Parents of Abigail Kopf: 'She did not deserve this'

UPDATE, 12:50 p.m. Wednesday: Bronson Methodist Hospital released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying Abigail remained in critical condition. It also stressed that she was never declared brain-dead, despite continued inaccurate reporting by some news media.

Abigail Kopf, a strong-willed, athletic young girl who loves theater and wolves, is fighting for her life, her parents said Monday night.

"My daughter is not dead," her mother, Vicki Kopf, said Monday night. "She is alive and she is fighting for her life. I want everybody to understand that. Abigail is strong and she is a vibrant, beautiful, young lady. And she did not deserve this. And neither did her grandmother or those other victims."

Abigail's parents, Gene and Vicki Kopf of Battle Creek, and Bronson Children's Hospital Medical Director Dr. Aaron Lane-Davies held a press conference with local news media Monday night at Bronson Children's Hospital in downtown Kalamazoo. The Kopfs said they have been by Abigail's bedside since this weekend.

Lane-Davies declined to go into detail about Abigail's treatment and current status, only saying she remained on a ventilator and in critical condition. While her heart stopped and hospital officials had made contact with the organ and tissue donation program Gift of Life, he said, she never was declared medically brain-dead.

Vicki Kopf said Abigail has squeezed hands and is trying to squeeze with both her arms. She's also wiggling her toes, she said.

"In spite of the seriousness of injuries we are encouraged by her relative stability over the last several days and her responsiveness to her parents and our team," Lane-Davies said.

The 14-year-old girl is the lone survivor of those who were killed while sitting in a car at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Texas Township. The three other occupants — Mary Jo Nye, 60; Barbara Hawthorne, 68; and Judy Brown, 74, all of Battle Creek — were killed. Lt. Dale Hinz of the Michigan State Police said the girl was shot once in the head.

Vicki Kopf said the women were friends of their family. Hawthorne, known as "Grandma Barb," was a grandmother figure to Abigail, despite no blood relation. They had done things together "ever since she was a baby," Vicki Kopf said, and began attending musicals together when she got older. Hawthorne had an infectious laugh and "gave wonderful hugs," Vicki Kopf said.

"She is not of blood relation, she is just very close to the family," she said. "She was with us when Abigail was born and she is basically her adopted grandmother. She took both my girls under her wing and has basically raised them both with us."

A total of six people were killed and two others were injured in a series of random shootings in Kalamazoo County Saturday night. Police said the attack on Ab igail and four women at a Texas Township Cracker Barrel restaurant was the last of a series of random shootings by 45-year-old Jason Dalton. He also shot and injured a woman at an apartment complex, and killed two at a car dealership, authorities said. He was working as an Uber driver that night.

Police: Kalamazoo suspect says he 'took people's lives'

"Our thoughts are with the Dalton family who also are suffering at this time," Gene Kopf read from a statement Monday night. "We want his family to know that we don't hold anything against the family members."

Dalton was arraigned Monday on six counts of open murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder and eight counts of felony firearm. Police said in a preceding probable-cause hearing he admitted "he took people's lives."

The Kopfs continued to ask for their family's privacy Monday night, saying Abigail's 6-year-old sister still doesn't know "what has happened to her sister in full detail."

Parents of 14-year-old victim release statement

"We also know Abigail is going to have a very tough road to recovery," Gene Kopf said, "which is another reason we didn't want her to be under scrutiny or limelight when she is recovering. It's tough enough being a 14-year-old girl and everything is going well — adding that is hard to comprehend."

Early Tuesday morning, Harper Creek Community Schools Superintendent Rob Ridgeway released a statement, saying Abigail is a seventh-grader at the middle school.

"Our hearts are broken that a member of our school family was so gravely injured in the the shootings on Saturday in Kalamazoo," he said.

"Harper Creek Community Schools has had an emergency crisis team and a team of counselors in place since Monday morning. We will continue to support our students and staff with these services. Please join me and the rest of the Harper Creek community in thoughts and prayers for Abigail and all the victims and their families."

Contact Jennifer Bowman at 269-966-0589 or jbowman@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @jenn_bowman