Man hit by stray bullet forgives shooter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A father of four who was partially paralyzed when he was hit by a stray bullet said he has no memory of incident.

Brandon Yam said once he understood what happened he was angry at the shooter who still hasn't been found.

But then he realized he couldn't recover until he forgave the shooter.

The walls of Yam's hospital room in Atlanta are covered with pictures of his family and every day he sees himself the way he used to be.

"Thank God that I am alive," Yam said. "You know, I have a chance to live again."

He thought he would die on the evening of the Fourth of July when someone fired a shot into the air in Charlotte.

The falling bullet hit him in the head as he and his family sold food at a vending stand in front of Buddhist Temple on Owen Boulevard.

Police are still looking for the shooter.

"You have to think when you are doing something like that, you change one person's life," he said.

The bullet is still in his head because doctors said removing it out is too risky.

"It's hard to concentrate," Yam said.

He struggles now to complete small tasks.

At first, he said he was very angry at what happened to him but the rage made it hard to focus on recovery.

"I believe in God," he said. "God always forgives people, anybody that makes a mistake. "His family has watched him go from partially paralyzed to now mobile in his wheelchair.

Doctors haven't determined if he will fully recover but his family believes he will.

Chenda Yam/ Sister: "He looks real good and he's going to walk again one day," Chenda Yam, his sister, said.
Yam's stay at this hospital is scheduled to end next week.

He and his family used to live in Atlanta so they have a place to go and other family members to help him recover.

WSOC