SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A man who was shot seven times in an unprovoked attack in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood is sharing his story of survival now two weeks later.
Moments before the incident on Jan. 27, Martin Olive said he was on a smoke break and looking at his phone outside his Vapor Room Weed Dispensary business on Ninth and Mission streets. That’s when a man came up on an e-bike, walked towards him holding a gun and opened fire. San Francisco police said officers were dispatched to the scene just before 5 p.m.
Olive said his attacker even shot him twice in the back when he was lying on the sidewalk. He was also shot in the face, arm and shoulder.
“It’s fantastic I’m not dead,” Olive told KRON4 News. “I did not want to die on 9th Street in the middle of the afternoon. There are definitely nicer places to die in the city. I was genuinely convinced that this was it. I kept closing my eyes and feeling so unbelievably tired and it felt like giving up and escaping from the pain was sort of my only option. It was relentless, searing pain throughout my entire body.”
Police said the shooter walked to his apartment, which is in the same building that houses Olive’s Vapor Room. The suspected shooter, who was later identified as 34-year-old Cheasarak Chong, was later killed in a shootout with police. San Francisco police released surveillance video and body camera footage of the shooting on Feb. 5.
No clear motive has been found for the attack. Olive said he does not know his shooter.
It’s not sure what will become of Olive’s Vapor Room Dispensary, which has been around for more than 20 years.
“We are definitely survivors, we’re definitely fighters,” said Olive. “We’d like to reopen again. I personally cannot feel comfortable working at that location just because of the trauma of that incident. The goal is to have the city, maybe the mayor, maybe our supervisor, the Office of Cannabis, help us identify a new compliant location and expedite a reopening once I’m physically and mentally strong enough to do it.”
Olive said he wants to thank the first responders and staff at San Francisco General Hospital who saved his life. He is up and walking but has numerous health issues that figure to linger.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Olive get through this incredibly difficult time.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A man who was shot seven times in an unprovoked attack in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood is sharing his story of survival now two weeks later. Moments before the incident on Jan. 27, Martin Olive said he was on a smoke break and looking at his phone outside […]
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