Mother 'thanking God' that daughter is recovering after being shot by 3-year-old brother

LAKELAND, Fla. - After two surgeries, six days, and thousands of prayers, the 2-year-old Lakeland girl who was accidentally shot by her 3-year-old brother is awake, active, and should make a full recovery.

Shalissa London says, when her daughter Kalli finally opened her eyes Wednesday, she didn’t expect her first word.

"I said, ‘Kalli, what?’ Because I was so shocked that she was talking! And she said, ‘Tablet.’ And I said someone better bring my baby a tablet up here right now," London recalled.

Anything she wanted, her mom says. After all, just days before, Kalli was fighting for her life – in critical condition from a gunshot wound.

"The bullet entered up under her heart and came out her backside," London said. "It tore through – it hit part of her lung, her pancreas, her colon, bowels and intestines."

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says last Friday night, her 3-year-old brother found a loaded gun in between couch cushions at their home.

"He was a baby playing with what he saw was some sort of toy," the sheriff surmised.

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London, who wasn’t home at the time, rushed to the hospital with her mother.

"We were both holding hands, and we walked in there. And my mom saw her, then just turned around and walked out. And I just broke down."

Since then, Kalli has undergone two surgeries to save her life. London says surgeons told her Kalli will walk away with only a scar.

"I was thanking God," London said.

Already, Kalli is eager to get out of her hospital bed.

"Last night, I was laying on the separate bed next to her, and I looked over at her and she was on her knees with her hands on the side rails of the bed looking at me. And I was like, ‘Kalli, if you don’t lay your butt down!’ London laughed. "She is ready to get up out of that bed!"

The gun Kalli’s older brother found belonged to a friend of her father, who was over visiting. The men had been watching a basketball game while caring for the children. 

He has since been arrested for failure to safely store it.