The Daily Populous Saturday November 2nd, 2024 evening edition
Authored by cbsnews.com and submitted by dumb_wiseman96

Leslie Reeves and Chris Smith were shot during their first date. Only Smith survived. A look at how he defied the odds to make a remarkable recovery.

The exterior of Chris Smith's Farmersville, Illinois, home. Illinois State Police

On the night before Thanksgiving 2021, Smith went on a first date with a woman named Leslie Reeves. The morning after, first responders found Smith in his Farmersville, Illinois, home with a bullet lodged in his brain. Reeves was dead.

Chris Smith was placed in a medically induced coma after brain surgery. Chris Smith

EMTs rushed Smith to a hospital where he underwent brain surgery and was placed in a medically induced coma.

An X-ray shows a bullet fragment in Chris Smith's brain. Chris Smith

Fragments of the bullet remained in Smith's brain. His doctors say that to retrieve the bullet could risk causing further damage.

Sharon Costanza with her son Chris Smith during his hospitalization. Chris Smith

Smith's mother, Sharon Costanza, and sister, Ashli Holcomb, sat by his side during his recovery. Doctors told them chances were very low that Smith would return to his previous level of functioning.

Chris Smith shares his story with "48 Hours." CBS News

In January 2022, Smith woke from his coma and asked where he was and what had happened. He remembered nothing from the night of the shooting. He had no memory of his date with Reeves, even though he'd been talking on the phone and messaging with her two weeks before the shooting.

Dr. Victor Williams, Chris Smith's neurosurgeon, talks with "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty. CBS News

Due to Smith's injuries, his neurosurgeon, Dr. Victor Williams, told Smith he likely would not be able to walk again. Williams and his team were dedicated to doing everything they could to aid Chris' recovery.

Smith's left leg is partially paralyzed from his hip to his knee. From his knee to his toes, he is completely paralyzed.After he left the hospital, he had to move back in with his mother.

After intense physical therapy, Chris Smith has made incredible strides. He's much stronger than when he awoke from a coma, but he discovered there are gaps in his memory CBS News

Most days, Smith goes to the gym and works on regaining his strength so that someday he'll be able to walk without assistance.

"She's my angel," Chris Smith says of Michelle Albrecht. Chris Smith

Smith says he is determined to hold on tight to his new lease on life. He is back singing with his rock band. And he proposed to his fianceé, Michelle Albrecht.

Chris Smith is back as the lead singer with his rock band. CBS News

'Smith hopes to become a motivational speaker and has his own website.

"I don't know how he did make it. I don't understand how he did. He's a miracle," Sharon Costanza says of Chris Smith. CBS News

Smith's mother says his recovery is nothing short of a miracle.

CupidStunt13 on November 2nd, 2024 at 12:36 UTC »

No info about who did it or why. Since he has no memory of what happened it sounds like the shooter will remain free and anonymous unless there's a lucky break in the case.

Ask_Me_If_Im_A_Horse on November 2nd, 2024 at 12:26 UTC »

Remember Ralph Yarl, the young man from Kansas City, MO that was shot in the head and arm by his old, racist neighbor?

He’s made a full recovery. I had the privilege of watching that young man perform in the All-State band (top band in the state, incredibly competitive and a huge honor for high school musicians), and he was one of a number of students that came up to the microphone to speak before each piece of music.

Modern medicine is incredible.

Gbird_22 on November 2nd, 2024 at 12:22 UTC »

What an American story, guy gets shot in the head, his date dies, and the media turns it into some feel good story. How about we get serious about gun control instead of propagandizing tragedies.