Cruisin’ the Coast drive-by-shooting victim returns one year later

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - The end of Rodenburg Avenue and Highway 90 is a prime spot for taking in Cruisin’ the Coast action. It’s also the same spot where a year ago gun shots rang out striking a bystander.

Despite nearly losing his life, the gunshot victim Jerry Todd returned this week.

In 2021 while Todd was sitting on the side of the road, the unthinkable happened.

“I bent over, blood started coming out and I said that’s not good,” Todd said.

Jerry was the victim of a drive-by- shooting. The shooter fired shots out of a vehicle and one of the bullets struck Todd in the chest.

Monique Pietrowski is a nurse. She saw the shooting and rushed into action. While helping save Jerry’s life, she made him a promise.

“I said we’re going to come back here next year, just keep that in mind,” Pietrowski said.

Now a year later, she lived up to her word.

“I promised him last year when he was on the ground in this very spot that we would come back and hug,” she said.

You can still see a bullet hole in the restaurant above where Todd was sitting last year. He said he’s feeling good now after recovering from three broken ribs and is just glad to be back at Cruisin’.

“I’m going to live my life, I’m not going to live in fear,” Todd said. “That was just hopefully a once in a lifetime thing.”

Jerry is even able to joke about what happened to him, posting a picture on Facebook wearing a bullet proof vest. He sees his close call as a reminder to make the most of everyday.

“Bad things can happen at anytime, but don’t let that control your life, just live your life and have fun,” Todd said.

Nyheem Frazier was arrested in connection to the drive-by shooting and remains behind bars, charged with aggravated assault in the case. He’s set to go before a grand jury soon.

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