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GoFundMe page set up for woman shot during Kalamazoo crime spree

Posted at 12:44 PM, Feb 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-07 14:19:18-05

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A GoFundMe page has been set up for a woman shot during an alleged car jacking and ensuing crime spree.

Betty Jo Brewer (Courtesy: GoFundMe)

Betty Jo Brewer (Courtesy: GoFundMe)

Investigators say on January 24th Matthew Steppenwolf started a fire at a home off East G Avenue in Cooper Township after he robbed a Citgo gas station earlier in the day.  Following that fire, they say he went to a home off Monterey Drive where he got into some kind of altercation with a family and allegedly shot Betty Jo Brewer in the chest.

“He pointed a shotgun at her and told her to leave the keys in the vehicle and get out,” police said about the incident. “She took the keys out of the ignition, exited it and the suspect tried to pull the keys from her hand and began punching her in the face, which caused her to fall to the ground.”

Steppenwolf was charged with Armed Robbery, Car Jacking and Arson.

You can help with Betty Jo Brewer’s medical costs by clicking here.

Betty wrote of her experience:

On Tuesday January 24th, 2017, in the morning hours, out of pure shock and anxiety, my family, which included my 6 month old granddaughter heard loud explosion noises and looked out the window and seen, what we thought was a crazy, random shooter, directly targeting our home.
We were in a serious state of shock and called 911 immediately. We directed everyone to get on the floor until police got here, but my kids were so worried that our doors were unlocked that I felt I had to carefully go make sure that both of our front and back doors were securely locked up before I was safe on the floor with my family. As I was coming back from the back door, I was shot in the chest in front of my heart and fell to the floor which prompted another family member to call 911 off another phone line to alert them that there was a gun shot victim now from the shots that entered our family home. At that point, I seriously thought I was passing away because of the immense blood loss and the area that I incurred the tragic wound. Thank God, I was wrapped in, what I firmly believe God’s loving arms or my parents and loved ones that have passed on before me! I am a survivor! I have a very long road ahead of me to recovery, but I am confident that we will be OK.