Audio By Carbonatix
A 9-year-old boy in Bremerton, Wash. wrote a letter apologizing to a classmate who was seriously wounded after a gun discharged from his backpack, lodging a bullet in her spine.
The handwritten letter, which was written as part of a court ordered mandate, was addressed to Amina Bowman, 8, who was released from the hospital on Tuesday. The boy’s name has not been made public.
"I'm sorry I hurt you because I brought a gun to school. I did not mean for any one to get hurt," the boy wrote. "I wish everyone was okay. I made a bad choice."
The letter was written as a requirement of the boy’s sentencing when he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges stemming from the shooting, which police say was an accident. The Seattle Times reports the letter was written as the boy went through counseling, another sentencing requirement the boy must go through.
Six weeks after being airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, small milestones mark Amina's recovery.
A taste of soup, those first steps, and a brownie milk shake after being discharged from the hospital are all progress that her mother posts on her Facebook page.
"What a great day!!!" Teri Bowman wrote under a picture of her smiling daughter before she came home from the hospital.
On Feb. 22. Amina was shot during class at Armin Jahr Elementary School in Bremerton.
"I made a bad choice. I was sad, scared and afraid and I did not solve my problem well," the boy told her in his letter. "I will stay away from guns."
The school was put into immediate lockdown after the incident.
MaryLou Tucker, a parent of a student at the school, said the teacher in Amina's classroom did everything she could. "She had the kids sit, get underneath their desks and then made sure that the kids were accounted for," Tucker said.
The boy's prosecution will be deferred. His mother, Jamie Lee Chaffin, and her boyfriend, Douglas L. Bauer, pleaded not guilty to third-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to ABC affiliate KOMO.
Amina's parents said she'll likely return to school in the fall.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Parents in Ashanti make U-turn on Category C, D Schools as reporting deadline approaches
5 minutes -
September 21 declared public holiday for Founder’s Day
9 minutes -
Indonesia rescuers battle turbulent seas in search for 129 people after passenger ship capsizes
25 minutes -
Iceland’s last whaling company shrugs off threat of permanent ban
31 minutes -
‘Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks’ – GBA President on CJ’s SOEs comments
33 minutes -
Member of UK Armed Forces dies in road traffic incident in Ukraine
35 minutes -
Mahama to honour GAF Engineers Regiment with Order of the Companion of the Volta
38 minutes -
Agbodza demands quality, value for money in Accra-Kumasi Expressway construction
40 minutes -
Companies left China to dodge tariffs, now some are heading back
40 minutes -
Bali police investigate after Australian man and children found dead in home
40 minutes -
Government will not borrow to fund Accra-Kumasi Expressway – Ato Forson
48 minutes -
‘Judicial Service’s defence of Chief Justice was lacklustre’ – GBA President
50 minutes -
Etihad Airways sees strong demand, higher passenger capacity despite Iran war, CEO says
53 minutes -
AirBaltic files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as Iran war costs bite
54 minutes -
COPEC calls for strategic fuel reserve to reduce dependence on tax cuts
59 minutes