A Normal Student's Life
Deserae Turner was merely 14-years-old when her life changed forever. Before that fateful day, Deserae was known as a perseverant student that excelled at several classes.
On the other hand, she enjoyed an active social life, and her friends loved her sense of humor and positive energy. Up to here, everything sounds normal.
Green Canyon's School Spirit
Deserae had always gone to the same school since she was a 3-year-old. Her parents never doubted their choice and sent her to the same school where they had studied as teenagers.
The school we're talking about is Green Canyon School, located in North Logan, Utah. It's most famous for promoting a solid bond between its students and the institution's values.
A Peaceful City
North Logan, one of Utah's smallest city (with a population of approximately 10 thousand), was seen by her parents as one of those safe places away from the buzz of crowded metropolitan centers.
In other words, North Logan was one of those sites where practically everyone recognizes everyone and where you can easily befriend your neighbors.
Peace Is Smashed To Pieces
That's why what happened to her young daughter came as a startling surprise. When they heard the news, it was hard coming to grips with the tragedy.
These things never happened in North Logan, so how could it be? Why had this happened to her innocent daughter, if she had never had any fights with anyone?
Terrible Events Unroll
The devastating events unfolded as Deserae was once returning from school like any other day. As she was coming back to her home, her uneasiness started to grow into fear.
For some reason, somebody was following her steps. "Maybe, it's my imagination, but just in case I won't look back and keep walking," she thought.
Two Suspicious Individuals
The fact that the alarming noises sounded like two people made her even more nervous. The footsteps were getting closer and closer. What could she do to run away?
The girl decided to quickly turn her head around to finally get a look at the faces of the suspicious subjects. Slide on to discover what happened next!
The Attack Begins
In effect, two shady-looking guys that were purposefully trying to conceal their faces with black hoodies and by staring at the floor were behind her, only a couple of feet away.
Before Deserae could escape from that narrow and desolated street, both men plunged into their target and violently threw her to the ground.
Paralyzed By Panic
When such a combination of terror, panic and adrenaline grabs hold of your mind and body as you realize that something awful is probably about to happen to you, you can't even think.
However, in that split second before the criminals grabbed hold of her, when Deserae managed to obtain a clear view of the two men despite their hoodies, she noticed something that confused her even further.
Familiar Faces
That's right, Deserae actually recognized those faces. Without a doubt, these two guys went to her school, and they were trying to mug her!
But she obviously didn't have any time to think about what was going on. Deserae shouted and begged them to stop when suddenly, a gunshot was heard.
The Aftermath Of The Gunshot
The poor 14-year old girl awoke several days later, lying down in a hospital bed and unable to move or talk. She didn't understand what was going on.
When she regained the necessary lucidness to understand what the doctors and her family were explaining, they managed to explain what had occurred with the gunshot and the posthumous events.
A Woman Found Deserae
Deserae had been shot in the head, and the bullet was still in her skull. After her parents called the police, many neighbors decided to help, and a woman finally found her many hours later.
The criminals had left her to die in a ditch, and though an ambulance immediately arrived to take her to the hospital, the neurologists were pretty sure that it was too late.
On The Brink Of Death
But the brave girl wasn't ready to throw in the towel! After being on the brink of death, Deserae, against all odds, survived that nearly fatal attack and began the slow path of recovery.
With endless patience and weekly sessions of kinesiology and many more brain surgeries, the nurses thought that the girl would fully recover.
Who Did This?
But what about the criminals? The whole community of North Logan was hoping that the police would be able to identify aggressors.
The poor girl and her parents needed to see the two men behind bars to move on from this horrible incident. Keep reading to discover what happened next!
Police Take Action
The police quickly identified the two guys who had tried to kill her: they were Jayzon Decker and Colter Peterson, two students that attended the Green Canyon School, just like her.
A year after the incident, both Jayzon and Colter pleaded guilty and received a long sentence satisfying the girl's parents.
The Judge's Decision
The aggressors, who were 16 years old when they robbed Deserae and 17 at the time of the trial, were sentenced to 15 years to life in prison by the judge.
That afternoon during the trial, Deserae was granted the opportunity to address the boys who had shot her.
Facing The Criminals
The young girl plucked up courage and approached his attacker. Deep down, she had forgiven him, but she still felt like speaking out her mind.
Looking directly at Colter, she said: "I hope that you think about me every time you try to use your left arm because I can't no longer use mine."
Deserae's Ceaseless Struggle
On the one hand, Deserae was able to slowly and painfully regain control over her body with the help of a chiropractor and more than eight brain surgeries.
But on the other hand, it's also true that recurrent migraines and partial-paralysis of her left arm still haunt her to this day.
A Moving Gesture
But the relief that every victim feels when the justice system works efficiently and the fact that she could release her accumulated anger by facing the boys during the trial undoubtedly helped her reconcile with what had happened.
What's more, Deserae's classmates recently showed their support with a touching gesture. Read on to discover what they did!
The Homecoming Queen
In 2019, two and a half years after the incident had occurred, Deserae Turner's classmates secretly agreed that they should let her enjoy an unforgettable night by crowning her as the school's homecoming queen.
Though Deserae had never given much importance to these kinds of events and honors, she couldn't help but shed some happy tears when they finally told her.
An Unforgettable Night
Deserae walked along with her father through the enormous football field and towards the homecoming king, while the whole school clapped and cheered on.
The day after the event, she was interviewed on TV and, still overwhelmed by the support of the whole city's community, she thanked everyone for encouraging her to keep on fighting.