WACO, Texas — A survivor of a shooting outside a Waco bar is looking for answers and asking for support as he continues his journey to recovery.
Joseph Hickman, 43, was working as a doorman at a bar at the corner of Ruby Ave. and Hodde Dr. in the early morning hours of April 24 this year when a still-unidentified gunman fired from behind the building, leaving Hickman in the line of fire.
"It's very disturbing, even with everything that's happened to me in my life, this has twisted me up the most," he said.
The bullet went through Hickman's kidney and colon, and cracked three vertebrae. He has had multiple surgeries and is still scheduled for more.
He spent two weeks in the hospital, half of the time in the ICU. He says he's racked up more than $160,000 in medical bills, establishing a GoFundMe in an attempt to pay off the mounting debt.
The night the gunman shot Hickman, there were two other shootings across the city as well. In total, five people were injured in three different locations. No suspect has been identified in any of the incidents.
"There's no leads, no clues, I was told in an email to not give up hope, that a lot of times people get arrested for other things and roll on other people," Hickman said.
Still, Hickman isn't giving up. While still in the ICU, he registered for his next semester of classes at TSTC.
"Just because I was shot doesn't mean life stops. I'm still breathing, I still have things to do, places to see, life to live," he said.
