CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) - A South Bay couple's vacation in Jamaica ended in violent fashion when shots rang out at a holiday gathering.
A beach photo shows Camille Carter-Jones and her husband, Christie, on the day after Christmas, two days into their holiday vacation to Jamaica, where both were raised.
For them and their 3-year-old daughter, it was a chance to see family.
“To let them see our daughter because they haven't seen our daughter in two years because of COVID,” said Christie Jones.
Hours after the photo was taken, Christie says he, his wife, her brother, and a friend went to an annual holiday gathering at a sports facility in Discovery Bay in northern Jamaica.
“It was a good time with good music,” said Jones.
After several hours, around 12:30 a.m., the couple was standing near the exit of a building converted into a bar, when shots rang out.
“We just heard a loud sound. Bang, bang bang, bang, bang. We were trying to escape. Everyone was trying to run towards where we are. Like a stampede. I literally froze, because I didn't know where the shots were coming from. When I look towards her, I saw her fall. Next thing I know, she screamed, ‘I got shot. I got shot,’” said Jones.
Christie and Camille's brother carried the Navy veteran to their car, before rushing to the hospital.
In all, five were shot and two died in the shooting. The shooter remains at large.
Camille was shot in the knee and thigh, fracturing her femur. She'll be discharged by Tuesday, but doctors told her she can't fly commercial and requires a medical flight.
“It’s very risky that it will affect the gunshot wounds,” said Jones.
Because their travel and health insurers don't view her case as an emergency, it's not covered.
The couple has started a Gofundme campaign to help pay for the expensive trip home.
“We were just trying to have a nice vacation. It just turned into a total nightmare,” said Jones.
The medical flight will cost between $20,000 and $25,000.
Camille will remain in a cast for up to four months before doctors determine if she'll need knee replacement surgery.
