Coweta County woman survives being shot five times, speaks out on domestic violence

In her own words: Domestic violence survivor speaks out

A Coweta County woman who survived being shot multiple times in what authorities describe as a domestic incident is now sharing her story and urging others to speak out against abuse.

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A Coweta County woman who survived being shot multiple times in what authorities describe as a domestic incident is now sharing her story and urging others to speak out against abuse.

What they're saying:

From her hospital bed, Ione Smith recalled the night of August 30 when deputies responded to Wedgewood Circle. Investigators say her husband, 42-year-old Justin Perez Smith, opened fire after going back inside their home.

"He shot me five times. My chest, my stomach, my back and my vagina," Smith said. "I think the gun was a Glock 19 and one of the bullets is still in me. So yes, it’s definitely a miracle. God was working that day for me."

Deputies said Smith was airlifted to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in because deputies on scene fired shots at the suspect, though none of them struck him.

Authorities confirmed Justin Perez Smith faces a long list of charges including false imprisonment, aggravated assault and obstructing emergency calls.

For Smith’s family, the night was overwhelming. "It feels speechless. It’s unreal. Especially when you get to the scene and so many things are going on and it’s a crime scene and they can’t tell you anything and you see yellow tape and you don’t see your mom," her son Datin Devezin said.

Her oldest son, Nathaniel, said their focus now is on her recovery and raising awareness. "She’s alive and doing fine and we just want to bring awareness that it’s ok to speak out against domestic violence," he said.

Nathaniel described his mother as someone with "a heart of gold," who works as a CNA and gives back to her community. "We are just looking for justice and he gets the whole penalty and is prosecuted to the fullest. My mother didn’t deserve that," he said.

Ione Smith says she wants her testimony to serve as a warning for others. "I would say get out. I want to start a domestic violence group. In my situation I was embarrassed to say what I was going through," she said.

Her sons say they do not plan to leave her side during her long recovery. 

Domestic violence survivor share her story

It happened inside a home in Coweta County and authorities have charged her husband with pulling the trigger. She talked only with FOX 5's Eric Perry from her hospital bed as a warning to others.

What you can do:

Friends and supporters have set up a fundraiser to help the family with medical expenses: GoFundMe: Help My Mother Heal After a Tragic Shooting