My Best Friends Shot

Jason Statts


David Williams

LYRA UPDATE:
On June 28, 2008, Jason Statts and Dave Williams were shot in the neck by two thugs after kindly giving the thugs each a beer. The bullet was fired point blank into Jason's neck and passed through into Dave's neck. Jase and Dave were rushed to Memorial Medical Center here in Savannah. Jason suffered a shattered C6 vertebrae. Some of the shattered bone has severed sections of his spinal cord. At this moment in time, Jason can move his arms but has no feeling in his legs. Dave was rushed into surgery. He has a tracheotomy and his breathing is currently being done by a machine. Both are in a lot of pain, and really pissed off. The recovery process is going to be a long one. Both will be receiving treatment for some time to come. Everyone has been amazing, and shown such great support for both Dave and Jason.

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Savannah NOW: Band members shot after first gig

Two bandmates had finished playing their first gig downtown and were about to meet with friends in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Instead, they wound up in the hospital, suffering from gunshot wounds. Now police are hunting for two suspects in the shooting.

Jason Statts, 34, a bass player and an art director, and David Williams, 31, a bass player and graphic designer, were shot about 3 a.m. in the 600 block of East 48th Street near Paulsen Street, Savannah-Chatham metro police said. Statts and Williams both were shot in the neck, apparently with the same bullet, said Judy Pal, a metro police spokeswoman. One shot was fired, going through Statts' neck and becoming lodged in Williams' neck, witnesses and police said.

Statts told officers he "felt paralyzed," according to a police report. Both men were rushed by ambulance to Memorial University Medical Center. Statts' injuries were diagnosed as not life-threatening. Williams, however, suffered a traumatic wound that required surgery, Pal said. Family members said he was in stable condition after the surgery, but they feared he would be paralyzed.

Pal said police are certain the victims did not know the shooter. Micah Beard, Statts' brother-in-law, said family and friends had been excited about the start-up of the band, called Surt (The Destroyer), playing its first gig. Everyone now hopes for the recovery of the two wounded band members, Beard said. Friday night, Statts and Williams played at Club LiveWire Music Hall, 307 W. River St. When the show ended, they took separate cars to drop off their equipment. Williams lives a block south from where the two were shot.

As they emerged from their cars, the two bandmates were approached by two men dressed in all black who asked if Statts and Williams "needed anything," Pal said. The victims said they didn't and thought the men had walked away. But a moment later, the two victims were shot. The suspects are described as black, approximately 20 years of age with natural hair or short dreads. They were last seen wearing dark clothing, running east on 48th Street. They were about 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall. No further descriptions were available Saturday night.

Make the call

Anyone with information on Saturday morning's shooting is urged to call the Savannah-Chatham metro police Violent Crimes Unit at 912-651-6728 or CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020.

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JASON STATTS - MySpace