RALEIGH, N.C. —  A Raleigh mother was in a fight for her life after being shot by her daughter's father, according to her family.

They also say the bullets struck the 24-year-old mom in the neck, face and arm.

The victim’s mother said her daughter has a long road to recovery.

What You Need To Know

  • A Raleigh mother is fighting for her life after being shot by her daughter's father, according to her family

  • They also say the bullets struck the 24-year-old mom in the neck, face and arm

  • Investigators charged 27-year-old Rakeem Nowell with attempted first-degree murder after the shooting

  • Domestic violence survivors can find help and resources at N.C. Safe Space

Family members say Jerriyah Reed was walking out of a store while talking to the suspect on her cellphone. They say when she got to the car, the suspect started firing shots.

Keeandre Reed returned to the area where her daughter almost lost her life in mid-August.

Family members say Jerriyah Reed had just dropped her two girls off at day care before heading to work and had just seen the suspect an hour before the shooting. 

“He was shooting my baby that bad that she swallowed a bullet, and like I said, I truly believe he was trying to kill her because every bullet hole is from the waist up,” Keeandre Reed said.

Police were called out to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Raleigh Boulevard the afternoon of Aug. 14 after witnesses say they heard gunshots in the parking lot of a Rose’s department store. 

“When I got to the scene, her car was on this side street and when she drove off, he followed her, hitting her, and then her car stalled, I want to say on the median and then he shot her some more and then he fled,” Reed said.

Reed says her daughter was shot 10 times.

Her sister shared cellphone video of Jerriyah Reed raising her right arm not long after she got out of ICU at WakeMed Hospital. 

At the time of the interview in September, Reed, who’s still in the hospital, could barely talk because of her injuries.

“One bullet hit an artery in her neck. One bullet hit blood vessels in her neck. She swallowed a bullet. A couple of gunshots to the face, a couple in her arm, her spine wall,” Keeandre Reed said.

Investigators charged 27-year-old Rakeem Nowell with attempted first-degree murder after the shooting.

 

 

“Aug. 14, I thought my daughter was gone. When they sent the chaplain in to talk to me, I thought my daughter was gone. For the next three nights, I just sat there in ICU watching my baby, praying, saying, 'Please fight, fight, fight,'” Reed said.

Jerriyah Reed not only survived, but her mom says she’s making progress quickly.

Reed, who was on a ventilator and oxygen, spoke for the first time in two weeks.

“Nobody but God, she also wrote yesterday on her board, 'God is good.' I want to thank everyone who sent up prayers for my daughter because they worked,” Keeandre Reed said.

There's still no word on what led to the shooting.

According to court records, Nowell was charged with a firearm by a felon four days prior to the shooting.

Domestic violence prevention

Domestic violence prevention advocates spoke to Spectrum News 1 about the importance of resources for victims.

Safe Space, an organization that works closely with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors started a program called the lethality assessment protocol to help victims who may be at risk.

“It’s an assessment tool and referral protocol so when law enforcement goes out on scene to a domestic dispute, once the investigator arrives on the scene, they will ask them if they want to participate in the assessment lethality protocol, which is a questionnaire that they ask the victim,” said Jaenelle Leach, a domestic violence prevention advocate with Safe Space.

Based on the answers will determine whether they do an immediate referrals to a domestic violence advocate while they’re on scene.

Some of the questions include, has he ever tried to choke you or has he ever used a weapon against you?

“I know that it’s not easy, but if you reach out to your local domestic violence agency, there’s help out there, doing the lethality program gives victims a better chance to leave their abuser,” Leach explained.

Signs of domestic violence include power and control, isolation, jealousy and needing to know every place a person’s partner is going.

To learn more about the lethality program and resources for people experiencing domestic violence, click here: www.ncsafespace.org.

Jerriyah Reed's family started a GoFundMe account to help pay for her medical bills. Click this link to learn more.

The Gofundme.com site is not managed by Spectrum News 1. For more information on how the site works and the rules visit  http://www.gofundme.com/safety.