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October 13, 2020 started like any other for John Brown* as he left early for work, but he later suffered a bone-chilling, life-changing experience as gunmen shot him 33 times and left him for dead.

Miraculously, he survived .

"I know that God has a purpose for my life and that is to make other people know that He is there and we must all serve and dedicate our lives to Him. He wanted me to use my testimony to motivate people. God save me from 33 gunshots," Brown said. "With this incident I knew that he loved me but I didn't know that he loved me this much to the point where he brought me back from the dead. So that make me accept him more as a personal saviour."

Brown lost both legs, one of his arms is almost lifeless, and a portion of his intestines protrude from one of his sides. Brown, 40, who is still hospitalised, worked several jobs to provide for his daughters. But his progress was significantly altered that fateful October day. He was heading home from work, but rain forced him to seek shelter at a shop.

"Out of the blues a car just drive up, and a man step out a di car and mi just start feel gunshot," he said. As his body was being riddled with bullets, Brown initially thought he was dreaming but quickly realised it was real.

Praying and begging God

"Next thing I start do is praying, and I just keep begging God to spare my life for my children's sake," he said. Brown told THE STAR that he laid helpless on the floor and heard a woman screaming. He tried to speak to her but she didn't respond.

"Mi start tell myself say it look like mi dead because mi a talk to the girl and she nah hear mi. Afterward mi hear mi brethren a shout mi, and when mi answer, and mi realise say him hear mi, mi see say mi nuh dead," he recounted. Brown said he was rushed to hospital where doctors told his family that he only had a 20 per cent chance of survival.

"I have heard persons said that when you are dying, the angel of death come for you and this is what I experienced. It may seem like story but I felt my soul being dragged from my body and being taken away," he said. "I have shot holes in my back and I know that it is just God's work why I am alive today."

He told THE STAR that the future of his children rest heavily on his mind and his greatest wish is to provide a better life for them.

"Right now mi would just want two prosthetic legs so I can make life for my daughters them. I want to be able to save some money so I can start a little payment plan on my hospital bill because it is basically at $4 million. I would like to start a little business because I know that I will not be able to work again, but my kids need a good education," he said.

*name changed to protect identity