Lawmaker shot in the head at New Year’s party survives
A Texas lawmaker was struck in the head by a stray bullet during a New Year’s celebration and survived.
State Rep. Armando Martinez was in Weslaco, Texas, with family and friends when he was suddenly struck by gunfire just after midnight by a reveler who fired a gun to welcome in 2017, according to a report.
“It felt like a sledgehammer hit me over the head,” Martinez told KGBT-TV from his hospital bed.
The lawmaker said that he and his wife quickly realized he had been struck and they rushed over to a local hospital where doctors transferred him to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen.
Surgeons were able to successfully remove the bullet, which punctured his skull.
“I’m really thankful for all of their efforts,” Martinez told the network, adding “We’re blessed God was with us that evening.”
The shooting is being investigated by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.
“We have reason to believe that he was hit by a bullet that was fired into the air,” a police spokesman said in a statement.