Two students were injured after a 13-year-old gunman opened fire on his fellow schoolmates.
It was on May 25, 2018, when the shooting incident happened at Noblesville West Middle School in Indiana. Ella Whistler was among the students injured. She was shot seven times in different areas, causing nerve damage and serious injuries.
Her family said in a statement last year: “Ella suffered very serious, life-threatening injuries from being shot 7 times in the face, neck, hand, and upper chest area.
“She underwent emergency, life-saving surgery after being airlifted to Riley [Hospital] and her injuries include collapsed lungs; a broken jaw, clavicle, multiple neck vertebras, and ribs; a severed vertebral vein; significant nerve damage; and numerous related injuries.”
Ella’s journey to recovery has not been an easy one with physical therapies and hurdles to go through. Now 14, she believes her survival is a miracle.
Speaking with Inside Edition, Ella said: “I really think it’s a miracle I’m here.” She also credited her teacher, Jason Seaman, for saving other students after he threw a basketball at the 13-year-old gunman and pinned him to the ground.
“I think he saved the classroom’s lives,” she shared.
Her parents, Cory and Julia Whistler, are also thankful that their teen survived the horrific events. “We got the news she was shot. Singular. We found out [later] multiple gunshot wounds. It’s amazing every day, thank God she’s still here,” her dad said to Inside Edition.
Ella will start high school this autumn and is excited to leave the incident in the past.
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