An Ann Arbor woman who survived a mass shooting during a pool party in San Diego earlier this month returned to Michigan Wednesday to continue her recovery.
Twenty-four-year-old Charnee James was shot in both legs. Her family was there to greet after she landed at Metro Airport. For the recent Michigan State graduate and her family , the last few weeks have been surreal.
"I've never really been in a place where it was so close that I could have died," James said.
Charnee (pronounced SHAR-nay) was attending a pool party in an upscale apartment complex with her cousin when Peter Selis targeted them and several others. Police said Selis was distraught over a recent break-up and fired on several African Americans attending the party. One woman was killed and seven were wounded. Police returned fire and killed Selis, who was white.
All of the victims were African American.
The last few weeks have been surreal for Charnee and her close-knit family.
"We did everything right. I come from a two parent home. My daughter went to college like this can't be
her getting shot by a random guy," said Stacy Gullat, Charnee's mother.
Charnee plans to continue her recovery at home and then return to California.
"I feel like I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Definitely an unfortunate event but I like it out there," she said.
