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Courtesy of the Shevchenko family
Kristina Shevchenko, 15, was hospitalized Tuesday night after being shot by a gunman at Clackamas Town Center in Portland, Ore.
Updated at 1:30 p.m. ET -- A teenager from Oregon faces a “long road to recovery” after surviving her second brush with death in just the past few months.
Kristina Shevchenko, 15, was rushed to a hospital Tuesday in critical condition after a masked gunman sprayed bullets around a suburban Portland, Ore., mall during the height of holiday shopping season, piercing her chest. After surgery, she was in stable condition, according to a statement from her family.
Her family continued to update supporters on her condition via a Facebook page on Wednesday, with her brother, Yevgeniy, writing early in the morning, "The bullet went through bruising her lung, it missed any vital organs and it missed her ribs. She will need 2 more operations. we appreciate any and all support including your prayers! Thank you."
In another post, Shevchenko's family revealed something else: Over the summer, Shevchenko had survived another fatal encounter.
"Many of you have noticed the earlier tragedy that happened in our family a couple months ago where 7 of my siblings and 2 friends were involved in a fatal car accident. You could read it online for yourself, but yes it did happen and yes Kristina was in that car accident," the post read, and linked to an article about a Beaverton, Ore., man who was killed after veering into a van driven by a 27-year-old member of the Shevchenko family.
Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts identifies the victims of a deadly shooting at an Oregon mall, saying there was "no apparent relationship" between the two and the shooter.
Oregon mall gunman ID'd; motive unclear
The crash happened in Vancouver, Wash., in August, and alcohol was believed to have been a factor, Vancouver police told Columbian.com. Multiple teens and adults were in the van when the driver -- Alberto Perez Garcia, 25 -- veered into it, they said. The driver and at least two other adults had been hospitalized at the time.
In a statement, the family described Shevchenko as a "happy child" who is "active in church," and said "by the mercy of God she is now in stable condition, but has a long road to recovery."
Shevchenko, who had been with a friend when she was shot, regularly walked through the mall around the time of the shooting -- which happened at about 3:20 p.m. on Tuesday -- to get home from school, her family said.
The motive for the shooting, which sent Christmas shoppers and people waiting in line to see Santa running for cover, wasn't clear.
Several witnesses reported hearing the gunman, identified as Jacob Tyler Roberts, 22, announce, "I am the shooter," before he began firing.
"All of a sudden, I just heard a series of gunshots… boom, boom, boom, boom, boom… whatever the shooter was shooting at, they continued to shoot," shopper Bill Hoff told NBC station KGW.
Macy's employee Mariah Saldana told KGW that she was sitting by the door "watching what was going on, and then some guy just ran by in a white mask and an assault rifle, and then I look out because I hear a few shots and he's … and he’s sitting there and he's pointing the gun at some people."
Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts discusses the gunman who opened fire at a Portland-area mall, saying it "looked to be a random shooting."
More content from NBCNews.com:
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- Girl, 15, shot in Oregon mall cheats death twice
- 'Unique' smuggling attempt: $42,500-worth of marijuana shot into Ariz. by cannon
- Much-criticized 'drum major' quote on Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial to be removed
- Video: Driver ticketed for truck covered in Christmas lights
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I think the root issue is we are a society that is breeding psychopaths and sociopaths. There are lots of tools and weapons that will kill people, there are lots of things that will fuel a crime but the root cause is what needs to be focused on. We can't ban and abolish things every time something bad happens. It's not addressing a problem only reacting to it. Why is it people feel they need to shoot up a mall or a theater? What brain malfunction are they suffering from that makes them think that is a good idea? How can we recognize signs of people who think this way? These are the things that need focus, not reactionary panic that just restricts us as a society even more and legislates to the lowest common denominator.
It would help if we could study them, but we can't. All we can do is jail or kill them.
Satan is loosed upon the earth in the final days. Choose (that's right, free will) to turn away from God and meet with despair. This child is an innocent victim of a world where Satan is currently making the calls. "You ain't seen nuthin' yet!!"
another day another christian preaching damnation. What else is new.
Since the law enforcement captured this murderer, why was he taken into custody? He should have been executed at the criminal site. NO trials, immediate karma.
What are you talking about he killed himself.
Gotta' have those guns. Not sure if it would be better for everyone to be armed and after the idiot fires they can take him out before he kills someone. Then the idiots usually kill themselves. What I don't understand is why the killers don't turn the guns on themselves first. Maybe they want the notoriety that they think comes to them with such heinous behavior.
I hope this young lady recovers completely, both physically and mentally.
A gun is a tool. All tools have specific purposes. The purpose of the gun is to kill. That is why it was invented and why it has developed. It is a very effective and efficient tool for this purpose. If our society does not think the most effective and efficient tool for killing should be regulated for maximum safety to the public, then our society is wacked
The devil is getting rusty. It's probably because he has too many easy-targets in war-torn countries. Better luck next time.
First off, my hopes and prayers are that this young lady makes a full recovery.
My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims families.
We can not legislate evil, or mans heart. If someone wants to kill someone, they will find an appropriate weapon. Look at Australia for an example. They completely outlawed firearms. Some criminals still have and use them. Their violent crime rate skyrocketed after the ban. The weapon of choice now is swords. Guess what the government is now talking about banning...you guessed it, swords.
You can ban firearms, but you can not ban killing.
First off i hope everyone recovers including the families of the dead and gunman.
second all you azzholes that want to go out and shoot up a bunch of people please get practice first.
use your head first as a ballistics dummy to make sure your bullets are effective.
as a gun owner i do not want my guns taken away over someones idiotic blaze of glory.
i feel my guns are for my protection from the people who do not abide by the law and who would put my life or someone else's life in danger. they are meant to kill that is there true purpose and i understand that.
i carry a gun everyday legally and pray that the only time i fire it is when i take it to the range to practice.
Final Destination.
"I am the shooter" translates to "I am the loser."
When did this turn into a religious article? This is a terrible shooting and could happen anywhere. This individual was mad at someone or something, and used this situation to make it felt. I'm glad he's not around
anymore. I don't want to hear his lame excuses for why he did this. My heart felt sympathy goes out to the friends and families of those victims he killed and the young girl fighting for her life.
Yes, you are right, conservatives. We certainly don't need a reassessment of our gun laws. Obviously not necessary at all.
If you have a permit to carry a licensed firearm then I do believe you take it to the mall. Responsible & Law abiding gun owners have every & should ALWAYS have every right to BEAR ARMS. Oh you Atheists, I feel so sad for you, moronic & non-empathetic.
Lol, yes, how moronic to not believe in magical men in the sky and not believe in a ridiculous book written by cavemen. I feel so silly for not believing in angels and demons and ghosts and witches. As far as empathy goes, you Christians have none except for your own kind. We atheists love and care for everyone equally, we are much better than those who only care for a narrow group of people because they think they will get a reward someday. We don't need a reward to be good. We are just better people by nature.
What does Atheism have to do with guns? I'm an Atheist and I believe in Gun rights.
Here you go. A CCW holder preventing something bad. It happens, it's just the piss poor media would rather post BAD stories than ones with happy endings. How could the sheep be controlled if they found out that guns could actually HELP people survive????? Watch for yourselves. www.youtube.com/watch/v=mq6leTBqF8A It's called Grandpa with a gun.
Have you seen the nature show "Heart of a Lioness?" It is about a lioness that keeps taking antelope babies and treating them as her own. She protects them and tries to mother them. So, since on weird occasions a lion will actually HELP baby antelopes, I guess you want to have lions as their babysitters, huh? www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLo9-PEtM8Q
Go to youtube "Heart of a Lioness" and watch for yourself
Ah, she's "active in church." Maybe that's why God keeps trying to kill her! She should learn to sit still!
God watches over us. If it isn't our time to go, we will stay until He calls us home. When tragedy happens, He is there to help us overcome it. God has given us free will. He allows these terrible things to happen so that on Judgement Day, we will know we made these choices - and no one else. Nature takes it course without any interference from Him - just as it is when animals are studied in their own habitat - men do nothing to alter what will happen although they can. They want to know what will come next. God knows what will happen for all choices, but He wants us to make our own decision - Good or Bad. We'll be accountable for our actions when that time comes. May God have mercy on us all.
Probably smoked to much pot!
I would also argue that the problem is not growing as fast as the media OBSESSION with covering said events. This has been nonstop since last night. LITERALLY non stop. I would argue that media coverage of these events only increases the perception of frequency, but ALSO becomes a reason for others to try this.
I mean....why does the entire nation have to hear about this the minute it happens????
Repost...sorry
Guns are indeed tools for killing. Assault/Military style weapons are weapons for killing people. These things have no place in civilized society unless your intention is to kill people. One more thing, for all of you second amendment adherents out there, the muzzleloading musket was the type of gun in use when the amendment was written. To state that you have a "right to own" these assault weapons is really stretching things. Get a bolt action rifle if you feel the need to be part of a "well armed militia".
Yes you are right ThatGuy. But why is it so difficult to understand that part of the reason for the 2nd ammendment was so that citizens could protect against tyranny if needed?
That guy. Every weapon that civilians own get their background from the military, from muzzle loaders to semi-automatic firearms that hold 30+ rounds. Therefore by your definition, my .50 cal. muzzle loader is an assult weapon.
Seems to me he got it wrong. Should of shot himself first,then let everyone that cared wonder why.That way the other families would not have to go through the pain of losing a family member.
Hope this little girl makes a complete recovery.
There continues to be a degree of mental illness going unchecked when
these situations happen. Unfortunately the only argument people make
are about the guns these people are using.
i dont understand these people who have to take it out on others - if people want to kill themselves go ahead , dont kill other inocent people that have nothing to do with it .... hope the girl makes it , as i have said before , untill they change the laws that benifit hard working honest people and not execute thugs in a very very timely manner this will unfortunatly continue , i am so sick of criminals running the country - and i hope the piece of crap in the movie shootings near where i live gets lethal injection too .... i cant even belive what there is to vote for anymore
Will no one say that America is the primary country in the world where daily gun killngs is almost the norm. Is it not time to confess that America is the only country in which these gun play takes place and innocent people are killed.
America must be a forestate of hell.
Actually Allan, your statement is incorrect. With 300 million people in this country, the fact that you hear about a single event for 24 hours magnifies the perception of frequency exponentially
This type of activity does not surprise me at all. I caught my teenager playing an XBOX game the other day in which he was a terrorist (Russian?) traipsing through Air Force One looking to shoot the President! I notified the White House of the game MW3?, but I'm sure nothing will be done about it. Many see no relationship between fantasy violence and what happens in reality. many kids are on drugs and have no understanding or remorse about what they do in response to their addicting game playing. Of course, these are the same people who see no relationship between pornography and rape.