Metro Detroit woman shot at San Diego pool party returns home

Woman shot in both calves

A Metro Detroit woman who was shot earlier this month at a pool party in San Diego has returned home.

Charnee James, 24, had been gone from Michigan for just two weeks and was at a pool party in upscale La Jolla, California, when a man who was distraught over a relationship started randomly shooting people.

One woman was killed and six were seriously injured. James was shot in both calves.

James was at the party with her cousin Haley when the bullets started flying. After weeks in the hospital, she finally made it back home.

James will be able to walk again, but she has extended physical therapy ahead of her.

"My left leg is fine, my right leg is numb," James said.

Her mother has been living in a recliner at the hospital her daughter over the last several weeks.

"I was fine on the plane," her mother said. "This is overwhelming because it brings back that that's my only child."

James' grandparents react to shooting

Investigators said James and six other shooting victims were targeted by "a very angry man with a gun." The 49-year-old man shot three men and four women, killing one of the women.

Witnesses said the man was sitting near the victims' pool party when he opened fire.

"(Doctors) had to reroute her vein to keep blood circulation," said Emmuel Gullatt, James' grandfather.

James also had to have a blood transfusion.

"She lost a lot of blood," said Deborah Gullatt, James' grandmother.

James lived in Ypsilanti and graduated from Michigan State University in 2014 before moving to San Diego. She worked at Quicken Loans and moved to the West Coast two weeks ago because she wanted to go into fashion.

"She called today and said, 'Make sure you let my job know I won't be there,'" Emmuel Gullatt said.

The Gullatts describe their granddaughter as a go-getter. She also had part-time jobs at Von Maur and Forever 21.

"I'm proud of Charnee because she's a very nice, sophisticated young lady," Deborah Gullatt said.

Deborah and Emmuel Gullatt are extremely close to their granddaughter.

"I'm just devastated," Deborah Gullatt said. "I just can't get over that. That was my first granddaughter. My daughter worked a lot, so she was always with us, and she's always been with us."

They were on the phone with James an hour before the shooting, talking about her move.

"We were getting the logistics of her moving there, her car, license, all that stuff, and I said, 'You're at a party, call me tomorrow and we'll figure this out,'" Emmuel Gullatt said.

But then they got the call about the shooting.

"She said, 'Don't be alarmed or upset, but we're at a party and Charnee got shot,' and we just lost it," Deborah Gullatt said. "Then she started telling me how it happened."

James' cousin ran over to help after the shots were fired.

"My niece went back to get Charnee because she didn't see her, and said, 'Charnee, please get up,'" Deborah Gullatt said. "Charnee said, 'I can't walk.' She said, 'Charnee you have to get up because he's reloading.' She put her on her back and carried her out. I mean, she saved her life."

Twelve hours passed before James' grandparents could speak with first responders about her condition.

"They wouldn't give us any information, and I called the police department and they said it was an active murder investigation, so they couldn't give out any information," Emmuel Gullatt said.

Their granddaughter is struggling to cope with what happened.

"My granddaughter keeps saying, 'We weren't doing anything,'" Deborah Gullatt said. "No, you weren't. It was not your fault."

The family feels fortunate James survived, but they're tired of the gun violence and want to know why the man opened fire.

"I forgive him for what he did," Emmuel Gullatt said. "I'm not a vengeful person. I'll never forget it. My granddaughter will never forget it. There are parents out there that lost a daughter, so I would ask him why. Why did he do this?"

James' mother was in Jamaica at the time of the shooting and had to change her plans so she could be by her daughter's side after the incident.


About the Authors:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.