LONGMONT, Colo. — Two young children from Longmont were reunited with their mother at the Anschutz Medical Campus on Saturday, more than a week after they witnessed her being shot twice by their own father.
The incident has left the family grappling with the physical and emotional scars of domestic violence, signaling a long road to healing ahead.
Brandon Allen was arrested on March 20, for allegedly shooting a woman in Longmont, leaving her critically injured. The woman shot is the daughter of Martha Douglass-Johansen.
"It was chaos," Johansen said, her voice heavy with emotion recounting the shooting that unfolded in broad daylight in her driveway.
Johansen said her daughter Nicki and her grandchildren, two seven-year-old boy-girl twins, had run out on an errand to the store around 1:00 p.m. Then Martha said she heard two loud gunshots.
The arrest affidavit says the twins ducked down in the backseat of their mother's car "because they did not know if their dad was going to shoot them as well."
From her window, Johansen said she recognized Allen, and saw him wielding a gun. Police said it was the seven-year-old boy who rolled down the window and called to a neighbor for help after Allen had fled the scene.
"Mom got shot in the head, do you think she will remember us?", the affidavit says one of the children asked police.
By approaching the car Allen was breaking a protection order Nicki had filed against him. Allen eventually ended up calling 911 himself, according to the affidavit, and said, "I think I just killed my ex-wife."
Nicki was rushed to Longs Peak Hospital before being airlifted to Anschutz Hospital in Aurora. She is now recovering from surgery and treatment to the gunshot wounds to her neck and thigh.
On Saturday, Johansen, who is now caring for the children, took them to the trauma unit at Anschutz Hospital to see their mother for the first time since witnessing her getting shot.
"They were just so excited that they couldn't stop talking," said Johansen. "It was a wonderful reunion for them. But difficult, because she doesn't look like mom right now."
Johansen acknowledges the uncertainty surrounding the long-term effects on the children but emphasizes the immediate impact they are experiencing.
"They wake up sometimes at night with a bad dream or they just tell me how sad they are and how they miss mom... I know it will be something they will remember for the rest of their lives," Johansen remarked.
Navigating her newfound role, Johansen is striving to maintain a sense of normalcy for the children amidst the upheaval. Ensuring they continue their schooling and participate in extracurricular activities remains a priority.
Despite the challenges, Johansen finds comfort in the mutual support the twins offer each other.
In the face of mounting medical bills, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to aid the family in their journey toward healing.
The family is now hoping Nicki can get transferred to a hospital near Longmont, so she can see the kids more often.
"We don't know what her future of recovery will look like, but no matter what, we will get through it and life will go on. No matter what," said Johansen.
Allen is currently being held at the Boulder County Jail on $5,000,000 bond. He faces numerous charges including attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of child abuse. His next court date is scheduled for May 16.
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