SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Hundreds of friends and family members gathered to show support for a young man who was shot in the head by a fugitive on the run.
Will Barton was critically wounded and faces a long recovery but Saturday friends say he is making huge strides.
Marie Lonsdale says it's her son's fighting spirit that has kept her so strong since he was randomly shot nearly three months ago.
That and the endless amount of support the community has shown ever since.
Police say the suspected gunman, Philip Martin Hernandez, started shooting at Will as the 20-year-old walked home from work.
It was touch and go immediately following the incident. Will's vocal cords were damaged, as well as his skull.
These days, he's talking and envisioning a normal life outside the walls of the Scripps Rehabilitation Hospital in Encinitas.
But the road to recovery will take some time and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
That's where Saturday's fundraiser comes in.
With bands, a silent auction, as well as a raffle, Will's loved ones are hoping to raise enough to cover what insurance won't.
A goal, family friend and fundraising organizer Rhonda Pitta says is possible thanks to the pay it forward attitude that has brought hundreds of people together Saturday and in nights past.
Donations are being accepted at any Chase bank location to the account "Friends of Will Barton."