Pregnant Corsicana teen shot over Memorial Day weekend showing signs of recovery, mother says
After days in the intensive care unit at Parkland Hospital, a pregnant teenager from Corsicana is finally showing signs of improvement.
Gabby Gonzales continues to plead for answers after her 17-year-old daughter, Malaina, was shot over the Memorial Day weekend. A friend of the teen was also shot in the left forearm, family members told CBS News Texas.
Teen showing signs of recovery
On Friday, Gonzales said she was relieved to see her daughter making progress — sitting up, eating, and speaking a little. She added that the unborn child is expected to be OK.
"As of this morning, she's off of oxygen completely, but she still has a breathing tube," Gonzales said. "But she is making progress."
Holiday celebration turns to horror
Gonzales said her family was gathered in their yard near the 400 block of South 31st Street, celebrating the holiday, when they noticed two males in hoodies pacing in front of their home. Moments later, gunfire erupted.
"She was just bleeding and laying there," Gonzales said. "I thought she was going to die, because she was just laying there, bleeding out, and she was very pale. I called 911 and told them, 'Please send someone. My daughter is pregnant and she's been hit."
Malaina, who is six months pregnant with a boy, was shot in the back. The bullet exited through the front of her stomach, narrowly missing her unborn baby. She was initially taken to Navarro Regional Hospital before being flown to Parkland Hospital in Dallas.
Witness thought it was fireworks
The family, who was hosting a holiday weekend cookout, heard what they said sounded like fireworks, according to police.
"[A witness] looked on the front porch of the house and observed the two females had been shot and were trying to get into the house," Police Chief Robert J. Johnson said in a news release. "The resident did see what he thought to be muzzle flashes coming from the street area."
Teen undergoes multiple surgeries
The two victims were taken to Navarro Regional Hospital before the teen was flown to Parkland Hospital, where she remains in the ICU in critical condition, according to police. The second victim was treated and released.
Gonzales said her daughter has a fractured spine and has undergone surgeries on her colon, kidney and pancreas. Her gallbladder was also removed.
"My heart stopped. I thought my daughter was going to die," Gonzales said through tears. "You never think you're going to go through something like this, and then you have to watch your child suffer. She didn't deserve it — and she's pregnant. I want justice."
Mother suspects targeted shooting
Gabby Gonzales believes the crime could have been a targeted attack.
"I'm mad, I'm sad. I have to sit there and look at my daughter in that bed, on those machines, to breathe, to eat. She's cut open badly," she said.
Investigation ongoing, police say
Detectives are seeking surveillance footage from nearby homes, and forensic evidence is being collected.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Corsicana police at (903) 654-4902.
