Brooklyn man says 2014 shooting that led to prosthetic eye is a ‘painful memory’

The now 20-year-old tells News 12 that between 2014 and 2017, he had five surgeries.

News 12 Staff

Jun 30, 2021, 2:24 AM

Updated 1,204 days ago

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As Gun Violence Awareness Month comes to a close, News 12 is highlighting a story that sent shockwaves through the city - as a 13-year-old boy at the time was caught in the middle of a 2014 Brooklyn shooting. 
It’s a painful memory Gama Droiville says he remembers every day. “April 14, 2014, Monday morning I was in the eighth grade, two months from graduation. Before I knew it, I was struck in the eye,” said Droiville. 
The now 20-year-old tells News 12 that between 2014 and 2017, he had five surgeries. 
Kareen Potomont, the shooter in the 2014 Flatbush shooting, is now behind bars serving a 24-year sentence. 
Droiville is now a senior, majoring in political science, at the College of St. Rose. He says he is in full control and didn’t allow that bullet to paralyze his life. 
His sight has been restored with a prosthetic eye since the 2014 shooting and says this was all a “test of faith.” 
“I kept the faith and seven years later here I am. Nothing much has changed, so I'm grateful,” said Droiville.