VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Three months after Landyn Davis was struck in the head by a stray bullet and placed into a coma, the Virginia Beach 8-year-old has officially been released from the hospital.
In a Facebook post late Tuesday night, Landyn's mother Emily Rigsby announced he was heading home following months of recovery.
"Landyn was finally discharged and is home 💚 thank you everyone for all your prayers and support it means a lot to our family 🫶🏼," the post reads. On Wednesday, she told 13News Now, "It was beautiful leaving, seeing how happy he was and the joy on his face."
Landyn's discharge from the hospital comes more than a week before his ninth birthday. Rigsby says her family found out his discharge date last Thursday.
"It was very unexpected," said Rigsby. "It was a big surprise. It was a lot sooner than we thought, so a lot less time to get things done."
On Feb. 13, Landyn was playing video games inside his home located on Peele Court when he was hit by a stray bullet, seriously injuring him. He was taken to the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD) where he was placed into a medically induced coma for a week.
Earlier this month, Landyn and his parents, Rigsby and Steven Davis, sat down with 13News Now to discuss his recovery. Although the 8-year-old's recovery has been no easy feat, Rigsby and Davis said they never gave up hope that their son would get better.
“Ever since day one, I’m like, I’m not going to listen to what the doctors say. I’m going to see what he can do because they didn’t think he was going to be able to do anything and look at him!" said Rigsby.
Now that Landyn is home, his family is adjusting to a new normal.
Rigsby told 13News Now, "We have had to move every single bedroom. We've basically had to move around every room in the house."
She says Landyn still has a bedroom upstairs, but he's currently sleeping downstairs in a hospital bed. His sister is now in the master bedroom, where he was sitting when the bullet hit him.
"We had to order a bunch of stuff to make the house accessible. For the wheelchair, we’ve had to order ramps and all types of different things," Rigsby continued.
She also added the family was planning to move after the traumatic shooting.
"There are stains on the floor in that room, you can still see where the drywall was hit, where the bullet holes are. There's blood in his gaming chair that I had to clean out."
However, Rigsby says, Landyn wanted to stay in the neighborhood where he was born and has grown up. "He told us he wanted to go home, and he meant our home. This is all he knows. If he likes it, I love it."
Rigsby told 13News Now she expects Landyn will be walking again in the next three to six months.
The Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) has announced four arrests in connection to the incident; Jawaun Jefferies, Toriyon Cook, Jerry Davis, and Jakyra Epperson.
Since August, there have been at least three other children in the region that have been hit by stray bullets — claiming the lives of two of the children.