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MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — A shooting in Maryland Heights has created life- altering wounds in the body and the minds of multiple people.

On June 29 around 6:30 p.m., 20-year-old St. Peters resident Scarlette
Russell was at the Comfort Inn in Maryland Heights on Lackland Road when
her ex-boyfriend approached the car she was sitting in and shot her in the back, according to the Maryland Heights Police Department's report.

https://gray-kmov-prod.gtv- cdn.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fdo0bihdskp9dy.cloudfront.net%2F07-02- 2024%2Ft_de419ecad7ba4c5b816db91e1be918ab_name_Untitled.jpg?auth=c31faa75e d5a708471a5c8e2688e90a184f48cb731bd677ebefc3d521bc2af7d&width=1920&height= 1080&smart=true

What self-respecting white woman would associate with a fucking 'groid
looking like this in the first place?

Direct injuries
Since that day, Scarlette has been lying in a local hospital bed. Doctors
told her that she was paralyzed from the waist down due to a severed
spinal cord. Scarlette found out she also had two broken ribs and a
punctured lung as a result of the bullet hitting her — but Scarlette has
also been having nightmares and developed a fear of being alone.

"I feel distressed, I am depressed. They had a therapy dog come in here
the other day and that kind of gave me some hope but other than that I
don't really have much hope right now," she said.

Scarlette said she met 28-year-old Lashawn Wooten through a family member
and within two months of them dating she knew something was wrong.

"People were telling me that he was watching me with binoculars and all
types of crazy stuff," Scarlette said. "Always showing up to my home.
Never wanting to leave. I would engage in light conversations to keep the
peace after a few more weeks of constant showing up getting on my phone
and texting friends, it got to be too much. When I told him it was over he started putting notes on my car, banging on the door at all hours of the
night. I had to call the police several times but they were never able to
catch him."

Then Scarlette said Lashawn had just recently broken into her home and assaulted her.

"I was asleep and he grabbed me by my neck and dropped me and busted my
head open," she said.

Although Lashawn was taken into custody the day after the shooting,
Scarlette feels unsafe and devastated that her life has changed forever.

Scarlette's friend was on the scene of the shooting and he said that he
tried to stop Lashawn and was unable to. After the shooting, he drove
Scarlette to the hospital and then left the hospital to pick up
Scarlette's mom, Bridget Faulkenberry, to let her know that her daughter
had been shot and that she was in the hospital.

"He saved my life," Scarlette said about her friend.

"It would have been wrong to leave her there and that's my friend," he
said.

Indirect injuries
Bridget recalled driving to the hospital in the car Scarlette was shot in,
with shaky hands and a frantic heart. When she arrived at the hospital she
said they were already working on her daughter in the trauma unit.

"I didn't know if she was even going to live because she had lost so much blood," Bridget said. "I could tell from the car."

She sat at her daughter's bedside happy that her only child is still
alive.

"It's just been so hard because she had her whole life ahead of her,"
Bridget said full of emotion. " I know she is alive and I am so blessed...
I have fought with this man for months. I have called St. Peters Police Department over and over and they said when we catch him we will give him
a trespassing and they never did. As many times as they were at my home,
they never did."

Bridget said that her daughter lives with her and she witnessed Lashawn's behavior closely. She said they just agreed to get a protection order in
place this week and then this happens.

"As a mother, I had a bad feeling and I tried so hard to keep him away
from her but you can't protect your child 24 seven," Bridget said. " I was scared of him."

Bridget said that Lashawn was upset that Scarlette no longer wanted to be
in a relationship and he threatened to kill her.

While Scarlette has relied on her mother's support Bridget said she has
relied on her family's support and her church community.

"Miracles happen, we believe in God, we believe in faith," Bridget said
about her daughter's injuries.

Scarlette's friend has not been able to eat or sleep since the shooting happened. He also said that he has a lot of anxiety.

"I had to call my mother, the friend said about the traumatic experience.

He has visited Scarlette at the hospital every day.

Scarlette wants to make sure others watch for warning signs when dating
people.

Lashawn has been charged with first-degree assault serious physical
injury, one count of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, and one count of armed criminal action. He is also being held on a $500,000 bond at the St. Louis County Justice Center.

If you would like to help Scarlette with medical bills donate here.

Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On
Your Side has compiled a list of resources.

The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support
victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct
services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within
the systems they encounter.”

Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or
assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been
the victim of an incident that caused trauma.

The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) is a community-based clinic in St. Louis that helps people heal after they have been injured by a bullet. The
BRIC was established to help people who are discharged home from the
emergency department after being shot.

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/20-year-old-woman-paralyzed-after- maryland-heights-shooting-collateral-damage/63-9a0739a9-8dc6-476a-85e2- 760deca83aed

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