and decided to selflessly stay by the victim’s side to comfort him until he took his last breath.
Though the victim was a stranger, Hazelwood told WWBT-TV he will never forget him. He also shared some of the tragic details about his brief time with the man.
“At least somebody was there. That matters. Ain’t nobody wants to die alone,” he said. “[The victim] said, ‘I’m about to die, man. I’m about to die,’ and I just wanted to comfort him.”
Hazelwood called 911 and talked to the man throughout the ordeal. He could tell the victim was scared and took the time to comfort him and tell him emergency services were on the way.
Sadly, the man died before EMS arrived.
The shocking event left Hazelwood with some thoughts and reflections. In addition to pleading for the violence to stop, he reflected on the fragility of life.
“It just made me realize how quick life can go; that’s all I’ve been thinking about,” he told WWBT-TV. “I thought about his face … I couldn’t get it out of my mind all night last night.”
Police are investigating the crime and looking for suspects.
