11-year-old girl shot in North College Hill home remains sedated
Jahleeah Williams, an 11-year-old girl shot in the head last week remains sedated in the hospital, her family said Monday.
Jahleeah is at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. She was at her home in North College Hill on April 25 when she was shot. No arrests have been announced in the incident.
Brandon Canady spoke to The Enquirer on behalf of the Jahleeah's family. He is the cousin of Wanita Morris, Jahleeah's mother. The pair worked together for years in the healthcare industry.
Canady said he is not sure why someone fired a gun at Morris's home but he knows the bullet "wasn't meant for her."
He said Morris and her three children had just moved to North College Hill from Avondale in January. Morris, who is 40, received her nursing degree last year and got her first job in the field last fall.
Then in February, Jahleeah was diagnosed with Crohn's disease which affects the digestive system. She was hospitalized then. Despite this, Canady said Jahleeah is a cheerful child.
"She's like the kids you see in movies. She gets excited over little things," he said. She loves to do TikTok dances and to draw.
Since the shooting, Jahleeah's classmates at Rockdale Academy have sent her cards, which now decorate her hospital room, and her teachers have come to visit her. Her mother has spent day and night at her bedside, Canady said.
Canady said there have been some signs of improvement. She fought against the ventilator, which he said is a good sign.
But he and Morris have both worked with people recovering from traumatic brain injuries, and they know it can be challenging.
"I'm just trying to prepare," Canady said. "I just know it's going to be a long road, a long journey. We won't know until she wakes up. We just pray for the best."
The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Jaleeah's medical treatment and future therapy.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Officers recovered two 9 mm handguns and a shell casing during their initial investigation, but they have not publicly stated whether they believe these weapons were involved.
Jaleeah was shot during a spike in shootings involving juveniles. North College Hill borders Cincinnati, which has had 21 juveniles shot so far this year. Three have died.
More: Avondale fends off youth gun violence. Could it be a model for the rest of Cincinnati?
"It's a lot of senseless violence," Canady said. When he was growing up in Avondale, there were guns around. But he said they weren't used for small disputes.
"These kids are different," he said. "It's for show. It's like a toy to them."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jahleeah Williams, 11, remains sedated week after shooting
