Here’s exactly how Shawna Scott survived after Worst Neighbor Ever killer Frances Zaayer shot her

If you’ve been watching Netflix’s Worst Neighbor Ever, you’ll know the opening episode, She Finally Snapped, is an absolutely brutal watch. It tells the true story of Shawna and David Scott, a couple from Mount Sterling, Kentucky, whose old family friend Frances Zaayer turned into their worst nightmare. The feud ended in the most horrific way possible, with David killed and Shawna shot in the face. So, people have been left wondering exactly how Shawna Scott actually survived after Frances Zaayer shot her.

What actually happened on the day of the shooting?

via Netflix

Frances Zaayer had been an old friend of the Scott family. She moved in with them back in 2017 while she was going through a divorce and getting her new house next door renovated. Things started off fine, but Frances soon became controlling and difficult to live with. And once she moved into her own place next door, her behaviour got a lot worse. There were arguments, a physical altercation, and Frances even pursued assault charges against Shawna, despite having no visible injuries.

When police eventually dropped that assault case against Shawna due to lack of evidence, it seems to have tipped Frances over the edge. She turned up at the Scott family home carrying a gun and opened fire. David, who worked as a deputy jailer, was shot in the chest and died at the scene. He was just 47. Shawna was shot in the face during the same attack.

So, how did Shawna survive being shot in the face?

via Netflix

Medical experts explain that survival after a gunshot wound to the head depends heavily on trajectory. It matters whether the bullet stays confined to one side of the head, misses the brainstem, and avoids crossing through both hemispheres.

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According to the American Association of Neurosurgical Surgeons (AANS), a wound where the bullet passes through and exits the head is classed as a “perforating” injury. The extent of the damage comes down to factors like the bullet’s speed, size, and the exact site and trajectory of the injury.

In Shawna’s case, the bullet went in through her nose and came out the side of her head. It didn’t travel deeper into the brain itself. This kind of pathway, one that skirts around the brain rather than tearing straight through it, is essentially what gave her a chance at survival at all.

Even so, the injury was severe. It broke every single bone around her eye socket. Shawna has said she needed 16 surgeries afterwards to try and repair the damage. Unfortunately, the injuries were serious enough that she lost sight in her left eye. She also lost hearing in her left ear altogether. And she’s been left with permanent scarring too.

Shawna was also in a coma after the attack. It wasn’t until she woke up that she found out her husband hadn’t survived.

Where is Shawna Scott now?

Shawna has continued raising her family since the attack. And her daughter Haley has been vocal about keeping David’s memory alive. At Frances’ sentencing, Haley made it clear she had no intention of ever forgiving her. She told her that she “didn’t want to forgive her and never would”.

Worst Neighbor Ever is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.