'A rebirth for me': Garland shooting victim forgives teen suspect

GARLAND, Texas - A Garland man says he has forgiven the teenager accused of shooting him, as the 36-year-old shooting victim describes a "rebirth" after nearly losing his life.

What we know:

Fabien Williams recalls August 25 as the day he was shot.

After confronting a teenager accused of stealing from inside his truck and more than a dozen other vehicles in northeast Garland.

Surveillance video shows the suspect in Williams’ carport wearing a bag. Williams says it was stolen from his truck weeks earlier.

"We noticed that the bag he had on was the bag that he took out of my truck," said Williams.

So, Williams confronted the teen, who was going through a truck in a neighbor’s driveway.

"He said, ‘I’m looking for a cigarette lighter.' I said, ‘A cigarette lighter? Why are you in my neighbor’s truck looking for a cigarette lighter?’"

Williams says the suspect handed over his bag and left but later returned because he’d forgotten keys in the bag. Williams says a neighbor told him to hold the teen until police arrived.

Which led to Williams being shot and taken to a hospital.

What they're saying:

"Yeah, pushed him up against the fence and that’s when he shot me, right here," said Williams. 

"So, he hit me in my stomach one time, and he hit me in my shoulder one time, so I got a rod in my shoulder here, and he had hit my main artery and i woke up four days later."

He recalls 'heavenly' visions of his late grandmother before waking up.

"I told my mom I’d seen my grandmother. She was like dancing, holding her hand out at me."

Williams, however, says it was not his time. Now, after more than two weeks in a hospital, he’s home recovering.

"I’m here to tell you, man, God is real. God is real," he said.

Local perspective:

Cell-phone video shows Garland police arresting the suspect at a home a few blocks away on the day of the shooting. 

The 16-year-old, a documented gang member, is connected to at least 15 crimes in the area, according to police.

Dig deeper:

Williams’ wife and two kids were home during the shooting. Her message regarding the shooter’s gang ties, 

"Pray that they can find the right path because the path that most of these kids are going, it’s not looking good," 

"I forgive you, man. I don’t have no ill-will towards you."

Williams is grateful for the wisdom learned after the shooting. A shooting which happened on his 36th birthday.

"It’s like a rebirth being that it happened on my birthday," he said.

"Like a rebirth for me, man."

Williams tells FOX 4 that the 35-year-old version of himself would not have forgiven the shooter.

"Revenge would have been on my mind, vengeance would’ve been on my mind, but now I don’t have those thoughts."

What's next:

The teen is being held in Dallas County’s juvenile detention center.

Crime and Public SafetyGarlandDallas County