CAA's Pedro Ventura Paralyzed From Gunshot Wound in North Carolina

On Oct. 4, CAA’s Pedro Ventura was shot outside of a nightclub in Asheville, North Carolina. A coordinator in CAA’s music department, Ventura was visiting the city for a wedding when gunfire erupted and a bullet entered his body at the back of his neck.

Out of roughly 300 bystanders, Ventura was apparently the lone victim of the shooting, which left him with a bullet lodged in his C4 vertebrae. Portions of Ventura's spine were shattered as a result of the shooting, severing his spinal cord and initially leaving him paralyzed from the neck down, unable to breath on his own.

Ventura has already defied the odds and has begun to regain partial control of his breathing and is feeling movement in his shoulders.

"Pedro is a fighter, and the love, resources, and support we’re continuing to receive from our friends, communities, and our CAA family is giving him the strength he needs to overcome this," said Ventura’s boyfriend Ezra Glenn in a statement. "We don’t know what the future holds for Pedro, but given his lifelong record of exceeding expectations, we’re confident he’ll impress us all in his recovery."

There have been no arrests in the shooting, with a police spokesperson telling the Asheville Citizen Times on Monday (Oct. 21) that the investigation is ongoing.

Ventura’s loved ones have set up a GoFundMe page to help with costs associated with the incident and what they expect to be extensive recovery.

"The road to recovery for Pedro will be long, but he is dedicated to continuing his journey and living a full life," the GoFundMe page reads. "As we, his immediate family, are still in the wake of this devastating tragedy, it’s difficult to imagine what the future holds, but we know that Pedro will never cease to be the brilliant, beautiful, hardworking, and vivacious man that he is. We simply need to be able to support him along that journey."

"Pedro is a bright light in this world whose strength, character and tenacity inspire us every day," said CAA partner and head of music Rob Light in a statement. "He is surrounded by an incredible group of family, friends and colleagues who will support him every step of the way throughout his recovery."

After five days online, the GoFundMe page has reached more than 80% of its goal.