Hero Memphis pastor, Clemmie Livingston, reveals his horrific wounds after being shot through the MOUTH when he tried to stop a carjacking outside his church

A hero Memphis pastor revealed his horrific wounds after being shot through the mouth when he tried to stop a carjacking outside of his church. 

Clemmie Livingston, 70, who is the pastor at New Zionfield Baptist in Tennessee, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after the February 25 shooting. 

Livingston was shot while attempting to stop two men from stealing a car that belonged to a Sunday school teacher.  

'I cannot explain how it happened. All I know is that I was struck,' Livingston told Fox13 Wednesday, nearly three weeks after he was shot. 

He showed off the guard he has around his mouth following the horrific incident and photos on the church's Facebook page detail his recovery. Recent snaps show him smiling while being pushed in a wheelchair inside the hospital. 

Police are continuing to search for the suspect gunmen in the case, who both wore hoodies during the attempted theft. 

Clemmie Livingston, 70, who is the pastor at New Zionfield Baptist in Tennessee , was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after the February 25 shooting. Livingston was shot while attempting to stop two men from stealing a car that belonged to a Sunday school teacher

 A picture from before the shooting shows Livingston with his wife, Gwendoline, in happier times

The suspects reportedly fled the scene in 2019 Chevrolet Corvette. 

'The victim was shot when he came out of the church as the suspects were stealing a 2019 silver Chevrolet Corvette. As the suspects fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, they fired shots, striking the victim,' police said in a statement. 

'A second person who was outside of the church at the time the car was stolen returned fire after the suspects shot first.' 

Livingston recounted the moments after being shot in the mouth. 

'While I was waiting for the paramedics, all I could see or kept asking myself was, "am I going to be dead in a few minutes," because I was losing blood at a record rate. But I held on to my belief,' he in an interview inside Zionfield Baptist Church.

His 17-year-old grandson, Kavion Woodin, told Nexstar's WREG, 'Somebody tried to take one of the church member's cars, and my granddaddy stepped up.'

'He feared no evil. He came out the church to protect a car because he feared no evil,' the teen said. 

'He was a man of giving, willingness, kindness, compassion, and he was a man that never did wrong towards nobody,' Woodin said to the outlet. 

'Honestly, I'm sick and tired of losing people to gun violence and cars. I've lost seven friends due to gun violence. I've lost two friends to cars, and I'm nothing but 17,' he added. 

'It's time to stop the violence. It's time to stop the robbing, stop the killing. It's time to put the guns down.'

Police said the suspects were trying to steal a 2019 silver Chevrolet Corvette when they shot the pastor

Police are now searching for the suspected gunmen in the incident. No arrests have been made

Livingston's wife, Gwendoline, created a GoFundMe page to fundraise for the cost of her husband's procedures after he was rushed to the hosptial

Livingston's wife, Gwendoline, created a GoFundMe page to fundraise for the cost of her husband's procedures. 

The fundraiser has earned over $33,000 with more than 700 donations. 

'After undergoing surgery he was upgraded to stable and still remains in ICU. Even so, my husband will be awaiting at least two more surgeries approximately 6 weeks from now and then a 3rd phase and possibly more depending on the outcome of his healing.' 

His wife said at that time Livingston is unable to eat or speak and communicates through notes and hand gestures. 

'Surgeons have drilled and nails and attached a brace to the right side of his face to try and hold the jaw closed because the bullet shattered his jaw bone into many pebble size pieces,' she wrote. 

'We're on a long journey to recovery,' she added. 'I have had many people to reach out wanting to assist us financially to help with the hospital expenses we are occurring because of a senseless act of violence.' 

New Zionfield Baptist Church has posted pictures of Livingston dduring his recovery. He was sitting in a wheelchair where he was pictured with a friend

The GoFundMe fundraiser has earned over $33,000 with more than 700 donations

On March 8th, Clemmie posted an update regarding her husband's condition and said he is 'coming along' despite a couple of setbacks, including a jaw infection. 

'Clemmie is coming along,' she wrote. 'He had a set back a couple of days ago and infection in his jaw but his surgeons went in, removed the infected abscess and scraped his jaw, cleaned, and stitched him back up and he's on his way to recovery again. He was not healing because of the infection but we are on our way to the second surgery.'

'They were suppose to remove the trac so that he can talk right now. and then we'll kind of start the same procedure over again he's still not able to walk without assistance.'

She also said Livingston is 'off balance' and having trouble walking. He has stepped up to liquids from a liquid injector.

'We pray that he improves to a spoon and then a straw. It's amazing how bullets can destroy so much. Because of your caring and sharing you have encouraged both of us so much. There has definitely been a change in our daily lives.'  

'Clemmie is ago-getter and there isn't a day before this incident he didn't awake early every morning To make each day, positive and worry free for us. But his heart is the church. He is truly a called man of God. There isn't anything he wouldn't do for his members to help them along the way, as well as others up and down the byways. All you had to do was call him. He is truly a full time minister.'

'He's already had to retire early from his field of driving long hauls and cross country so he took to other skills to make ends meet. But because of you our attention is only on him healing, and not bills or medical bills or other expenses.'