'Miami Zombie' Victim Poppo has Bullet Wounds and May Be Permanently Blinded

Undated handout photo released by the Jackson Memorial Hospital on June 12, 2012 shows patient Ronald Poppo being aided by hospital staff. The 65-year-old homeless man who was the victim of a gruesome face-eating attack in Miami is temporarily blind but recovering well after suffering devastating injuries to nearly half of his face, doctors said on Monday. Hospital officials released two pictures of Poppo, who remains in the hospital in stable condition after the horrific Memorial Day weekend attack on the off-ramp of a bridge in downtown Miami. (Photo : REUTERS/Jackson Memorial Hospi)

NBC reports that Ronald Poppo, the homeless man who was attacked 17 days ago in the infamous "Miami Zombie" attack, has bullet wounds.

Half of Poppo's face was chewed off when Rudy Eugene attacked him at the MacArthur Causeway on May 26. A police officer shot Eugene repeatedly, but the attacker would not stop his assault. It is due to these shots fired that doctors believe that Poppo has the bullet wounds.

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In a news conference, doctors showed a picture of Poppo and provided an update on his status, including the fact that he may be permanently blinded from the attack. The photo of Poppo shows him with flaps of skin sewn over his eyes.  His forehead is raw and filled with scabs, and his nose is completely gone. Poppo also suffered a brain injury and a broken rib.

The AP Reports that Poppo, 65, will undergo numerous surgeries but has not been complaining of pain. He is also undergoing physical therapy at the Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Eugene, Poppo's assailant, was buried on Saturday in a funeral attended by 150 people who respected him. Eugene's girlfriend Yovonka Bryant stated that her boyfriend was a loving person and not the monster that the media has made him out to be.

Eugene's autopsy results revealed that he had not swallowed any of Poppo's skin. Many have faulted Eugene's abnormal behavior to a recreational drug known as "bath salts." But the autopsy also found unidentified pills in Eugene's stomach. Forensics will take a few weeks to determine the toxic makeup of Eugene and discover the identity of the drugs in his stomach and whether or not they have anything to do with his behavior.