UFC veteran John “Doomsday” Howard has revealed that two of his children were wounded in a recent shooting in Boston, with his daughter still in critical condition.
Howard, who had two stints with the UFC and later competed for the PFL, posted the news on social media along with a link to a GoFundMe page set up to support the family.
“My daughter is still fighting for her life! Any donations you want to give is greatly appreciate it! Even when she makes a full recovery still have a long road ahead!!” John Howard wrote in part.
More details provided by way of the GoFundMe page, which has received over $24,000 worth of donations as of this writing, provide insight into the shooting, which saw the fighter’s children hit by gunfire while playing outside. Joanna Algarin, the pair’s mother, heard what she believed to by fireworks while preparing dinner at their residence at the Franklin Field housing community in Dorchester, a suburb of Boston, on September 17.
Rather than fireworks, the children had been hit by gunfire, possibly targeting a nearby gathering the family was not a part of. 11-year-old Johan Howard, who was shot in the leg, was treated and released by the Boston Children’s Hospital.
Unfortunately, 15-year-old Juliana Howard, a sophomore at the Community Academy of Science and Health in Dorchester, was hit multiple times and remains in critical condition. She suffered a total of four gunshot wounds, including one which pierced her skull, and has been left on a ventilator. Surgery and extensive rehab are likely.
The family is now calling for an end to senseless and unnecessary acts of violence. “Algarin and Howard passionately appeal for an end to violence, emphasizing that it is always someone who doesn’t deserve it, and this incident was senseless. In the wake of this tragedy, the family, together with the community, is calling for action to ensure the safety of children in their neighborhood. They believe that something must be done to protect these young lives, not just during election time but always.”
Howard’s two stints in the UFC ran from 2009-2011 and 2013-2015. He later competed for both the WSOF, and its successor, the PFL, before returning to the regional scene in more recent times. His last fight, a loss to current UFC fighter Ange Loosa, came at XMMA 4 in April of 2022.
Howard recently posted his thanks to those who have contributed to the family’s fundraising campaign thus far.
