Shooting victim Makeda Barnes-Joseph took the stand Friday and testified that Remy Ma fired on her because she refused to open her purse...Makeda told the jury that Remy climbed into her white Nissan on a Meatpacking District street last summer, holding a grudge - and a cocked .45-caliber weapon - while yelling about $3,000 in cash missing after a nightclub birthday party.
"When she did that, I knew she was trying to make a scene," Makeda said Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court. "I knew I didn't have her money so it didn't bother me." But when Remy grabbed the handbag, Makeda testified that she yanked it back, and the two began to tussle. Then, Makeda says, Remy shot her. It felt like Remy Ma's bullet was alive inside her, the 24-year-old told jurors after taking the stand. She said it felt like Remy's bullet was seeking out her heart. "There was like a burning sensation, coming up, and I said, 'Krystal, the bullet is moving!' " she told a Manhattan Supreme Court jury, clutching her stomach, her voice quavering. "It's like it's moving to my heart! I'm dying!" Makeda recalled screaming to her friend, Krystal Bolton, who held her as they watched the bloodstain grow. "Then I said, 'Tell my Mommy I love her.' "
To discredit the account, defense lawyer Ivan Fisher made repeated mention of Makeda's $20 million lawsuit against Remy. He also asked, "Why didn't you let go?" referring to Makeda implausibly clinging to her bag despite the gun and her insistence that she hadn't stolen the money.
"Because it was my bag!" the Makeda snapped back.
