School shooting victim who was left paralysed for life visits gunman in prison

A school shooting victim, who was left paralysed, visited the jailed gunman who changed her life forever.

Missy Jenkins Smith was 15 when classmate Michael Carneal opened fire at their school in West Paducah, Kentucky, USA, on a morning prayer circle of students.

Armed with stolen guns, Carneal, 15 at the time killed three people and injured five more.

Recalling the horrors of the morning that changed her life forever, Missy saw a fellow student Nicole Hadley get shot in the head - initially thinking she was caught in the middle of a school prank.

But as more bullets rained down of pupils, Missy knew it was anything but a joke, as her twin sister Mandy crawled to protect her.

Michael Carneal, now 39, was just 14 when he killed three and injured five at Heath High School; he’s up for parole this month (Kentucky Department of Corrections)

Jessica James, 17, and Kayce Steger, 15, were also fatally wounded before Carneal ended his attack.

Missy was left paralysed from the chest down by the shooting, but went on to graduate, get married and have children - even finding the courage to face Carneal again many years later.

While nine months pregnant, she visited him in prison 10 years after the fateful morning.

Speaking about why she needed to face now 39-year-old Carneal, Missy said: "I knew I wasn’t going to get a reason why he did it, a specific reason.

"I wasn’t there seeking an apology. But I wanted ... to see if I could get whether he would have chosen, if he could choose to go back, [to make] the same decision.", she told The Independent.

Missy was left paralysed from the chest down by the shooting, but went on to graduate, get married and have children - even finding the courage to face Carneal again many years later (wpsdlocal6.com)

Carneal was jailed for life with the possibility of parole, which he could be granted later this month.

On the 19th, victims from the shooting will share impact statements with the parole board, The board will then decide whether to grant parole.

She said: "For the past 25 years I've lived very differently than what I pictured my future would've been.

"It's in their hands. I mean, they have to make the decision on what they think is right. I don't know what the shooter is like now. I don't know where he is mentally, physically. I don't know what the last 24 almost 25 years has done to him in prison, so I feel like it's not necessarily my place to make that decision."