'Not Going To Die In This Apartment' - Berkeley Man Describes Shocking Attack By Landlord

BERKELEY (KPIX 5) – A Berkeley man talked to KPIX 5 Tuesday in an exclusive interview about his terrifying ordeal four months ago when his landlord allegedly shot him in a dispute over unpaid rent.

Timothy Loving's landlord -- 75-year-old Herman Little -- is accused of shooting him back on June 13.

Loving said when he arrived at his Berkeley apartment on Essex Street that day, he didn't know Little was armed and waiting for him.

Loving admitted that he had been unable to pay rent the previous month due to health issues.

This was the first time Loving publicly told the story of his brush with death at the hands of his landlord. He says on June 13th his landlord shot him twice, in the chest and in the hand.

He said the day started out like any other.

"Yeah, it was the day after the Warriors parade. I got up went on a three-mile walk and came back home from grocery shopping," remembered Loving.

When Loving got back, Little – who also goes by the name Lee – was waiting for him. The tenant said there was were no harsh words exchanged with his landlord before the shooting happened.

"There was no fight. There was no argument. As casually as you and I are speaking is as casual as he and I were speaking," said Loving. "All the way up until the moment that he shot me."

Loving said Little put the handgun – which was equipped with a silencer – up to his head and pulled the trigger, but the firearm didn't go off.

Loving says Little pulled the trigger a second time and shot him in the chest through his hand.

"He shot me right here, and in that moment when he shot me in the hand was when I realized, 'Oh, you're in danger,'" said Loving.

Loving said he ran into his apartment, locked the door and called police.

"I remember standing here and dialing 911," Loving described as he stood in his kitchen remembering the frightening moment. "And I hear the door jingle and see the lock trying to turn"

Lee used his master key to get in and shot at Loving a third time.

Realizing he was in a fight for his life, Loving was determined to survive.

"[I thought] I'm not going to die in this apartment. He's not going to get away with it," said Loving. "If I die, they're going to know who did it. If I die in this apartment, who is ever going to believe what happened?"

Loving was able to drag himself across the street to a nearby cannabis club. Police arrested his landlord on site and rushed Loving to the hospital.

He says he is still dealing with post traumatic stress disorder in the wake of the nearly fatal encounter.

"Anxiety with too many people, people who resemble him, noises. You know, people walking behind you and brushing against you, it kind of makes me a little jumpy," said Loving

He knows he needs to start therapy to work on the emotional scars the shooting left on him.

"There was hella blood. You could see the blood all the way in here initially. You could see blood splattered on the door," Loving said, gesturing towards the floor and walls inside the apartment.

He says that for the past four months, he has been in survival mode.

"I have to tune it out, because then it's going to be very emotional and dramatic, explained Loving. I don't know if I want to deal with that yet at this point in time."

Loving told KPIX 5 that justice would be seeing his landlord permanently behind bars and getting an explanation as to why Little shot him.

Little is due back in court in January.