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Man reflects after being shot in the head, walking over a mile to a friend’s house

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Updated  July 24, 2024 6:31pm EDT
Volusia County
FOX 35 Orlando

Man shot in head on road to recovery

In January, a man was shot in the head and, fueled by adrenaline, ran to get help. The victim, Ernest Levesque, has since spent significant time in the hospital. Now on the road to recovery, he shared his experience with FOX 35.

HOLLY HILL, Fla. - Moments after Ernest Levesque was shot in the head and left for dead, he garnered the strength to walk to a friend’s house and ask for help.

In January, Levesque was visiting his girlfriend on Flomich Street in Holly Hill when Christopher Hastings, 34, allegedly shot him in the face. Hastings is a friend of the woman Levesque was visiting. The original incident report from Holly Hill police cited a dispute between the two men, but Levesque contends that wasn't the case.

"I don't know what his deal was," he said.

The bullet entered through Levesque’s nose and exited through the back of his neck. He was riding his bike at the time of the incident and fell off at the moment of impact.  From the fall, he suffered a neck fracture and was knocked out cold. After a few minutes, he regained consciousness.

"I didn't even realize I was shot until I started feeling the blood on the back of my head and on my neck," he said. Bloodied and disoriented, he began looking for help, with no success.

"I got up and walked up to the end of the road and tried knocking on a couple of doors and couldn't get [anybody] to answer," he said. From there, he decided to walk from Flomich Street to Harter Drive, a distance of nearly two miles. His friend opened the door and immediately called 911.

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"I'm glad that I was able to wake him up because I wouldn't have had anywhere else to go," he said.

Body camera footage shows the encounter between the police and Levesque. "I was riding my bike, and he [expletive] guy shot me," he said in the video as he staggered toward an officer. 

Miraculously, he stayed awake and alert until he arrived at the hospital, where he yet again lost consciousness. "A lot of adrenaline was running through me at the time." 

He still deals with neck pain, and he has to get surgery to fix a sinus issue as a result of the gunshot wound. Levesque said the incident has changed the way he navigates life.

"My outlook on life is a lot different," he said. "I try to [spend] more time with my kids and just [be] grateful for what I do have."

The suspect, Christopher Hastings, was arrested less than 10 minutes after allegedly pulling the trigger. 

In a newly acquired body camera video, Hastings asks deputies, "May I ask what I did?" 

He remains in Volusia County Jail, charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, and tampering with evidence.