KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Tiana Carruthers played dead after being shot four times by Jason Dalton, the man charged with opening fire on Carruthers and seven other people during a rampage earlier this year in Kalamazoo.
Testifying during Dalton’s preliminary hearing on Friday, Carruthers said Dalton was 10 to 15 feet away from her on Feb. 20 when she saw the gun.
“I just remember him just shooting and shooting. I just remember trying to move but I couldn’t move,” Carruthers said. “When I realized he wasn’t going to stop shooting, I just pretended I was dead already.”
Carruthers had been walking her daughter and four other children to a park when the shooting happened.
“I just laid there screaming for the kids,” she said. “I wasn’t concerned about myself. I was concerned about the kids.”
None of the children were hurt.
Carruthers said she still has a bullet lodged in her liver, and had to undergo reconstruction surgery on her arm.
“My body doesn’t look real. There’s metal in three different places of my body,” she said. “I hurt every single day, every single day.”
Read back: Kalamazoo shooting rampage survivor says she doesn't hate gunman
Dalton was removed from the courtroom just minutes after Carruthers began testifying.
Dalton made strange verbal references to "old people with these old black bags." When the judge told him he needed to be quiet, Dalton said "It's time to get to temple."
When Dalton made a physical move, deputies lifted him up and dragged him out.
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Teen: I saw 'little gold bullets'
Alexis Cornish, 17, testified about hiding in the back seat of her boyfriend's car as gunfire rang out at a dealership on Stadium Drive.
Cornish had spent the day car shopping with her boyfriend, Tyler Smith, and his father, Richard. At the last dealership they stopped at, Cornish said she stayed in the car while Smith and his father got out to look at a truck.
Cornish said she saw a man walk up to Smith and his father.
"They looked at him and put their hands up," Cornish said. "He pulled out the gun and started shooting."
Cornish described seeing "little gold bullets" and Smith falling down.
The gunfire stopped after a "couple" of shots, Cornish said. She then got a cellphone from Smith's pocket and called 911.
Dalton facing multiple murder charges
Dalton, 45, was found competent to stand trial last month on murder and attempted murder charges. The criminal case against Dalton had been on hold while experts determined whether he understands the charges and can assist his attorney in his defense.
Prosecutor Jeff Getting said no plea deals would be offered.
“Mr. Datlon can plead guilty any time he wants,” Getting said.
You can view the criminal complaint against Dalton here.
He is accused of three separate shootings in the Kalamazoo-area on Feb. 20.
Police said he carried out the shootings between picking up riders as an Uber driver. According to the arresting officer’s report, Dalton said he saw a devil figure in the Uber app and his iPhone took control of him.
Read: Kalamazoo shootings suspect told police Uber app controlled him 'like A.I.'