Teen Initially Thought To Be Dead After Kalamazoo Shooting Responds To Doctor With Thumbs-Up

KALAMAZOO (WWJ/AP) - A simple squeeze of her mother's hand was enough to alert doctors that a 14-year-old victim of the mass shootings in Kalamazoo had survived.

Initial reports were that Abigail Kopf had died after being shot once in the head. Her parents were making arrangements to donate her organs when the girl squeezed her mother's hand.

"They then called in the doctor and he asked her a question and wanted a thumbs-up in response," said State Police Lt. Dale Hinz. "And she gave him two thumbs up. It's a glimmer of hope in this otherwise tragic situation."

The girl's parents held a news conference Monday night along with Dr. Aaron Lane-Davies of Bronson Children's Hospital, where she's being treated. They say she remains on a ventilator in critical condition.

"Everybody needs to get that straight -- my daughter is not dead," Vicki Kopf said. "She is alive and she is fighting for her life. I want everybody to understand that. Abigail is strong, and she is a vibrant, beautiful young lady and did not deserve this."

Dr. Lane-Davies said that although Abigail remains critically ill, "we are encouraged by her relative stability over the last several days and her responsiveness to her parents and our team."

Authorities originally believed Abigail was among those killed in the attacks. Lane-Davies said Abigail's heart beat stopped during attempts to save her life, but it was restored. An organ donation service was contacted with her parents' permission, though she was never declared medically brain dead, he said.

"She squeezed my hand. It was a miracle on its own," said Vicki Kopf. "You don't expect it and then all of a sudden it's there."

Saturday's attacks began outside the Meadows apartment complex on the eastern edge of Kalamazoo County, where a 25-year-old woman was shot multiple times but survived. A little more than four hours later and 15 miles away, a father and his 17-year-old son were fatally shot while looking at cars at a car dealership. Fifteen minutes after that, five people -- including Abigail Koft -- were gunned down in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Four of them died.

Meantime, Jason Dalton has admitted to gunning down the victims randomly — attacks apparently carried out over hours during which he also ferried passengers around town as an Uber driver. He's now facing six counts of murder.

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