Gofundme page created to support shooting victim
A fundraiser has been created to support a Niagara Falls man who suffered extensive injuries from a shooting downtown earlier this month.
Ricky Bennett was shot in the back Jan. 2 and suffered internal damage from the bullet, which hit his lung, diaphragm and liver, said his mother, Liana Presot.
Bennett, 25, was in a coma and on life support for nearly three weeks, and has just recently woken up, she said.
Presot said her son, who was born and raised in Niagara Falls, has a long road to recovery, and will require a lot of physical therapy.
“My son is an amazing person. He is a father, a brother, he is an uncle and a grandson,” Presot posted to a Please help Ricky on his path to recovery Gofundme page she’s organizing. “Ricky loves helping people. He is the type of person to give the shirt off his back and do anything he can to help. His future is unsure at this point. He still has a lot of surgery ahead of him.”
Presot said any donations “would be greatly appreciated” to help her son be able to pay bills and support his family, as Bennett does not have a discharge date.
“This is for him — to take care of his things right now and when he gets out, to help him get back on his feet,” she said.
Police arrested and charged three suspects in connection with the shooting, which happened in the area of Jepson Street and Crysler Avenue. Officers arrived on scene and observed Bennett suffering from a gunshot wound. He was airlifted to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Police described the shooting as a targeted incident.