Tools

Family members: Recovery of woman shot by boyfriend a "miracle"

By ANDREW DONOVAN

Story Created: Feb 10, 2013 at 4:36 PM EDT

Story Updated: Feb 10, 2013 at 10:00 PM EDT

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The woman who was left to die after being shot by her boyfriend, but survived, is making a miraculous recovery in the hospital, according to her family members.

The victim has been identified to NEWSChannel 2 as Audreyonna Goodison. She was shot in the head by Jerry McNair on Monday at Parkedge Town Houses in North Utica.

Sources also told NEWSChannel 2 that the violent incident took place while the couple's 19-month-old son was home.

Utica Police say the two fought and that McNair beat her and choked her with a USB cable. Goodison lost consciousness for a day and woke on Tuesday not knowing she had been shot. A family member says Goodison had no car and no phone, but felt something was wrong and responded to the residence.

Police say that on the way to the hospital, the woman was in such pain that her family member called an ambulance to take her there. It was then that it was learned she was actually shot in the head.

Following the shooting of Goodison, McNair later went into hiding at another on-again, off-again girlfriend's house, Petra Gonzales, in West Utica where a standoff with police ensued. McNair then fatally shot Gonzales five times and then committed suicide.

McNair was arrested in September of 2012 with Gonzales for alleged sex abuse of a child.

When asked about previous violence, a relative of Goodison's said, "A few weeks before the incident, he started getting violent with her. His personality changed. They had problems in the past, but never like that."

Audreyonna graduated from Proctor High School in 2007 and is now a licensed practical nurse.

Doctors have told family members that her recovery is a miracle. The bullet is still inside Goodison's head as to not do more damage as she recovers. Family members say she is able to walk and talk and the only obvious impairment is her vision but doctors think that will continue to improve as well.

What's On