Community supports two musicians who were shot

By: David Hall - bio| email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - More than a month after two Savannah men were shot during a robbery people around the Coastal Empire are coming together to help them.

Jason Statts and David Williams are both still recovering from their injuries and their friends are striking up the band for an all night benefit to help them by doing one of the things they loved most; making music.

Saturday afternoon inside the Jinx, instead of hearing music you heard a lot of drilling and prep work.

"Right now we're setting up," said Surt the Destroyer band member John Collenberger.

Workers were getting ready to prepare a benefit show for David Williams and Jason Statts, two local musicians who were shot while being robbed by two men in June.

"These are our friends and we see they need help and it just feels right for us to help them out," said Mike Disanza. "It's fits along with how they live their lives as musician."

By midday, people were flocking to the club to donate money and hear 13 bands perform live on stage.

"It's amazing to see these people coming out to support these guys," said Collenberger.

Collenberger wasn't going to miss this day for the world. He's in the same band as Jason and David, which is called Surt the Destroyer.

Collenberger also recalls the night his friends were shot; he had only seen them hours before the incident.

"They were going to another friend's house and that's when this happened," said Collenberger.

Police said both David and Jason were walking along 48th Street on their way to their friend's house when they were shot at; the bullet passed through David and also hit Jason.

"It's really no words to describe this, it's ridiculous," said Collenberger.

The two men connected with the shooting, Desmond Hunter and Ashamir Johnson are in custody and will be going before a grand jury.

While friends and family are hoping for justice, they're also concentrating on helping David and Jason.

"It's a big miracle that they are both alive," said Disanza

The benefit concert for the men runs until 3 am. Williams was released from the hospital and Statts is recovering at a rehab center in Atlanta.