Country Club Hills teen shot outside home defies recovery odds, reclaims independence

One year after a teenage girl was shot outside her home in Country Club Hills, Illinois, and was told she would never walk again, she continued to defy the odds and reclaim her independence.

In March 2025, Jaela Harrison got an incomprehensible message from a classmate telling the 18-year-old she wanted to "fight here." When Harrison stepped onto her front lawn, she saw several people in a white SUV and then, out of nowhere, someone started firing.

"It was just so much going on that it was very hard to think, and rushing blood, and everything," she said.

Today, in that same driveway, her father now helps her out of the car and into her wheelchair following a physical therapy appointment.

"Not only did it hit her spine, they hit her right kidney," her mother Crystal Harrison said. "They had to remove half of her right kidney, and she was told she would never walk again."

To this day, Harrison has no idea why the shooter and his accomplices wanted to hurt her. She didn't even know them.

A talented tuba and trombone player, she had her sights set on going away for college.

"I had plans on going to college at an HBCU and on March 16, they were just kind of swiped away," she said.

Harrison completed her first semester of college courses online from her ed in the hospital's trauma unit. But she said she felt like she survived for a reason.

"I just think that my spirit and attitude, like, will come off to others and maybe make them feel better about themselves," she said.

And she doesn't hold hard feelings for her attackers.

"Actually, this past Sunday, Easter Sunday, during prayers, I actually prayed for them and their negative thought," Harrison said.

Jailen Miller, 19, was arrested and charged with attempted murder in the shooting. But Harrison and her family still want to know why charges against the driver of the car weren't approved by prosecutors.

"They came over for trouble, they came over for that," said her father Joel Harrison. "Everyone knew it. Everyone should be held accountable.

When CBS News Chicago asked, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office sent us a statement saying, "We recognize the profound impact this shooting has had on the victims, and we are committed to prosecuting it to the fullest extent. In 2025, we approved Attempt First Degree Murder charges, and other offenses against the shooter in this case, who remains in custody awaiting trial. After a careful review of the evidence presented to us by law enforcement, our office determined we could not bring additional charges."

In March, Harrison flew to New York where the New York Giants team surgeon successfully removed the bullet after many other doctors said it was too risky.

"I'm still working towards walking again, and so far, I'm proving them wrong," Harrison said.

Harrison takes steps with he help of a spinal cord stimulator machine. She'd like to have one at home, but it costs $32,000.

Her family reached out to the Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Program to see if the expense was eligible but she said so far she hasn't gotten a clear answer.

With time and progress on the line, they're now weighing the gamble of taking out a $32,000 loan.

"She's a victim of a crime, a senseless crime," her mother said. "That's what the funding is used for. So let's use it for that reason."

Harrison's doctors in New York think her case might help set a medical precedent for how other gunshot victims with spinal injuries are treated in the future.

CBS News Chicago reached out to the Illinois Attorney General's Office, which administers the Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Fund. We received a statement from them after this story aired, writing in part, "Like other state assistance programs, the Crime Victim Compensation program has consistent requirements that must be met for every claim for the office to recommend that compensation be paid."

Full statement from the Illinois Attorney General's Office

Since taking office, Attorney General Raoul has strengthened the Crime Victim Services Division by increasing access to services and streamlining the division's processing of Crime Victim Compensation claims. The office now processes more claims and assists a broader number of crime victims, after legislation initiated by Raoul expanded access to the compensation program.

Like other state assistance programs, the Crime Victim Compensation program has consistent requirements that must be met for every claim for the office to recommend that compensation be paid. The division helps crime victims applying for compensation to ensure that they understand the requirements and necessary documentation. Victims who have questions about applying can call the office's toll-free Crime Victims Assistance Line at 800-228-3368.