01-03-2025
‘Eternally grateful': San Francisco dispensary owner shot 7 times reunites with woman who helped save life
(KRON) — A San Francisco man and dispensary owner who was shot seven times in an unprovoked attack outside his shop last month reunited with the woman who helped save his life as he lay bleeding on the sidewalk.
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Moments before the Jan. 27 shooting, Martin Olive said he was outside his Vapor Room Dispensary at Ninth and Mission streets in the city's SoMa (South of Market) neighborhood, taking a smoke break and looking at his phone. That's when a man approached on an e-bike, walked toward him holding a gun, and opened fire.
The San Francisco Police Department said officers were dispatched to the scene just before 5 p.m. Olive said his attacker even shot him twice in the back while he was lying on the sidewalk. He was also shot in the face, arm, and shoulder.
The shooter then walked to his apartment, which is in the same building as Olive's dispensary. Police later identified him as 34-year-old Cheasarak Chong. He was later killed in a shootout with officers. San Francisco PD released surveillance and body camera footage of the shooting on Feb. 5.
'It's fantastic I'm not dead,' Olive told KRON4 News in an interview on Feb. 10. 'I did not want to die on 9th Street in the middle of the afternoon. There are definitely nicer places to die in the city. I was genuinely convinced that this was it. I kept closing my eyes and feeling so unbelievably tired, and it felt like giving up and escaping from the pain was sort of my only option. It was relentless, searing pain throughout my entire body.'
No clear motive has been found for the attack. Olive said he did not know the shooter.
While he is up and walking, he still faces lingering health issues.
In an Instagram post on Feb. 12, Olive made a public plea on Instagram to find a woman who had come to his aid the day of the shooting. He called her the 'first of many angels to save my life that day.'
'Social Media! I need your help,' Olive wrote. 'Within seconds of being shot multiple times 2 weeks ago, a woman happened to be walking by, came to my aid. She was a nurse. She literally took the shirt off her back to administer compresses to my bullet wounds. She reassured me, kept my eyes open, and told me she heard the ambulance on its way. She was the first of many angels to save my life that day, and I would like to thank her for her kindness. Does anyone know anyone who knows her?'
Two weeks later, on Feb. 25, Olive shared a post on Instagram of an emotional reunion with the woman, named Carissa.
Today was a good day. I was able to meet Carissa, the nurse who first found me bleeding out on the street, coincidentally one month ago today. We had ice cream, sat together, talked about what happened, and recognized how this shared moment created a very unique lifelong bond between us. It was an emotionally charged experience to hear how she saw me on the sidewalk, jumped out of her car, and rushed to take care of me while other bystanders just stared at me.
It was a rare honor to be able to meet and thank the person who quite literally and without exaggeration, saved my life. I was quickly losing consciousness until her calm presence and compassionate voice brought me back to reality; despite it being an unbelievably painful reality. Hearing her point out the sirens of the ambulance, telling me to keep my eyes open, to breathe, and that I wasn't going to die, while she applied pressure to my bleeding wounds was enough to keep me going just a bit longer. A lot of wonderful people saved me that day. Carissa was the first of them. I'm eternally grateful to her. I hope to see her again soon.
— Martin Olive
Comments on the post ranged from, 'Amazing that you found her. What a hero,' to 'What a blessing. To you for surviving and to her for saving your life.'
The future of Olive's Vapor Room Dispensary, which has been around for more than two decades, remains uncertain. A message on its website reads, 'Vapor Room is currently closed while we regroup after a recent tragedy. We thank all our loyal customers for their years of support. Options for reopening are currently being pursued, and we hope to serve the cannabis community again soon.'
A GoFundMe has been organized to help Olive.
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