RICHMOND, Va. -- Todd Robinson’s life changed forever on September 9, 2021.
The Richmond man was visiting a friend at Dill Acres on the city’s Northside when his nightmare began.
“When I got in the gate, I noticed two guys jumping the fence dressed in all black with ski masks on and with shotguns in their hands,” Robinson recalled.
The masked men ordered Robinson to lay on the ground and he stayed there until he thought the men were gone.
“I ended up getting up and walked past a tree and those two dudes were standing there. Next thing I know, I got shot. I was laying on the ground,” Robinson stated. “I was waiting for the fade-out, and I could see my blood going past my face. Something said, ‘Get up’ and I got up.”
Suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, Robinson drove himself to Brookland Park Boulevard where he saw first responders on another emergency.
“It was just pure coincidence at the same time, the right time, an ambulance and a firetruck? I was so happy to see them,” he explained.
Richmond Police confirmed paramedics rushed him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Robinson spent more than a week at VCU Medical Center.
“My son said it looked like I got in a fight with Muhammed Ali and Mike Tyson at the same time,” he recalled. “The contusion was just so big.”
Now, he raises funds through a GoFundMe fundraiser for his mounting medical bills. He can’t work with a broken jaw and bullet fragments still lodged in his neck and temple.
“The light would be so bright that I get a headache, so I have to wear sunglasses,” Robinson said.
Robinson will turn 49 years old on Wednesday. It’s a birthday he’s thankful to celebrate.
“I’m trying to live life to the fullest now because I know on September 9, I was a goner. I thank God every day that he brought me back or I had the strength to get up,” he said.
Anyone with information about this shooting investigation is asked to call Major Crimes Detective K. Hyde at (804) 646-3613 or contact Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones also may be used. All Crime Stoppers reporting methods are anonymous.
