A Michigan teen shot in the head during a gun rampage near Kalamazoo last month has spoken her first word since being wounded, her family said.
Abigail Kopf, 14, said the word "pig," an apparent reference to her pet Hamlet, according to a statement posted Friday on an online fundraising page for the girl.
"This little girl loves her pig named Hamlet. Tonight, Abbie spoke her first word. It was 'pig,'" a statement attributed to Kopf’s father said. "This gives us great hope that she will regain her speech."
Related: Alleged Gunman Charged With Six Counts of Murder in Kalamazoo Shooting Spree
Six people were killed in the Feb. 20 shooting spree, allegedly carried out by Uber driver Jason Brian Dalton who authorities believe chose his victims at random.
Four women who were with Kopf were killed when Dalton allegedly opened fire on two vehicles in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Two others victims, a father and his son, were killed earlier that night at a car dealership, officials said.
Kopf was released from the hospital on Tuesday. Dr. Aaron Lane-Davies, medical director of Bronson Children’s Hospital, said she is making more progress faster than expected for someone with an extensive brain injury.
"The pace of her progress is exceptional," Lane-Davies said in a statement Tuesday.
A motive in the killings has not been determined. Prosecutors said Dalton, 45, has "admitted his involvement" in the killings and was found with the murder weapon when he was arrested that night.
