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'Speak up please' | Family hoping someone leads police to shooter as 10-year-old continues to fight for his life

The young boy remains in the hospital. His family said he's having a painful recovery.

HOUSTON — It's been two weeks since Calvin "CJ" Jackson Jr. was shot while playing at a playground at a northeast Houston apartment.

As of Saturday, the 10-year-old remained in the hospital. His family said he's having a painful recovery.

The person responsible is still on the run. It's why his family is begging for answers.  

"They wanna know how I feel, what I feel," CJ's mom Dashaydarion Jackson said through a steady stream of tears. "How would you feel? You know it’s crazy. I’m just confused. I’m mad."

On March 26, a fight inside an apartment near Tidwell Road and CE King Parkway ended in gunfire. The target wasn’t CJ, but the bullets didn't care.

READ: ‘Very disturbing situation’ | 10-year-old boy fighting for his life after being shot, sheriff says

CJ's grandmother lives at the apartment complex where the shooting happened and was the first in the family to find him.

"Never in one million years would I have guessed it was my grandbaby," said Francine Riston.

Distraught, and with police already on the way, she called her daughter. 

The family found out CJ had been hit twice. Bullets damaged his lung, liver and intestines and grazed his spinal cord.

Dashaydarion stands firm in her faith that her son will recover.

"I feel like prayer is also keeping us mentally sane right now," Calvin's aunt Donnika Davis said. "I think that’s what we’re holding onto as well. And when we look at CJ, we see a miracle."

The family wonders if CJ will walk, or play his favorite sport again, but as they pray for a miracle to happen, they're hoping someone leads police to the gunman. 

"Speak up please because if they did it to my son, he’ll do it to anybody," Dashaydarion said. "No one is safe."

A GoFundMe has been created to help with CJ's recovery.

"There are a lot of things that he has to do that his medical insurance doesn’t cover," Davis said. "That's another reason why we created the GoFundMe."

In addition to the GoFundMe, SonRise Church, located at E Mt Houston Road near Hirsch Road, will hold a concert benefit for the family on May 4 at 4 p.m. The church wants the public to come out and support. 

Anyone with information on CJ's shooter is urged to call the Harris County Sheriff's Office. 

Katiera Winfrey on social media: Facebook | X | Instagram

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