Tourist shot in Turks and Caicos recovering at Fort Lauderdale hospital

An American tourist who was shot in the stomach Friday morning is recovering at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, family members said.

Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force said in a statement that Kevin Newman, who was traveling with his wife, Tiffany, and son, Gavin, was shot in the Grace Bay area of Providenciales at around 1:43 a.m. Friday. Newman had surgery and was in a medically induced coma at a local hospital before he was flown to South Florida by air ambulance Angel MedFlight, according to a GoFundMe post that as of Monday night has raised nearly $25,000.

“He was robbed at gunpoint and shot,” according to the family’s GoFundMe post.

Turks and Caicos officers are still looking to identify the shooter.

“We need the community to share what they know about the offenses that are causing harm to the local community and those who visit the Islands,” Police Commissioner Trevor Botting said.

In a Facebook post, Newman’s wife said the gunshot damaged his liver, and that his right kidney was removed. He had received blood transfusions at Broward Health Medical Center and was in stable condition as of Saturday.

“He was very emotional and tearful. He seems to have a VERY clear memory of what happened to him and I can only imagine the terror of this ordeal,” she wrote. “This has been so traumatic, but it has also been so comforting knowing we have so much love, support, and prayers for us.”

This story was originally published June 26, 2017 at 8:52 PM with the headline "Tourist shot in Turks and Caicos recovering at Fort Lauderdale hospital."