11-Year-Old Semaj O'Branty Returns Home Four Months After Being Shot In Head Walking Home From School In Frankford
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A boy shot in the head during a drive-by shooting in Frankford is making a miraculous recovery. Four months after getting caught in the crossfire, Semaj O'Branty is finally home.
Semaj is in great spirits and says he's just happy to be home again. His father says he's not back in school just yet, but he's hoping to get him back in school again sooner rather than later.
"It was overwhelming at times because I didn't understand a lot of stuff," father Aaron O'Branty said.
O'Branty walked CBS3 through what it's been like for nearly the last four months after his then 10-year-old son was shot in the head walking home from school in the Frankford section of Philadephia on Nov. 6.
"I just thought that he was going to come home and we were going to have to communicate with him in a different way," O'Branty said, "because I didn't think they were going to get him to talk or nothing. But as time went on, they got him to talk."
Semaj is a fighter and to doctors' surprise, the energized 11-year-old is talking.
"I just want to see my friends," Semaj said.
Semaj hasn't been able to see his friends from school since he was caught in the crossfire.
He says his mom and dad kept him strong during his recovery in the hospital.
"They came every day to see me and they prayed for me," Semaj said.
It wasn't just Semaj's family praying.
His church, Faith Assembly of God, and the community rallied around him.
"There were times when I was upset and I wanted to do other things, but all I did was pray," O'Branty said.
Those prayers and Semaj's determination paid off.
Semaj is currently going through rehabilitation, where he learned how to speak again and he's now able to stand on his own.
"He wasn't giving up fighting, so my family just kept fighting for him," O'Branty said.
Police say they have not been able to track down the red Pontiac G6 that was caught on surveillance video.
If you have any information that could help lead to an arrest, contact police.
