Pregnant woman hospitalized after husband allegedly shoots her in back
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA/Gray News) - A pregnant mother shot in the back is recovering at an Indiana hospital, as her husband faces several charges in connection with the incident.
Vanna Sowles, who is seven months pregnant with her third child, was hospitalized in life-threatening condition after she was shot in the back, near her spine, last Monday. She’s still recovering in the hospital more than a week later, WPTA reports.
“Her injuries are very extensive, fractured vertebrae. The bullet went through her kidney, hit her liver,” said Carrie Whipple, a friend of the victim.
She says that if Vanna Sowles were to speak from the hospital, she would say “that she’s strong, that she’s fighting, that she’s going to do everything she can to overcome this and keep her babies safe.”
Vanna Sowles’ husband, 25-year-old Terry Sowles Jr., is facing several charges in connection with the shooting. Fort Wayne Police responded to a call from the suspect last Monday in which he said he accidentally shot his wife.
The couple was arguing about infidelity prior to the shot being fired, according to court documents. The documents say Terry Sowles told police he threw his gun on the ground in anger, and it went off, striking his wife.
According to the documents, detectives told him that the physical evidence at the scene showed the bullet was in a straight-line trajectory, not in an upward motion as it would have been if things happened as he described.
Vanna Sowles didn’t deserve anything that happened to her, Whipple says.
“She’s just a beautiful person. She’s kind, sweet, loving. She’ll give you the shirt off her back, even though she only has two shirts. She’ll give you one of them if you need it,” she said.
Whipple adds it hasn’t always been easy for the mother and full-time student.
“She was doing it, though, until her whole world got turned upside down,” she said.
As Vanna Sowles recovers, Whipple and another friend, Rachel Fisher, wanted to help any way they could, so they started a GoFundMe for her and her children.
“When she gets to go home, she’s going to need help, and the funds are going to help her. Everything’s going to go to Vanna and the kids,” Whipple said.
The victim’s friends say nobody else should have to experience what she is going through.
“There should be more help for women in Vanna’s situation. There should be resources to women who want to leave but can’t leave,” Whipple said.
Terry Sowles was released from jail after paying $5,000, or 10% of his $50,000 bond. He is facing felony charges of aggravated battery, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and four counts of domestic battery.
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