A teenage squeegee worker is recovering after he said he was shot in the back by a motorist.
The teen, who was wounded, spoke with FOX45 News from his hospital bed Friday. “Somebody in the next lane [where it happened] got me to the hospital, saved my life,” he said.
At the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and West Franklin Street, so-called squeegee kids, individuals who clean windshields at intersections in exchange for money, were captured on camera. The activity is illegal in Baltimore City. Still, Friday afternoon, at that intersection it was business as usual.
But hours earlier business was disrupted by gunfire at the intersection Thursday. Just before 8 p.m., police responded to an area hospital for a walk-in shooting victim. They discovered later he was shot at MLK and West Franklin.
FOX45 has learned the shooting victim is 19-year-old Amar Gibbs — a squeegee kid since he was 15. Gibbs says he was squeegeeing at that intersection Thursday night when he says a motorist shot him.
Gibbs says he was squeegeeing at that intersection Thursday night when he says a motorist shot him.
“I got shot in my back, it came out my underarm,” said Gibbs.
Gibbs, from the hospital at Shock Trauma Friday, told FOX45 what happened when he said he approached the suspect’s vehicle.
“I walked to the window. I said, I know you don’t want the windows done. Soon as I said that, before I can finish talking, he said, ”you were the little (expletive) that disrespected me earlier.’ Once he said that, I said what I said, then walked off. Once I got to the next car, once I was at the back of his car walking to the next car, I heard shots,” said Gibbs.
He says a bullet pierced his back, another one hit his shoulder.
Gibbs believes he was the victim of mistaken identity.
“I ain’t the type of person to disrespect nobody,” said Gibbs. “Somebody on the block slapped somebody earlier (that afternoon) and I guess he was saying that I looked like the person,” he added.
Meanwhile, back at the intersection Friday afternoon, a police officer arrived and cleared the corner.
Those squeegee workers walked away, while another recovers from gunshot wounds.
“My body hurt right now. But I’m blessed. I woke up this morning,” said Gibbs.
If you have any information about this shooting police want to hear from you. You can remain anonymous by calling Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.