TRIGGER WARNING: Article mentions death, violence
The parents of 17-month-old Anderson Davis, who was wounded during Saturday’s mass shooting in Odessa, Texas, have released an update on her health status. In a Facebook post, Kelby and Garret Davis wrote Sunday that their daughter is expected to make a full recovery after she suffered injuries from being hit with a bullet fragment during a mass shooting that left seven dead and 22 injured.
“Words cannot express the emotions we are experiencing after living through the tragic events that unfolded in our hometown yesterday afternoon,” the couple wrote. “Our hearts are extremely heavy today. Many good, innocent, people lost their lives and were injured yesterday.”
Anderson, who was hit by shrapnel, suffered injuries to her mouth, jaw and chest. She underwent surgery yesterday to remove shrapnel from her chest and to repair her bottom lip and mouth. In their Facebook post, her parents thanked the first responders, physicians and medical staff who have “treated [Anderson] as their own and as parents we couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
“We praise God for walking beside us during this time and our prayers go out to all of the families that are walking this same walk,” they continued. “We hurt so badly for the families whose loved ones didn’t survive this tragedy. We are thankful for our beautiful baby girl and look forward to reuniting her at home with her twin brother soon.”
The suspect, 36-year-old Seth Aaron Ator, went on a shooting spree after being stopped in a routine traffic stop in West Texas. He had reportedly just been fired from his job at Journey Oilfield Services and called the police and the FBI before the shooting began. FBI special agent Christopher Combs said Ator's statements on the phone were "rambling." Law enforcement shot and killed him in the parking lot of a movie theater in Odessa. The shooting is the 38th mass killing in the United States this year.
Anderson Davis’ story has inspired many people, including actress and activist Alyssa Milano, to donate to a GoFundMe page to help her family. The page was started by Haylee Wilkerson, who says she is a friend of the family.
In response to the shooting, Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted yesterday that "we must keep guns out of criminals' hands" — words that echo his remarks after the mass shooting in El Paso on August 3, when he said firearms must be kept out of the hands of "deranged killers." Abbott, however, a Republican and avid gun-rights supporter, has made no effort so far to change Texas gun laws.
RELATED: 17-Month-Old Among Victims In Latest Texas Mass Shooting
Authorities have stated that those killed this weekend were between 15 and 57 years old. Those listed among the fatal victims were Edwin Peregrino, 25, who ran out of his parents' home to see what was happening when he heard the shots; postal worker Mary Granados, 29, who was killed in her U.S. Postal Service truck; and 15-year-old high school student Leilah Hernandez, who was leaving an auto dealership.