Man hit by bullet in south Minneapolis while putting air in truck tire

Thomas Penman is limping around on crutches and a cast after he says he was hit by a stray bullet around 7 p.m. Friday night in south Minneapolis.

He says he had just gotten off work and was parked near 37th and Minnehaha avenues and was filling his truck tire with air when he heard a bang.

"It was one shot and everything was gone," Penman said.

"It was scary and painful," he said.

At first he thought it was just his air compressor, but then he felt a burning in his foot. Post-surgery photos show that the bullet hit near his ankle and went through the bottom of his foot. In fact, he said doctors and police told him that might be one of the only clues about the origin of the shots.

By the time he realized what happened, the suspect or suspects were gone. He says he’s not even sure if they ran off or drove off.

"It makes me feel violated. What happens next time when they kill somebody? I got lucky, but that’s why I want people to be vigilant. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings," he said.

Police are checking nearby homes and businesses to see if there is any security footage of the incident.