Jada Statum has spent the past seven days in a metro Atlanta hospital fighting for her life.
But according to her older sister, Stephanie Griggs, Statum is getting stronger.
The 24-year-old mother has been taken off a ventilator and was able to breathe on her own Friday. Although she remained in the intensive care unit, doctors have reclassified her as stable, Griggs said Friday evening after visiting Statum at the hospital.
Statum was one of two Subway workers struck by bullets June 26 during an irate customer’s deadly rampage. It was a lethal clash that interim police Chief Darin Schierbaum described as a “senseless tragedy.”
Police said Melvin Williams Jr. became enraged and began arguing with staff because there was too much mayonnaise on his sandwich. Just after he was escorted out the front door, the 36-year-old man turned around and began firing a gun into the sandwich shop.
Statum was critically wounded. Brittany Macon, her 26-year-old co-worker, died in the hail of bullets.
“It’s like something that’s on the TV, that just seems fake because it doesn’t even seem real,” Griggs said of the harrowing experience.
Statum is still dealing with lingering complications from being shot twice — once in the back and once in her stomach. According to Griggs, the bullet that struck Statum near the right hip went through her kidney.
She said doctors performed surgery and were able to save the organ, but Statum remains unable to keep any food down. That’s likely a repercussion of the bullet wound to the area of her stomach. Now doctors are running tests to diagnose any internal issues Statum may have sustained from the gut shot.
The callous episode of gun violence unfolded at the Subway connected to a Circle K on Northside Drive, two blocks south of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Statum and Macon weren’t just co-workers at the Subway. They were close friends who lived together as roommates, Griggs said. In fact, they were both hired at the restaurant three weeks before the shooting.
Willie Glenn, who co-owns the Subway location, described the women to Channel 2 Action News as “model employees.”
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
At the time of the deadly incident, Statum’s 5-year-old son was in the Subway. Griggs said Statum had the wherewithal to push him under a counter to get him out of harm’s way while Williams was still inside the shop complaining.
It was a crucial decision because seconds later, Williams opened fire.
“He went out and then turned around, and they say he just started shooting into the restaurant,” Griggs said.
Statum was shot in the back as she was shielding her son. Griggs said Statum still had the phone in her hand when she fell to floor and called 911 lying in a pool of her own blood.
Williams was arrested later the same night and charged with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He remains jailed without bond.
Statum’s family members were notified of the shooting early the following morning. They knew someone died in the ordeal, but Griggs said it took authorities about two hours to confirm that Statum had survived.
“So we didn’t even know whether Jada was alive or not, and that was very terrifying,” she said.
Griggs found it “shocking” to learn the suspect was out on bond at the time of the shooting — he was arrested in March 2021 amid allegations he choked the mother of his child during a domestic spat. Williams was prohibited from possessing any weapons as a condition of his release, court records showed.
As she struggles to get better, Statum is also mourning the loss of her friend. Statum shed tears while grieving Macon from her hospital bed.
“She told me, ‘My friend is gone, all over food,’” Griggs recalled.
Macon’s family has not yet finalized her funeral arrangements. Griggs said it will be held in Savannah, Macon’s hometown, later this month.
Meanwhile, Statum’s family has started a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000 for living expenses while she’s out of work and recovering.
Griggs said she just hopes her little sister can make it out of the ICU soon. She noted she’s gotten encouraging words and messages from people around the world on social media since the shooting.
“It has just been amazing to know that so many people care,” she said. “We appreciate them reaching out and I’m very thankful for all their prayers and their comments. And to be honest, that’s what has held the family up, so we are truly grateful.”
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