Martin, a 20-year-old offensive tackle on the James Madison football team, was one of two men shot in July outside of Highlawn Pavilion. Martin had been shot twice, once in each leg, before the third attempt to shoot him failed.

Police have not caught the shooter and have been tight-lipped with details of the shooting, because the investigation is ongoing.

But Tuesday, after his first day back on the football practice field, Martin told his story of what happened on the night of July 1.

Hanging Out At The Bar

Martin, who worked part-time as a bouncer at the bar on Evelyn Byrd Avenue, said he was off that night but "was there chillin' with my friends." He was only 19 at the time, and says he wasn't drinking.

After the staff called "last call" and patrons had left, the Martinsville native went outside to "clear the parking lot."

Martin said he approached three men, who were standing in the parking lot talking to a girl. He told them it was time to leave. He came back a second time when the same three men moved to a different spot and were talking to another girl.

Two of the men, Martin said, agreed to leave, but the third man became angry at Martin.

"And he got in my face, and I was like, 'You really don't want to do this,'" Martin said. "He pushed off, and I was like, 'I'm pretty sure you don't want to do this.' And he hit me, so I took my shirt off, and I was like, 'You sure you want to do this?' He hit me again, and we got to fighting."

Martin said he ripped off the man's necklace. The man ripped off a set of dog tags from Martin's neck. The two continued fighting until Martin's friends pulled him away, and the man ran off across the parking lot.

"I thought he was just running away," said Martin, who began looking for the dog tags, which are his grandfather's from the Korean War.

"If they were anything else, I would have left them," Martin said.

Instead, he searched for them. That's when 22-year-old Chris Brown, of Goldsboro, N.C., came back shooting, Martin and police said.

Bullets Flying

Martin said he ran back toward the bar and hid behind a waiting taxicab. That's when he saw Richmond Brandon get struck by a bullet that was intended for him.

"Right as I ducked, he was shooting," Martin said. "That's when Richmond fell."

Martin said he jumped up and ran toward the bar's entrance. That's when a bullet struck him in the back of his right leg. He said there was a burn, and then his leg went limp, "like a noodle."

Martin said he got back up and took another step, when he was shot a second time, in his left leg, which dropped the 6-foot-4, 330-pounder.

"Then he walked up on me and pulled the trigger," Martin said, "but he didn't have nothing left, so he just took off running."

Police have charged Brown with two counts of malicious wounding and one count of using a firearm in a felony.

Hospitalized

Martin spent two days in the University of Virginia Medical Center. He suffered nerve damage in his right leg, where doctors removed a bullet. They left the bullet in his left leg for fear that extracting it would cause the same nerve damage in that leg. Martin said he can't feel it.

When the empty gun clicked but didn't fire, the ordeal was effectively over for Martin.

Not so for Brandon. Nearly fourth months later, Brandon is still in the hospital, paralyzed from the chest down, his father said.

That, Martin said, has been the hardest thing for him to come to grips with.

"I feel like it's my fault," said Martin, who no longer works at the bar. "I know he was just standing there. Still, if everything wouldn't have happened like it happened, he'd still be OK.

"I can deal with the whole point that I did something, and I got hurt from it. But I don't like other people getting hurt from stuff I could have prevented."

Martin said he wants to call Brandon and his family, but hasn't done it yet.

"It's kind of hard, because I'm saying it's my fault he's been in the hospital the past three, almost four months," Martin said.

Focus On Recovery

Ron Brandon, Richmond's father, said he chooses not to focus on blame or anger. He pours his energy and efforts into his youngest son's recovery.

"I've tried really hard not to have any hatred [toward anyone in] this whole situation," said Ron Brandon, a Harrisonburg resident since 1983, "to the shooter or to Franklin. I've tried to give all my attention to Richmond."

On Sept. 24, Richmond Brandon celebrated his 25th birthday - in the hospital - surrounded by his family. The celebration the Brandons are really waiting for is the one when Richmond comes home. But Ron Brandon said he has no idea when that might be.

Richmond is having respiratory difficulties; they are preventing him from beginning the exercises that would give him any hope for rehabilitation.

"Mentally and emotionally, it gets harder for him every day," Ron Brandon said.

Return To Football

The recovery process is much further along for Martin, physically and emotionally.

When JMU opened its season, the sound of cannons firing to celebrate a Dukes' touchdown made him jump. Now, he only flinches.

He said telling the story doesn't bother him - he's recounted the ordeal for family, friends and police.

"It doesn't matter me telling this story cause it's basically the same thing over and over again," Martin said.

Tuesday, he was happy to be back in pads, back on the football field. His coaches and teammates were happy to have him.

"Him playing football is a bonus," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. "We were just glad he's alive."

Contact Mike Barber at 574-6296 or mbarber@dnronline.com
Section: Front Page
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Record Number: 2146