Kennesaw roommates reflect on near-fatal shooting
It was 3:45 a.m. on the day after Christmas, and all was quiet in the house shared by Dackri Davis and Danielle LeBrun. That is, until a barrage of bullets shattered the silence.
"It felt like a hot poker going straight through you," recalled Davis, a 38-year-old assistant principal at Kell High School in Kennesaw.
Both women were asleep when an unidentified shooter walked up to a large picture window in front of the home they have shared for 10 years. The suspect fired through the curtains and vinyl blinds, but somehow managed to strike both women. Their pet dachshund, Amelia, had to be euthanized after a bullet shattered her hind leg.
Davis was shot seven times; LeBrun, four. Davis' recovery in particular has been difficult. Two doctors worked in tandem for five hours to repair damage to her liver and large intestine. She spent 17 days in the hospital. And Davis is still undergoing physical therapy for injuries to her foot and wrist. She hopes to return to school in April.
The shooter's motive remains a mystery. The roommates say they're just happy to be alive, but they've had a home security system installed and they keep a gun as an extra precaution.
"We don't want to antagonize anyone," Davis said. "We'd just like to move on with our lives and we're trying to stay as positive as we can."
The women say they know of no one who would want to harm them.
Kennesaw police spokesman Scott Luther said that detectives have no leads or suspects. Luther said the shooter used an automatic rifle and fled in a vehicle with a loud exhaust.
"It worries us that the suspect is still on the loose," Luther said. "But we're just hoping somebody that knows something and will call us."
LeBrun was shot twice in the left buttock, once in the left thigh and once in her back. A bullet is still lodged in muscle tissue just millimeters to the left her spine. Her level-headed response following the shooting still amazes Davis.
"She's my hero," Davis said Friday. "She saved my life."
LeBrun remembers awakening to the sound of Amelia wailing in pain and seeing the blood-stained bedcovers around her.
She raced to the living room and dialed 911. She then called several relatives and a co-worker at Lassiter Animal Hospital in Marietta, where LeBrun is a veterinary technician. Next she turned her attention to Davis, who had crawled from her bedroom to the kitchen.LeBrun applied pressure to a gaping wound on Davis' wrist.
Davis said she lost consciousness briefly while waiting for the paramedics. The world went white.
"I saw both my parents," said Davis, whose parents are deceased. "My dad said ‘you need to get back down there,' and then I was back."
LeBrun and Davis are thankful to friends and family for surrounding them with love and support. Twice a week, the staff at Kell High School brings them dinner. Another friend created a Facebook page called "Loving Life" (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Loving-Life/251596176485?ref=mf) where people can donate money to offset their medical bills.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Kennesaw police at 770-422-2505 and ask for Detective M. Brock or Detective Sgt. R. Dean.
