West Ashley teen recovering after he was shot while riding his bike over the weekend

WEST ASHLEY, S.C. (WCBD) – A teenager in West Ashley is recovering after he was shot in his own neighborhood over the weekend.

The 16-year-old victim was riding his bicycle around noon on Sunday when he was shot at the corner of Stinson Drive and Piper Drive in the Air Harbor community.

“Matthew is 16 years old; he is a West Ashley High School student,” said his mother, Kim Marion. “He’s a very good student, never gave anybody any problems.”

That is why Marion said what happened to her son in their neighborhood on Sunday afternoon is so disturbing.

“I had just come out of having surgery on Thursday and I was trying to get some rest. Matt came to my room and asked permission to go outside to ride his bicycle,” she recalled.

She gave him permission. “He left the house and not even a good five minutes he called me and told me that he got shot,” she stated.

Marion said she immediately got out of bed. “I jumped in my car and went straight to find where he was,” he said. “I saw Matthew laying on the ground on his side covered in blood.”

She went on to say, “The first thing that was going through my mind was my child wasn’t going to survive.”

Then Matthew told her he was not hurt badly.

“I felt some comfort, but again, seeing him in the blood was very scary,” she said.

Marion said her son was shot at three times – the last bullet struck him.

“He said that he was riding his bike, and as he was riding there was a car behind him. He thought the car was going to pass him by, but when he turned around, he saw a gun, and somebody shot him.”

Investigators have not yet made an arrest in the case.

“He has a bullet that is still in his backside by his spine,” she explained.

Matthew is recovering but doctors say he may have the bullet in his back for the rest of his life.

If you have any information about the shooting you are urged to call Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111.