ST PAUL, Minn. — A 25-year-old mother is thankful to be alive after she was shot three times outside a St. Paul home on June 21.
Keyonna Jackson points to gunshot wounds on her body. "My wrist here caught the bullet. I'm blessed that it didn't go through," she said.
She was one of three people shot and injured.
Keyonna's boyfriend, 34-year-old Jaleel Jackson-Bey, was later arrested and charged in connection to the shooting.
"It was really traumatic. It went fast," said Darnella Wade, who started Black Truce Peace Organization after her son was shot seven years ago. "They were arguing out here, and my bedroom is up there. And it went from an argument to a gunshot."
As Keyonna sits with her mother at the same place where she was shot, she remembers being in fear for her 2-year-old son's safety.
"Something tells me he wanted to do something to him," said Jackson. "She was shot three times, the house was shot up nine times, community and cars," said Wade.
According to a criminal complaint, Jackson-Bey was previously convicted of possession of a firearm and domestic assault involving Keyonna and was prohibited from carrying a firearm.
In March of this year, court documents show Jackson-Bey previously threatened to shoot and kill the victim.
"I was with my abuser for seven years," said Keyonna. "I know he's sick and he's a menace to society. I want him to get sentenced to the 40 years that he's facing," she said.
"I'm grateful she didn't die," said Wade.
Together, they're thinking of the other victims caught in the middle.
"We want to apologize to the bystander, the guy down there that got shot, this guy way down there — we didn't even know these people," said Wade.
And gearing up to face the challenges that lie ahead.
"I don't really know how to move forward. As he abused me, he also took care of me," said Keyonna.
Keyonna and her mom are now on the long journey toward healing.
"I want to apologize to Keyonna because I think I may have been too hard on her and made her run these last seven years," said Wade.
Now, they're sharing their story for other survivors.
"Take care of yourself first, that's the word, take care of yourself," said Keyonna. "If you know better, that should be your wake-up call."
The defendant is charged with felony domestic assault, possession of a firearm after conviction of a violent crime, and three counts of second-degree assault.
He's being held in the Ramsey County Jail and is due back in court on July 17.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Keyonna on her healing journey. If you'd like to contribute, click here.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and needs help, call 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 to be connected with someone from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline includes more options for support and identifiers of abuse on its website.
For Minnesota residents, Cornerstone MN offers resources and safe housing for domestic abuse survivors and crime victims. Call 1-866-223-1111 or chat online with the crisis hotline.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more Breaking The News:
Watch all of the latest stories from Breaking The News in our YouTube playlist: