The woman, Mary Kelly, survived, and her family said she's fighting for her life at the hospital following brain surgery.
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"I just went into shock," Kelly's family said. "I just wanted to go hug her and say, 'Come on. It's not happening to you.'"
Her family told ABC13 they want accountability from METRO and increased protection on the METRORail because they don't want this to happen to anyone else.
"The METROrail road failed our people. We were supposed to have security on there, METRO police on there...every time," Kelly's sister said.
They told ABC13 the suspect, Markeith Allison, liked Kelly, but she didn't like him.
The family's identities aren't being shared at their request for fear of retaliation.
Allison is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and accused of shooting Kelly in the head and leaving her for dead.
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Court documents reveal Allison is accused of grabbing the victim by the back of the head and shooting her in the head.
"Just heard her scream, and I heard both gunshots, " her family told ABC13. One of Kelly's sisters was on the phone with her when it all unfolded.
The victim was caught by surprise on her usual nightly trip on the METRO. Her siblings said she always took the same route.
"He was probably watching her, stalking her the whole time," Kelly's siblings said.
Her family said Kelly recently befriended the man because she's the kind of person to talk to everyone and befriend them.
"Every time somebody is a little sad, and if they walked up to her, she was going to put a smile on their face," they said.
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They say it's been very difficult seeing Mary like this at the hospital, fighting for her life. But say they're seeing progress.
"We heard her voice for the first time (on Sunday). I said, 'Hey Mary, we love you. We're still praying for you. You have support out here.' And she kept saying, 'I'm scared.' She was scared," a family member said.
Her sister told ABC13 that Kelly is unable to breathe on her own.
Mary's family said they need prayers for her recovery.
They also said they wouldn't stop until there's justice for what happened to their sister
As Mary continues at the hospital, her family says the bills are racking up. They have created a GoFundMe to help pay off the unexpected bills.
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