TAMPA, Fla. — A young woman left with a message she hopes will prevent other tragedies in the future after she says she was shot accidentally.
"I'm feeling grateful that I'm alive," Alexis Fetta said from her hospital bed speaking exclusively to 10 Tampa Bay's Angelina Salcedo.
At just 26 years old, her whole life has changed. The shooting that's left her bedridden at Tampa General Hospital for several days is a shock to not just her and her family, but the person who pulled the trigger too.
"I was like in complete shock. We both were in complete shock," Fetta said.
March 11 was the day Fetta would be left with a permanent scar. She says she and her friend were here at her apartment by Busch Gardens.
"My friend and I had been drinking. I hadn't drank that much, but my friend had drunk quite a bit more than me. He grabbed my gun out of my gun case and there wasn't a magazine or anything in it so they didn't know that it was loaded. He came in the living room and then just accidentally shot me in the stomach," Fetta said.
Panic and fear set in the moments that followed. Her handgun still had a bullet in it's chamber.
"I just felt a lot of heat and pressure. All I could think of is like, 'Call the police! Call the police!' I was scared I was gonna lose my life," Fetta said.
Within 10 minutes, Tampa police officers were on scene questioning them both before Fetta was rushed to the hospital. Her family, miles away in Indiana, had no idea. She called her parents on the way to the hospital and they immediately got on a flight to Tampa.
"Once I got to the hospital there was just a line of people waiting for me. That was probably the scariest part for me, seeing all the people line up," Fetta said.
She was rushed into surgery. Doctors say the bullet went in through her stomach and out her back damaging her intestines.
"I have to relearn to do everything. I'm still capable of walking and stuff, but it's very painful," Fetta said.
Fetta is now a part of hundreds of affected by gun violence daily. According to the CDC, nearly 500 people die from unintentional firearm injuries, that's more than one person every single day.
"Knowing that I could have died, that's the scariest part for me. I'm only 26 years old, it could have been so much worse," Fetta said.
While she doesn't want to fault anyone in this situation, she does think there are things that could have probably been prevented.
"But I know that it was truly an accident. I know it wasn't intentional or purposeful. The only thing that I would have changed is maybe having it in a lock safe or something where it wasn't so easily accessible," Fetta said.
Neither Fetta or her friend face charges in this case as the investigation continues. Doctors say she could be released soon, but it'll take some time to fully recover and she'll be out of work for at least a month. That's why she's looking for support while her family is miles away. If you'd like to help, you can here.
We did reach out to the Tampa Police Department to see if anyone will face charges, we have yet to hear back.