Kentucky woman hurt in Vista shooting is ‘miraculously fortunate’

A Kentucky man whose girlfriend was injured in Columbia’s Vista area early Saturday morning has continued to post updates on social media since the shooting.

On Sunday, he wrote she, “Remains (in) critical, but presumably stable,” condition.

Jimmy Brannon’s girlfriend, Denise Massey, was one of eight people injured when shots were fired outside of the Empire Supper Club in the Vista just after 2 a.m. Saturday, according to public Facebook posts by Brannon.

The Kentucky football fans were in Columbia to watch the Wildcats play SEC rival South Carolina on Saturday. Brannon offered a ray of hope Sunday afternoon.

“Denise at least at this point may have been almost miraculously fortunate given the other possibilities,” Brannon wrote. “She is still at great risk and in need of our prayers.”

Just before 4 p.m., Brannon posted the update with more details on Massey’s condition.

The bullet shattered some bone and exited the back of her neck without damaging her spinal cord, according to Brannon.

“It appears that remarkably, the bullet not only narrowly missed the spinal cord, it also only grazed the carotid artery unlike earlier thought, so the artery itself is intact,” Brannon posted.

Massey suffered a “pinching” of the carotid artery which caused a blood clot, according to Brannon, adding doctors are trying to dissolve the clot with blood thinners, as they try to avoid surgery. He said Massey was given, “A couple of units of blood.”

He also wrote that Massey needs surgery to repair the injury she suffered to her right jaw. That could take place on Tuesday, and if that goes well, she could be transported to a Lexington, Ky., trauma center, possibly by the end of the week.

Brannon, joined at the hospital by Massey’s mother, has been able to interact with Massey.

“When I was with her earlier, she opened her eyes, gripped my hand,” he posted. “She squeezed my hand so hard, and I can tell wants so bad too talk, and sit up.”

Brannon wrote he tried to lighten the mood by wearing one of Massey’s favorite shirts when he visited the hospital Sunday. He donned a “Carolina Beach” top that he said she “always” wore and smelled like her.

Brannon described the shirt as a woman’s top that didn’t fit him and made him look, “plain hideous.” He added it might have even caused Massey to roll her eyes when he showed her his new look.

Encouraged by the progress, the situation is still difficult to deal with for Brannon. Beyond the immense physical wounds suffered in the shooting, is the collateral emotional damage.

“I love seeing her and her tight grip of my hand, but every ten minutes in there causes me to cry for two hours afterwards,” Brannon wrote.

Earlier in the day, Brannon posted that he left Massey at Palmetto Health Richland hospital after 1 a.m. Sunday.

“I left the hospital with Denise sleeping comfortably,” a weary Brannon posted, adding he hadn’t slept since Thursday.

Upon leaving the hospital, Brannon posted some images of things that offered him comfort.

“I’m heading back to my room to see Tub, the Pug, who doesn’t know about this, but loves Denise. (Hot dog especially loves Denise), Brannon wrote.”

He also posted a picture of of the couple looking happy together at what he called their “favorite place.”

Before the shooting, Brannon said the pair were “having the time of our lives.” Brannon said he and Massey had checked into a Columbia hotel about 9:15 p.m. Friday and decided to eat at Pearl’s Oyster Bar, in a telephone interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader, a sister publication of The State newspaper in Kentucky.

“We then went to the Vista neighborhood and met the nicest people,” he said. “We were talking about politics and football and having a good time. It was a very nice place, you could have brought kids there.”

While walking outside to return to the hotel, Brannon said he took a photo of Massey sitting on a bench.

This story was originally published September 17, 2017 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Kentucky woman hurt in Vista shooting is ‘miraculously fortunate’."