‘It changed my life forever’: Shooting victim speaks out

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - In broad daylight without warning, five gunshots forever changed a young mother’s life in the blink of an eye.

A Richmond County mother is alive, but fighting for her life after being shot in a random attack.

The family was getting ready to head to a corn maze when she saw a man on her security camera wandering in her yard.

She is speaking out from her hospital bed to warn other families about what happened.

Disclaimer: The video may be disturbing to some viewers as it contains gunshots and the victim’s screams.

“The time that took him, what 30 seconds to a minute to shoot me, that changed my life forever,” said the victim.

Now, her son’s favorite place is no longer safe.

“To think that I got shot, right, where I walk in and out of that house, where my son plays in that front yard. I’ll never go back to that home. I will feel the same about being outside. I’ll always look over my shoulder,” she said.

Deputies say 30-year-old Deon Hamilton is seen in the red jacket, pulling the trigger five times.

“I have a bullet lodged in my spine. They will not remove it due to the fact that it’s too severe. They are afraid that they might paralyze me if they remove it,” she said.

Hamilton is now behind bars facing several charges, while she remains in the ICU.

“I have numbness and weakness in my left leg. I cannot walk. I can’t stand on it. I can’t even walk to one of those portable toilets that they put next to the bed for you,” she said.

She’s reminding all parents, that you are never promised tomorrow.

“To protect our children in this day and age, look over your shoulder, know your surroundings. Always have somebody with you,” she said.

Listen to the sounds around you.

“That first gunshot was a warning sign and thank God I heard it because if I didn’t hear that first gunshot, I don’t think I would be here and nor would my son be here,” said the victim.

A weapon may not be there when you need it.

“I own a gun but don’t believe in gun violence. I own a gun in case someone was to shoot me and I still didn’t utilize that gun,” she said.

It took a lot of strength for her to talk to us and she could only do it by phone. She wanted you to hear her story because it was so random, in the middle of the day. She feels like she needs to warn people.

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