Soldier Christopher Sullivan Shot at His Homecoming Party in California
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The San Bernardino Sun, Gabriel Luis Acosta/AP Photo
An Army soldier from San Bernardino, Calif., who survived a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, was shot at his homecoming party Friday night, leaving him paralyzed, authorities said.
Christopher Sullivan, 22, of the 101st Infantry Division, was at a party held in his honor when one of the attendees got into a fight with his brother.
“Supposedly started over just a minor argument over whose football team was better,” said San Bernardino Police Lt. Rich Lawhead.
Lawhead said Sullivan moved in to break up the fight, someone pulled out a handgun, and two bullets hit Sullivan in the back and neck.
Police said the gunman fled the scene on foot before they arrived. He is still at large.
“There’s a lot of sadness over the shooting. Obviously, we are getting a lot of help from the family and a lot of help from the community, in order to solve the crime and get a suspect in custody,” said Lawhead.
Sullivan was taken to a hospital and listed in critical condition awaiting surgery.
“They said he was going to be a paraplegic, he will never walk again,” Sullivan’s mother Suzanne told ABC News Los Angeles station KABC.
This Christmas, his family is praying for his survival and recovery.
“They’re very distraught, very upset and you know, this is the time of year, any time of year is difficult, but this heightens it even more,” said Lawhead.
While on tour in Afghanistan, Sullivan received a purple heart after being wounded in a suicide bomb attack last December, his mother said.
Five of his friends were killed in the attack.
ABC News Los Angeles station KABC contributed to this report.
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this is tragic. alcohol, guns, and gangbanging and this guys life is ruined…
Posted by: amy | December 25, 2011, 10:56 am 10:56 am
welcome to the ghetto
Posted by: mike | December 25, 2011, 11:06 am 11:06 am
Who’ll pay for his hospitalization and surgery? The injury was not a result of being in the military. Tragic.
Posted by: Darius03 | December 25, 2011, 11:38 am 11:38 am
Guns should be locked up unless you anticipate needing them to defend yourself and your property. Americans can’t seem to understand that they are not toys.
Posted by: Jan | December 25, 2011, 11:42 am 11:42 am
““Supposedly started over just a minor argument over whose football team was better,” said San Bernardino Police Lt. Rich Lawhead”. Someone pulled out a gun and shot other people over such a trivial event. What kind of punk turned into thug would do such a heinous thing especially made this war hero to become a paraplegic? Once the law catches the perpetrator, I sure hope he’ll receive the death sentence!
Posted by: Get_Down | December 25, 2011, 11:56 am 11:56 am
Who brings a GUN to a party! Sorry to say but this is a pendejo move on the whole family. If you hang out with thugs, thug things are going to happy. What a bunch of dumb asses!
Posted by: Carlos | December 25, 2011, 12:00 pm 12:00 pm
This is what happens when all the wealthy people have tax loopholes that reduce their effective tax to 13% or less.
Tax money goes to wars to make Halliburton, “Defense” executives and Oil boys rich.
Teachers get paid nada. College costs 30k per year.
We are trapped.
Posted by: Sinking Middle Class | December 25, 2011, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
“Guns should be locked up unless you anticipate needing them” What a stupid statement. duh
So if someone is going to break in or shoot they should call ahead so you can anticipate them! How dumb is that. Im sure the soldier wasnt anticipating on getting shot!
Posted by: Whipstaf | December 25, 2011, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
“…which FOOTBALL team was better”? Really? Guns and alcohol mixed together along with that kind of macho [bleep] is a recipe for bringing out the dumb. This poor kid survived the war and his family and friends are more dangerous than the enemy? I hope they find the moron who pulled the trigger and put him away ’cause he’s too stupid and mean to be out on the street.
Posted by: Cassandra | December 25, 2011, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
whipstaff, I think you missed the other guy’s point and maybe some of the story. It was the dim-witted party-goer who should have left his gun locked up instead of taking it to a welcome home party. If he was anticipating being attacked by someone at the party, he shouldn’t have gone to start with. The victim may or may not have had a weapon but that’s a moot point since he didnt shoot anyone.
Posted by: Cassandra | December 25, 2011, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
The greater Los Angeles area has turned into ganged infested neighborhoods. Stories like these are nothing new to us on the evening news. The gangs are everywhere and so is their graffiti. Los Angeles has turned into a second Mexico now.
Posted by: RalphF | December 25, 2011, 12:45 pm 12:45 pm
I’m also a san bernardino resident and an Afghanistan veteran with Marine Infantry . My prayers go out to this family this is the reason I’m now paranoid of the ghetto I survived 9 months of deployment 3 IED blast and a 3 way complex ambush and I’m def not trying to get hurt or does from idiots I fight for I’m sincerely sorry about this soldier :(
Posted by: LCpl Perez USMC | December 25, 2011, 2:04 pm 2:04 pm
Shame. Survives a war and gets seriously injured on his home turf.
Posted by: Rudy Flowers | December 25, 2011, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
I feel so much sadness for this man that fought so hard for this country and lost loved ones while doing this, just to come home where he thought he would be safe amoung friends. Just shows you how dumn we really are in this country. who would bring a gun to a homecoming party? Someone that needs to get sent over to Afganstan and see what its really like to be a man. Sending my prayers for a fast and safe recovery.
Posted by: GINNY | December 25, 2011, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
Our prayers are with the family of Christopher Sullivan.
I pray also for our society. Football is the most important thing in the lives of many Americans. More important than a soldier who has served his country well.
May God allow us to grow up.
Posted by: cloud | December 25, 2011, 4:56 pm 4:56 pm
Hopefully the rest of us will learn from this tragedy.
If you see people get into a heated argument over a ball game you can assume that you are in the company of idiots. It is obviously time to seek entertainment elsewhere.
Posted by: oonogil | December 25, 2011, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
It must be the Corona beer.
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | December 25, 2011, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm
___”The greater Los Angeles area has turned into ganged infested neighborhoods. Stories like these are nothing new to us on the evening news. The gangs are everywhere and so is their graffiti. Los Angeles has turned into a second Mexico now.”
POSTED BY: RALPHF | DECEMBER 25, 2011, 12:45 PM 12:45 PM___________________California was a part of Mexico before. So, what are you talking about?
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | December 25, 2011, 9:45 pm 9:45 pm
9 times out of 10, soldiers still receive medical benefits for 180 days after their deployment. whether the action was on duty or not doesn’t matter.
this is a sad story. many prayers to him, his friends and family.
- tx, veteran
Posted by: rfnartinez | December 25, 2011, 11:04 pm 11:04 pm
Police said Sullivan’s brother and a partygoer got into an argument over football. When Sullivan moved to intervene, the man pulled a gun and opened fire….. from the Seattle Times.
That the problem in America- Guns are too accessible and are often the first choice in ending human conflict.
Posted by: steve | December 26, 2011, 3:16 am 3:16 am
My prayers are with Christopher and his family. I wish and hope for his full recovery. Have faith and mericals do happen
Posted by: Camellia | December 26, 2011, 3:25 am 3:25 am
mike | December 25, 2011, 11:06 am 11:06 am “Who’ll pay for his hospitalization and surgery? The injury was not a result of being in the military. Tragic.” +++++ He’s apparently still in the military and like most employers, he’s got health insurance through the military. That insurance isn’t restricted to military activity just like an office worker’s insurance isn’t limited to the office.
Posted by: The_Mick | December 26, 2011, 5:15 am 5:15 am
it`s a sad day when memmories like this has to. cloud the suppossed season to be jolly.after fighting for his country he comes home to be shot by a friend?MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.You are definatly in my prayers
Posted by: Dave | December 26, 2011, 5:40 am 5:40 am
It’s PRIDE that keeps us (mankind) from God. We listened to folks like this who talk about being disrepected. He disrespected me. OK. So, someone disrespected you. You’re gonna shot him, stab him, splash bleach in his girlfriends’ eyes? There’s a reason taking the high road works. Until we learn that it’s not at all about us, we’ll sadly have to read accounts like this until the end of time.
Posted by: s | December 26, 2011, 7:13 am 7:13 am
What can we do for him & his family? This is so stupid, so senseless, and so indicative of the wrong thinking of a young man who thinks that it’s ok to bring a gun with him to a party. Pray for the Sullivan family, they will need everything we can do for them just to be strong for Christopher.
Posted by: Sue | December 27, 2011, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm