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
-
Photos: Juneteenth commemorated with durbar and wreath-laying at Christiansborg Castle
13 minutes -
Buildings collapse as floods ravage Samreboi, Asankragwa
20 minutes -
Parts of UCC flooded after heavy rains
31 minutes -
Amend Section 25 of GoldBod Act to protect institutional mandates, prevent financial loss – APL
46 minutes -
Makeup Ghana Launches First-Ever Ghana Beauty & Wellness Index to Fill Critical Data Gap.
59 minutes -
Indiana University, UG champion indigenous languages as key to inclusive governance
1 hour -
Galamsey Journalism: ‘A death sentence in slow motion’
1 hour -
Dutch to return 2,000 artefacts to Ghana as Reparatory Justice Conference secures major commitments
2 hours -
Italy’s Meloni says Trump ‘made up’ story that she ‘begged’ him for photo at G7
2 hours -
New Wa Court Complex over 90% complete as Justice Kulendi pushes for October commissioning
2 hours -
Ghana Young Academy welcomes National Research Fund, calls for dedicated support for emerging researchers
3 hours -
Football nights are bringing Ghanaians together, but how are they getting home?
3 hours -
Ghana Eye Project targets 3,000 beneficiaries with free cataract and pterygium surgeries
4 hours -
Chief Justice’s perceived closeness to government raises concerns – Miracles Aboagye
4 hours -
AMA to lock up shops, properties over unpaid rates and permit fees
4 hours