“Love and Hip Hop Atlanta” star Benzino opened up about the deep-rooted family issues that led to him being shot allegedly by his nephew during his own mother’s funeral procession on Saturday in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
According to the television reality star, the family drama was so serious that he considered skipping his mom’s funeral altogether.
Benzino’s 35-year-old nephew, Gai Scott has been taken into police custody on charges of armed assault with intent to murder.
During the funeral procession, Benzino’s worst fears turned into an eerie reality.
Not only was tension swirling around family members, but apparently there was enough anger there for Scott to fire at the SUV that Benzino was driving, police say.
“Because of a bitter family fight over finances and the care of my deceased mother, I decided not to attend the funeral,” Benzino said. “Instead, I mourned her privately earlier Saturday at the funeral home where the wake was held.”
After he was shot, Benzino was rushed to South Shore Hospital and that’s when he decided he wouldn’t make any efforts to reunite with his family at the funeral.
“I didn’t want to be around them,” he told the Boston Globe. “I felt like, I didn’t want any problems. I can love my mother and there doesn’t have to be no problems with family.”
The 48-year-old record producer and TV star gave his version of events of what happened during the shooting.
Source: Ny Daily News
“I looked over, there was a car, and all I saw was a gun shooting at me,” he recalled. “I was trying to duck and dodge, drive around it, maneuver the car… I was bleeding a lot.”
According to Benzino he had to push his thumb into his shoulder to slow the bleeding, all while he was driving the vehicle.
Eventually he was able to stop the SUV, and discovered he had been shot twice – once in the arm and once in his back.
“After being shot in the upper arm and back I stopped the car, got out, and ran away on foot,” he continued. “A moment later, another relative driving in the procession stopped to pick me up, then brought me to the Duxbury police station.”
He gave the firefighters at the station all the credit for saving his life and described them as being “super, super nice and helpful.”
Bezino is expected to be discharged from the hospital on Monday and said he didn’t want to speak directly on matters of his nephew or his arrest.
