Laura Sugden shares her harrowing story of survival after a crossbow attack while pregnant, calling for stricter laws on crossbow ownership.
East Yorkshire: A woman named Laura Sugden went through a nightmare when she was shot with a crossbow while pregnant. It was January 2018, and she was 20 weeks along. Her boyfriend, Shane Gilmer, was also attacked and sadly didn’t survive.
Laura remembers that awful night vividly. They were just coming home when the attacker, who lived next door, ambushed them. She was shot in the head but somehow managed to survive. Miraculously, her baby girl, Ella, also made it through. Now, Ella is six and growing up without knowing her dad.
Since that tragic event, Laura has become a strong advocate for tougher crossbow laws. She was heartbroken to hear about the recent murders of a BBC commentator’s family in a similar attack. It made her feel angry and frustrated, knowing that these weapons are still so easily accessible.
Laura’s ordeal didn’t just end with the attack. She had reported threats from her neighbor before, but nothing was done. It’s infuriating to think that the police didn’t take her seriously. After the attack, the man who shot them was found dead, but Laura believes he was targeting them because of their complaints.
She’s now pushing for what she calls “Shane’s Law,” which aims to make it harder for people to buy crossbows without proper checks. She’s gathered thousands of signatures for her petition and is determined to make a change.
Laura’s story is a powerful reminder of how important it is to address the issue of weapon accessibility. She feels that if she hadn’t been pregnant, she might not have survived. Her daughter truly saved her life, and now she’s fighting to ensure that no one else has to go through what she did.
