Bremerton school shooting victim released from hospital
Apr 3, 2012, 10:34 AM | Updated: 2:28 pm
Amina Bowman leaves the hospital on Tuesday, over a month after she was accidentally shot inside her Bremerton elementary school classroom. (97.3 KIRO FM Photo/Josh Kerns)
Amina Bowman nearly died on Feb. 22 when she was struck
with a bullet
from a gun that accidentally went off inside a fellow
classmate’s backpack. But, after six weeks and multiple
surgeries, she walked out of the hospital clinging to her
parents and headed home Tuesday.
“It’s like bringing home a newborn baby. We’re just so
happy to have her with us,” said her father John Bowman.
“I don’t know how to describe it.”
Dr. Eileen Bulger, director of emergency services at
Harborview Medical Center, said Bowman’s condition was
rocky until about two weeks ago, but they were pleased
when she was able to get off the ventilator.
“She’s still on a liquid diet and still feeds through a
feeding tube, but we think that’ll get better in the next
few weeks. She needs to do some physical therapy on her
arm, but on the whole, she’s doing very well,” Bulger
said.
Amina has undergone five surgeries, and doctors decided
not to remove the bullet, lodged in muscle next to the
spine, because the surgery would be too dangerous.
Amina’s release from the hospital marks the one-year
anniversary of her father’s return from Iraq.
“It’s a pretty special day for homecomings in our family,”
he said.
Amina didn’t say anything as she cradled a stuffed animal,
but her mother Teri says the little girl was thrilled to
be heading home.
“She’s been all grins all day. In the morning, I asked
her
‘where are you going?’ and she goes ‘home!’ She’s been
happy,” Teri said.
Meanwhile, the 9-year-old boy who brought the gun to Armin
Jahr Elementary School, pleaded guilty in juvenile court
to unlawful possession of a firearm, bringing a weapon to
school, and reckless endangerment.
In exchange for the guilty plea, he was given probation
and asked to testify against his mother, Jamie Lee
Chaffin, and her boyfriend, Douglas Bauer. The pair have
been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and
third-degree assault, a felony that could send them to
prison for up to five years.
Chaffin was ordered held on $50,000 bail because she’s a
convicted felon and due to outstanding warrants, according
to the judge.
Investigators believe the boy took Bauer’s .45-caliber
handgun from a car glove box when he was visiting his
mother and Bauer.
