A Kansas City, Kan., man who was injured Feb. 5, 2006, in downtown Lawrence said this morning in court that he was simply trying to follow a friend to get a ride to a party when he was shot unexpectedly in the back.
Pierre Burnette, 24, testified that he didn't remember seeing accused shooter, Rashawn Anderson, 20, Topeka, when he attended a hip-hop concert that night at the Granada, 1020 Mass. Minutes after the concert concluded, Burnette was shot, and Robert Earl Williams, 46, also of Topeka, was shot and killed in the street outside the theater.
Burnette said he felt a push from the back and heard shots. He was eventually flown to the Kansas University Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., where he was treated for the bullet wound. Doctors removed part of his small intestine but the bullet remains in his body, he said.
He said he was surprised by the shots, which rang out as many people had gathered at the theater to see Denver-based rap artist Doe, who is originally from Topeka.
"It was a lot of people out there, but I wasn't really paying attention to that," Burnette said, adding he was trying to find his ride to an after-concert party.
Witnesses have said that Williams was involved in several arguments that night, and Anderson's attorneys have said several people could have had motive to fire the shots. But prosecutors and investigators have focused on Anderson based on descriptions, a home video filmed before shots were fired and a DNA-match on the suspected handgun.
Today is the second day of testimony in the trial, which is expected to last the rest of the week in the courtroom of Douglas County District Judge Paula Martin.
Comments
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EvanstonReader (anonymous) says…
I dunno. I pretty much expect to get shot whenever I go to a no-body rap artist, from Denver/Top-City, concert at the Granada
avoice (anonymous) says…
It's kind of ironic that the top story is Boyda saying no additional gun control is needed and there is this and the story about the guy who shot himself by accident. Something sure seems kinda out of control here.
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
"no-body rap artist"
Sweet. I'd love to see a body-less person performing at the Gra-Nasty. Was it just his head? Torso? This is serious. Can anyone answer?
classclown (Class Clown) says…
Posted by Confrontation (anonymous) on April 18, 2007 at 2:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"no-body rap artist"
Sweet. I'd love to see a body-less person performing at the Gra-Nasty. Was it just his head? Torso? This is serious. Can anyone answer?
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Maybe it's someone's head in a jar like they have on Futurama.