ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A St. Peters woman partially paralyzed after being shot last month is home from the hospital.
Scarlette Russell spoke to FOX 2 shortly after her homecoming.
“I’ve been in the hospital since June 29,” she said. “Since I was shot.”
Russell’s been fighting through rehab since being shot in her back in the Maryland Heights Westport Comfort Inn parking lot.
“My daughter is so stubborn and hardheaded, and I think that is what truly saved her life, because they said that when she came in, it was very touch and go at first,” Bridget Faulkenberry, Russell’s mother, said.
St. Louis County court documents allege that Lashawn Wooten, 28, shot Russell, who was seated in a front passenger seat, after Russell had agreed to meet him.
Wooten was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He’s been locked up on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
Russell said she told him, “…no, don’t shoot me, and he shot me.”
In a St. Charles County criminal complaint, a prosecutor accuses Wooten of an earlier attack on June 1, alleging Wooten slammed Russell to the ground, broke into her home, and stole her iPhone.
“My mom was telling me the warning signs, but I wasn’t really listening,” Russell said. “Being in love sometimes just covers up everything.”
Though relieved to be back home, she’s already facing obstacles, such as her second-floor apartment. She has to find someone to carry her up and down the stairs.
“I have diligently been trying to find her a place,” Faulkenberry said. “There’s not a waking moment I haven’t been working on something for her so she can at least have something comfortable in her life.”
Russell is determined to show up in court.
“I just want to go in the courtroom and say my part,” she said. “I mean, he get what he deserves.”
Russell and her mother also want to help others.
“Moms out there, girlfriends out there, anyone that sees these signs, I promise you, please take them seriously,” Faulkenberry said.
Domestic violence is a critical issue in the St. Louis area, and numerous organizations are dedicated to providing support and resources for those affected. The Women’s Safe House offers emergency shelter, transitional housing, and comprehensive support services, including counseling and legal advocacy. The YWCA of Metro St. Louis also provides crucial resources, such as the Women’s Resource Center, which offers a safe haven and support services for survivors. Additionally, organizations like Safe Connections provide crisis intervention, therapy, and a 24-hour helpline to assist individuals in immediate danger or in need of ongoing support.
Another key resource in St. Louis is ALIVE (Alternatives to Living in Violent Environments), which offers counseling, emergency sanctuary, and court advocacy services to survivors of domestic abuse. For legal assistance, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri offers help with orders of protection and other legal matters related to domestic violence. These organizations work collaboratively to ensure that survivors have access to the necessary resources to rebuild their lives and achieve safety and independence.
To donate to Russell’s GoFundMe page to financially aid in renovations for accessibility in her house along with medical bills, click here.
