One year ago, on Dec. 9, Sanaa Hill was doing her homework at the Sykes Road Boys and Girls Club when a stray bullet from an AK-47 came through the wall and struck her in the head. Paramedics rushed her to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where doctors were able to remove the bullet. Hill ultimately made a full recovery and returned to McLeod Elementary School in January, where she is now a fourth-grader.
Police found a shell casing outside the club but never located a suspect for the apparently random shooting. Witnesses told the police that they saw a vehicle carrying three people drive in front of the club and saw someone fire a rifle roughly three times.
On Friday, Jackson State University's Center for University-Based Development will celebrate Hill's recovery with an event called "The Sanaa Hill Story." Speakers include Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., Boys and Girls Club CEO Billy Redd and emergency responders from Jackson Fire Station 11. Representatives from the Jackson Police Department will speak about the dangers of gun violence.
Friday's event is 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Sykes Road Boys and Girls Club at 450 Sykes Road. For more information, call Heather Wilcox at 601-979-2255.