WARNING: This story contains images that may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
“Once I knew I got shot in the head, I hit the ground and I kind of thought I was dead.”
Those are the words of Brett Maxie who was one of two men Regina police say suffered serious injuries during an alleged attempted murder the morning of Aug. 27.
Police said officers were dispatched just after 11:30 a.m. to a residence in the Gladmer Park area after receiving a report of an unknown male suspect with a gun.
The caller told police there was an altercation between the suspect and occupants of a housing unit in the area.
Maxie told Global News that he’s not sure why it happened, but he has his suspicions.
He said there was a party at the home where people were in and out throughout the night. They started to wind down the gathering in the early morning hours before the incident occurred, according to Maxie.
He thinks it could have been someone who was there that night who had an issue with someone else at the gathering or maybe a robbery gone wrong. Either way, he said there was more than one person involved in the attack and they knew where he lived.
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“Two guys and a girl came through the back door as we were kind of shutting down the party. There were a couple of us there,” Maxie recalled. “The two guys were armed and started hitting people with their guns. It kind of turned into a wrestling match.”
He said he started wrestling a suspect when one of his friends, who had been sleeping before the fight began, joined in to help battle the attackers.
“He ended up basically saving my life and I guess I saved his life in a way, too,” Maxie said.
During the fight, Maxie remembered seeing a gun fall down on the ground. He said he punched one of the suspects down when another person jumped on him and started to stab him from the side.
His friend came over to push the person stabbing Maxie off of him, however, the pair suffered multiple stab wounds. Despite the injuries, Maxie transitioned to a wrestling match with another attacker who was trying to grab the gun on the floor.
“The guy kind of got the better end of it. He grabbed the gun and it went off,” recalled Maxie as he pointed at a set of stitches stretched across the top right side of his head.
“The shotgun shell ricocheted off. There are some shards of metal … but thankfully it didn’t rupture the tissue and get into the brain.”
“I guess it was kind of a lucky angle that saved my life.”
Maxie said if his friend had not jumped in to help him with the assailants, he doubts he’d still be alive.
“My buddy didn’t have to jump in and get involved, but he put his life on the line to help me out. I’ll always remember that.”
A statement from Regina police said the suspect left the scene in a vehicle before police were notified.
Maxie’s said his friend was unable to call for help with a phone because “his fingers were too bloody,” so Maxie chose to go outside and yell for help to get an ambulance.
Maxie mentioned there was a moment in time after the struggle that both he and his friend did not know if they would survive.
“It was a very realistic moment. I was glad that I had somebody beside me while that was happening,” he shared.
“I held his hand and we were looking up and the sun was just coming out. It was a beautiful moment and he said if we have to die, it’s a beautiful way to die.”
Police stated that EMS transported the two individuals to hospital for treatment upon their arrival at the scene.
Maxie is still recovering from the attack in hospital. His friend required surgery but has since been discharged.
The incident is still under investigation by police.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or may have information is asked to contact Regina police or Crime Stoppers.
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