Anti-Violence Activist Shot In Georgia Maintains Mission Hasn't Changed

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Paralyzed and speaking via Skype from a Georgia hospital bed, Semaj Clark reflects on the life-changing events that occurred while he  was in Savannah for an anti-violence conference.

The Los Angeles native was part of a group sent by the Brotherhood Crusade, which aims to help young men succeed. He was approached by young men in Savannah, robbed and shot three times.

Mykol Lewis is Clark's counselor and flew to be with him last week. He's worked with Clark for two years after Clark's tough upbringing, with a probation officer steering him here, and he's since become a full-time college student who speaks about intervention efforts in LA.

"When I got into the room, he was crying. He hugged me. He said 'I love you. I'm sorry.' I said, 'Brother we are moving forward from here,' " Lewis said. "The first thing he said was 'I want to see the kid that shot me because I want to forgive him.' "

Brotherhood President Charisse Bremound Weaver is devastated. "When you meet Semaj, he lights up a room."

"This young man was shot three times by another African American young man, who was 17 years of age, who was scheduled to be at the conference," Weaver said. "So many of our young men need all of us."

While a Gofundme page has been set up to help with medical costs, Clark maintains he's still on a mission.

"It hurts me, but it's not going to stop me from doing what I got to do," Clark said.

The Brotherhood Crusade reports Clark will be transferred to a specialty hospital in Atlanta next week.