A 7-year-old boy, Zayden Garrett, has made a remarkable recovery after being shot in the West Pullman neighborhood, swiftly being released from Comer Children's Hospital and going trick-or-treating as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Halloween. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the young boy was able to join family members in southwest suburban areas known for their safety, successfully trick-or-treating only weeks after an incident that also left his uncle critically wounded.
Zayden and his 27-year-old uncle were shot on October 7 when gunmen fired into his family's home. Despite the severity of his injuries, which required part of his lung to be removed and a bullet fragment to be extracted, Zayden returned home to rapidly to start regaining his youthful energy. "He did not deserve this," his grandmother, Rosie Liggins, was quoted in an interview with CBS News Chicago. "He is 7 years old, and he's fighting for his life," she added.
The boy was originally not expected to leave the hospital so soon. "Doctors had expected Zayden to be in the hospital for about four weeks," Zayden's grandmother said, "But God said otherwise," Liggins added. In light of his unanticipated discharge from the hospital just over a week after the shooting, Zayden's Halloween festivities came not only as a surprise but also as a profound relief to his family.
Moving beyond his harrowing experience, Zayden was seen jumping and running on Halloween night, largely indistinguishable from his peers reveling in the holiday excitement. "You really think you're gonna go home, sit in the bed, watch [TV] and eat all that candy?" Liggins asked her grandson, as per the Sun-Times. Amidst this newfound joy, Liggins has created a GoFundMe page to aid with relocation costs, keeping Zayden at a safe location and out of the home where the shooting occurred.
The case remains unresolved, with no suspects in custody.
