An 11-year-old girl survived a shooting that killed her entire family by playing dead.
On Monday, the girl woke up to the sound of gunshots. When she turned her head, she saw her father and 9-year-old brother lying on the floor with blood coming from their heads and mouths.
Moments later, her 7-year-old sister who shared the same bedroom, walked out into the hall. She then heard another gunshot, after which her sister fell to the ground.
The shooter then entered her bedroom and fired his gun at her; the bullet hit her neck and hand.
Despite the agonizing pain she was in, she was able to see and recognize the shooter, who she told investigators was her 15-year-old brother. She also recognized the weapon in his hand as the Glock handgun that her father owned.
After firing the weapon at her, her brother approached the bodies of her family members to see if they were still alive. Desperate to survive, she pretended to be dead while he stood beside her in her room.
Her mother and 13-year-old brother had also been fatally shot elsewhere in the house.
Escaping the House
After her brother left the bedroom, she escaped through a small window in her room. She immediately ran to a nearby house, where they called 911.
However, it wasn’t the first 911 call about the shooting that officials received that morning.
Just a few minutes before their call, the 15-year-old shooter had dialed 911. He told dispatchers that his 13-year-old brother had killed his entire family and himself and that he was hiding inside a bathroom.
The 15-year-old told the 911 operator that his brother had been caught by his parents looking at pornography the night prior and that he had been in serious trouble.
When police arrived at the home shortly after 5 a.m., they immediately detained the 15-year-old. He was subsequently charged in juvenile court with one count of attempted murder and five counts of aggravated murder.
His name has not been released due to the fact that he is a minor.
On Friday, prosecutors made a formal request for the case to be moved to adult court. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to 25 years to life.
If he remains in juvenile court, he could remain behind bars until the age of 25.
According to the 11-year-old girl, who has since been released from hospital, her older brother had recently gotten in trouble for failing several tests at school. She also said he was the only one who could open the lock box at home, where their father had stored his weapon.
Since the shooting, a local family member has come forward to care for the 11-year-old girl. As for her older brother, he remains in custody.
