ATLANTA — A family in metro Atlanta is calling attention to domestic violence and the life-altering impacts it could have after their daughter was shot three times while saving her 6-week-old baby from gunfire.
Life changed on August 22 with a phone call. Jennifer Morris said all that could be heard when her husband answered their 24-year-old daughter was "the baby screaming."
"We knew," Jennifer said. Her daughter, Jalen Morris and her baby were caught in a dangerous situation.
At that moment, she knew that none of their lives would be the same. The couple rushed to their daughter's side, hoping to help their grandson Ja'siah, too.
"By the time we saw her, she was already on a vent (ventilator), so the only way to communicate was a whiteboard," Jennifer said.
Jalen's message - "I just want to survive" - was written on the board.
She was shot twice in the face and one time in the back, hovering over her baby, Ja'siah, to protect him from his own father. After her former partner shot her, he then turned the gun on himself, taking his life.
The Morris family faced is now faced with an extremely long fight to recover together.
"On this side, I am missing most of my teeth, so it's harder for me to talk. The bullet cut half my tongue," Jalen said, adding later, "My brain doesn't comprehend that I am in a wheelchair, and I'll be in a wheelchair my whole life."
Following the attack, she was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries and started rehab. Her parents continue to support the two as they go to doctor appointments, make modifications to their home and get their grandson into daycare while receiving medical bills in the mail.
"What I can tell you is our family is strong; as I said above, we have 7 amazing kids, all of whom will rally behind Jalen and Ja’siah," Jennifer said in an online fundraiser to support the family. "Our daughter is a hero, she protected her sweet baby boy while putting up the fight of her life."
In 2022, the National Domestic Violence Hotline said its team "experienced historic high contact volume," receiving over 2,000 calls and chats a day, over a 10% increase from the year prior.
A site that tracks gun violence across America has Jalen daughter listed as a victim, but her mother doesn't want her to be another name on the list, which is why shares her brave daughter's story.
"That story could potentially stop other names from being on that list," Jennifer said.
Her parents, now joining in the fight to share her message of survival, started a TikTok channel to raise awareness about domestic violence.
"It's taboo, even on platforms like TikTok," Jennifer explained, "if you use the words domestic violence, you write those words, it (the video) gets taken down."
As for Jalen, she is looking to use her words to tell her story and rewrite what a survivor looks like for her son.
"I love watching you grow and will forever love you," Jalen wrote to her baby.
Through their efforts, the family hopes to help those who have survived domestic violence and give those still in these situations the strength and resources to break free.
The story continues after the gallery below:
There are a lot of people who need support, with 20 people every minute being abused by an intimate partner, according to U.S. Department of Justice data from a 2014 special report.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which has dug into that data, reports that one in 15 children knows this type of violence has taken place in their homes, and 90% are eyewitnesses to the crime.
Donate to the Morris family through this online fundraiser.
Domestic Violence Resources in Georgia
- Call their 24-hour stateline hotline at 1-800-33-HAVEN (1-800-334-2836)
Metro Atlanta Crisis Line
- Call 404-873-1766
Other Resources
- Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Text "START" to 88788