Months after shooting, boy leaves CHKD

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Evan Pierce is moving on.

Family members wheeled him out of the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters Sunday morning, six months after he was accidentally shot at his father's Virginia Beach home.

A grand jury indicted the boy's father, Nicholas Pierce, on a charge of felony child neglect in May. Police say Evan was shot in the hip with a large caliber rifle, but they have not said who pulled the trigger. WAVY.com contacted the Virginia Beach Police Department, but investigators would not give any details on their investigation.

Sunday's trip to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk was Evan's first time outside of the hospital, though he will have to stay there for at least two more weeks.

Evan and several family members took a trip to the zoo to celebrate his success. He now walks with the help of a cane and occasionally he uses a wheelchair. The 4-year-old said his favorite part of the trip was seeing the giraffes.

"There were a lot of what ifs and what's next, and that was the hardest part," said Evan's mother. "Nothing was certain. We didn't even know for sure if he would have his left leg. We didn't know for sure he was going to make it."

It's hard to believe this child full of so much joy suffered so much pain when a bullet shattered his hip and traveled through his intestines and spleen. His family says he was in a medically induced coma for a time and had to undergo several surgeries.

Evan's family wants to publicly thank everyone who followed her son's journey, prayed for his recovery and donated money to help cover the costs of medical bills.

They hope his next big trip will bring him home, for good.