Dashcam footage has captured the bizarre and disturbing moment a cyclist was struck by a bullet during a casual cycling journey in New Orleans.
The video, captured by a cyclist riding behind the extremely unfortunate Christopher Weiss, shows a group of bikers taking part in a ride around a suburban area.
But 49-year-old Weiss is then seen suddenly shouting and clutching his lower back - and after a short time, he pulled over to the side of the road. A quick pull-up of his lycra top later, Weiss discovered a welt on his side.
Speaking to a cycling news website, he said he initially thought it was from a paintball.
"I reached back expecting to feel my hand come away with paint and then there was no paint," he told Road.cc.
"Then what went through my head was 'okay, I've been shot' - but it was something worse than a paintball."
Indeed it was - and despite mixed reports, police have confirmed that Mr Weiss had been struck by a bullet fired during a shooting nearby.
"To be clear, I was shot with a bullet, not pellet or BB. There's been muddling over here on that point, and it's much easier for the city if it's not treated as a bullet shooting," he explained.
"For me it's important that the word get out to keep NOPD [New Orleans Police Department] on it, and to try and stop bikers being treated as fodder for target, or at least have the perpetrators think there might be legal repercussions."
Mr Weiss is expected to make a quick recovery from his injury shortly - however he acknowledged how lucky he had been, saying the wound was just a matter of centimetres from his spine.
Newshub.
