NUMBER THREE WITH A BULLET
On Wednesday (2/7), Julius Jones, the third victim shot in Club New York melee in December 1999 took the stand against Puff Daddy, stating he saw the rapper and his protege, Jamal "Shyne" Barrow, holding guns shortly before the shooting began.
Jones claimed to have witnessed the events leading up to the shooting, including an altercation between Puffy and another man, who allegedly threw money at the rapper.
Jones told the jury, "I was looking at Sean Combs. He had the gun in his right hand. I could see him from the waist up… I couldn't believe it." Jones said Barrow was also armed. "I saw shots come out of his gun. I saw fire. I dropped to the ground. The crowd around me went crazy. I was shot. I couldn't move. I saw my shooter, Mr. Barrow, and another man with the gun, Sean Combs."
During cross-examination, Jones told defense attorney Johnnie Cochran he heard one of the men say "I'll kill you" to Puffy during the fracas, hinting at the possibility of self-defense.
Jones, who was shot in the right shoulder, is the third witness to say Puffy had a gun.
Testimony also came from the doctor who treated another shooting victim after the incident.
Dr. John A. Perrotti was on duty at the St. Clare's Hospital emergency room when Natania Reuben was brought in with a gunshot wound to her face.
Dr. Perrotti testified that Reuben told him during treatment that she had been "shot by Puffy."
"She was very anxious, very nervous," Perrotti said. "She said something to the effect of, ‘I was shot by Puffy'… She just blurted it out."
On Monday (2/5), Reubens told the jury she saw both Puffy and Shyne holding weapons inside the nightclub, but she wasn't sure who shot her. Another witness, Tarnisha Smith testified Friday (2/2) to seeing Puffy also holding a gun.
