KATY, Texas – A Katy man was one of several people who were injured in Saturday’s deadly mass shooting in the Midland-Odessa area.
Fatai Quadri, who is a truck driver, said he was driving on I-20 when he heard a noise underneath his seat and thought one of his tires blew out. Quadri, who is from Katy, told KPRC 2 over the phone that he pulled over to the shoulder and heard another noise.
Police said Quadri, 41, was hit by two bullets after a gunman went on a shooting rampage, killing seven people and injuring 20 others.
'Hole in my hip'
"Then I heard the second sound. When I heard the second sound, that is when I see the blood coming out and I see a big hole in my hip. And the blood was coming out like somebody opened a tap,” Quadri said.
He said he turned on his hazard lights and another truck driver pulled over to see what was wrong. Quadri said he was losing a lot of blood and said he could barely talk. The other truck driver called 911.
An officer in a pickup truck put Quadri in the bed of his truck to take him to the hospital immediately. They then made contact with an ambulance on the way and Quadri was transferred to EMS.
Bullet removed
He said doctors removed a bullet lodged in his leg. Quadri said he’s not sure how much longer he’ll have to stay in the hospital, but said he still can’t move his left leg.
Quadri said he feels lucky to alive.
"If the guy decided (to aim higher) or maybe his hand shakes when he tried to shoot, if he shoots me by the glass the bullet would’ve come to my chest (or) to my head, which, I don’t think I can survive," Quadri said. "I am just lucky."
The Katy man said he’s in a lot of pain, but grateful to be alive. His wife and kids were able to travel to West Texas to be with him as he recovers.
Family asks for help
After she answered the knock at her front door, Fasilat Quadri’s whole world changed.
She said she was in disbelief when her sister delivered the news that her husband of 20 years and the father of their four children had been shot while driving through Odessa on Saturday afternoon.
"They said, 'Your husband was shot, but he’s OK,'” Fasilat Quadri said. "I was like ... don’t tell me that it's OK, (tell me) what happened.”
Fatai Quadri is the sole provider for the family and the medical bills are beginning to stack up. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family with expenses. Fasilat Quadri said she will lean on her sister and family for support and try to stay strong for her four young children.
"They ask for daddy and I say, he is OK,” she said. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with medical expenses.