Teen Shooting Victim Talks Of Second Chance At Life
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- A 15 year-old South Florida boy who police say shot another teenager was in court Thursday after the State Attorney's Office filed adult charges against Demetrius Walden.
Prosecutors say he shot 15-year old girl Jolessica Williams on Memorial Day as she stood on her porch in Pompano Beach.
The girl was airlifted to Broward Health Medical Center and survived being shot in the chest. Amazingly, the bullet missed all major organs and she was released from the hospital the very next day.
Williams tells CBS 4 News reporter Joan Murray that she never panicked even when she saw blood flowing from her chest.
"I applied pressure on the wound and went to get help. I was afraid but I couldn't get all hyped and scared because that would make the situation worse," she said.
In fact, Williams walked to a relative's house to call for help, never losing her cool.
Once paramedics responded she said, "I prayed while I was in the ambulance. I trusted everyone helping me."
Williams believes watching shows dealing with emergency medicine helped her know to keep the pressure on the bleeding.
"The bullet is still lodged in my muscle but they won't take it out unless it causes me problems later on," she says.
"Why would a young man have a gun?" Judge John Hurley asked the mother and stepfather of Demetrius Walden.
His mother seemed at a loss.
"His father has been in and out of his life. I don't know whether it's a situation with his stepfather or where we live in the community," said Carmella Edwards.
"This is not an isolated incident. There's an increase in violent activity," Hurley said referring to past offenses Walden is accused of committing
He raised the bond from $10,000 to $52,000 and ordered an ankle monitor for the teenager if he posts bond.
His next hearing is scheduled for June 24th.
