Victim Natania Reuben insists Sean 'Diddy' Combs pulled trigger in 1999 NYC nightclub shooting

Natania Reuben, one of the victims of a New York City nightclub shooting in 1999, is maintaining that Sean "Diddy" Combs is responsible for her injuries.

Combs, his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow were arrested following a shooting scuffle at the now-defunct Club New York in Times Square in December 1999.

"I literally watched them pull out the guns, I had a clear point of view. I mean, for God's sake, I got shot in my nose. I was facing them directly. I watched everything occur and have described it, vehemently to all parties involved," Reuben said during an appearance on NewsNation's "Elizabeth Vargas Reports" Thursday. "I have nine bullet fragments remaining in my face."

Reuben has long insisted that she saw Combs shoot her in the face, although only his associate Barrow was apprehended. Barrow, who began shooting a gun in the melee, was later convicted of assault in shooting two bystanders, including Reuben. Barrow was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Combs and an employee of his, Anthony Jones, were acquitted on weapons charges.

USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Combs and Barrow.

The victim said she assumed Barrow was believed over her during the trial because "his name was more notable … rather than a victim who gave it firsthand account."

The trial lasted six weeks with a plethora of witnesses. Reuben testified, "I saw Mr. Combs … pull out a black gun with his right hand," the Washington Post reported at the time, adding she then felt as though "a flaming hot sledgehammer had hit me in the face."

"I'm a mother of three. At the time, I was a mother of two, and just surviving and getting home to my children was of utmost importance to me, being home and being able to mother that was primary on my list. I didn't have any reason to believe that someone would not believe me," she recalled. "But as things unfolded, it was a very short period of time where I realized that's what in fact was happening."

Shooting victim Natania Reuben calls for investigation if she meets 'untimely demise'

In a follow-up interview with NewsNation's "Elizabeth Vargas Reports" Friday, Reuben preemptively called for a "deep investigation" in the event that she dies or goes missing after speaking out.

"It’s important for me to say I'm a healthy woman. I live a simple, quiet, risk-averse life. So, if I should meet with an untimely demise, it would require, be worthy of deep investigation. I understand the peril of what I'm exposing my life to," she said. "I don't have any intentions of going anywhere."

Reuben added: "I'm grateful that God spared me and I plan to live out my life to see ... my children's lives actualized and realized."

In the second interview, she also shared that she would be "willing to have a doctor remove a part of the nine-millimeter bullet in my face" in order to use it as evidence in a potential new trial if the operation wouldn't complicate her health.

Lil Rod claims Diddy owned up to 1999 nightclub shooting in lawsuit

Interest in the case has resurged amid Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones Jr.'s civil lawsuit against the Bad Boy founder and Cuba Gooding Jr. for sexual assault and harassment.

In an amended lawsuit filed in a New York federal district court by Jones on Monday, the same day Combs' home was raided by Homeland Security Investigations, Jones states that Combs "displayed his guns and bragged about getting away with shooting people."

Combs has denied all allegations against him. Diddy's attorney Shawn Holley said in a February statement whent the lawsuit was first filed, "Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines."

The producer also alleged the Bad Boy founder, "shared that he was responsible for the shooting in the nightclub in New York City with rapper Shyne" and that Lopez "carried the firearm into the club for him and passed him the gun after he got into an altercation with another individual." (Cassie Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend, also alleged in a November civil lawsuit accusing Combs of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse that the rapper made her hold his firearms. Combs and Cassie settled for an undisclosed amount a day later.)

Diddy investigated for sex trafficking: A timeline of allegations and the rapper's life, career

In response, Reuben said, "We all had to go and speak at the grand jury. JLo testified at the grand jury, as did many other people. (The criminal case) needs to be reopened, because if that is in fact the case, she carried the gun in and she lied to the grand jury. It needs to be reopened."

She also alleged that a bouncer at the club didn't allow her to bring a rattail comb into the establishment, meanwhile there were actual weapons.

"Having been shot by someone that was allowed to come in with a gun, when I couldn't bring in a comb, I would absolutely, unequivocally like the case reopened. It needs to be reopened," she said. "And the saddest part for me is had people taken what I said more seriously and listened more intently, 24-years’ worth of people probably would not have had to suffer."

Diddy's homes in Los Angeles, Miami raided by Homeland Security Investigations

Jones' amended lawsuit follows the reported raid of two of Combs' homes. The homes were reportedly searched by HSI on Monday as part of a federal investigation.

Federal officials raided Combs' Los Angeles home Monday, according to Rolling Stone and local Los Angeles news station Fox 11, amid lawsuits filed against him from accusers alleging the rapper and music mogul has raped or sexually assaulted them. Agents also searched Combs' Miami residence Monday, Rolling Stone and The Associated Press reported.

The day after Combs' homes were raided, attorney Aaron Dyer insisted on the rapper's innocence and criticized the federal invasion for its "gross overuse of military-level force." Dyer added that Combs was not detained by authorities, nor were any of the rapper's family members arrested during the raid.

"This unprecedented ambush – paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence – leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits," Dyer said in a statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday.

Contributing:  KiMi Robinson, Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy blamed by victim of 1999 nightclub shooting, wants case reopened