A suburban Chicago woman who was shot six times by an enraged driver is calling on authorities to charge the motorist.
According to reports, Aaliyah Ivory, 24, says she was trying to merge onto Interstate 57 northbound from Lincoln Highway on July 16 but another driver blocked her and tried to run her off the road. Ivory tried to cut him back off, and the driver caught up with Ivory and called her a racial slur, she says. Ivory clapped back.
“Next thing you know, bullets started to shoot,” Ivory’s sister Ashlee Johnson told WGN News. Ivory said she tried to drive to get away, but “he kept shooting.”
The other motorist shot through the back car window of Ivory’s Ford Focus five times and the side window once. Each bullet hit Ivory. Now, she is unsure if she will be able to walk again According to reports, Ivory was shot twice in the back, once in the hand, twice in the arm and once in the side.
“I’m in so much pain,” Ivory said from her hospital bed.
Video footage from the incident shows an injured Ivory sliding out of her car as bystanders tried to help her. Illinois State Police at the scene detained the man, but he was released after he told authorities that he feared for his life, according to reports. Police officials told reporters an investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
Ivory and her family dispute the shooter’s claims that his life was in jeopardy.
“They said he feared for his life,” Ivory’s mother, Kimberly Ivory, said. “But my daughter was shot in the back.”
Ivory said she had concealed license permit, but she and family said her weapon was still in the holster.
“He told someone I drew my gun at him. We are both concealed carry. I was so scared, I couldn’t even get to my gun fast enough,” Ivory said. “My gun has a safety on it. They can do any type of test to see I never discharged my firearm or anything.”
Johnson said she has a bullet lodged near her spine and significant damage to other parts of her body.
“One surgery she has to have is in her hand because she threw her hand up to block the bullet,” Kimberly Ivory said. “It shattered like 30 bones in her hand.”
However, Aaliyah said she is still thankful because the situation could have been worse. Her 2-year-old daughter normally rides in a car seat on the same side of the car riddled with bullet holes.
“It could be worse. There are two bullets in my back. One is 2 centimeters away from my spine,” Ivory said.
