Georgia man shoots woman, they begin dating

No one could blame Audrey Mayo if she didn’t return Matthew Tyler Webb’s phone call. After all, Matthew shot her in the leg during one of their first dates.

Remarkably, Audrey not only forgave Matthew but also agreed to be his girlfriend.

“No need to put more negativity on the whole thing,” Audrey, 24, told Times Free Press.

The incident occurred on Nov. 21, during one of the Georgia couples’ first meetings. Both were hanging out on the roof of Audrey’s mom’s house when Matthew decided to go after a deer he spotted in the distance. A short while later, Audrey thought she heard him calling for a knife, so she grabbed one and headed across the street to meet Matthew.

“Then I heard a gunshot,” she recalled. “And then I felt it. And then I hit the ground.”

The bullet, which Matthew fired from a rifle, struck Audrey near her right kneecap. It sliced her popliteal vein, caused nerve damage and still threatens to require an amputation. Still, when Audrey awoke from her medication-induced haze a few days after the accident, she was willing to forgive Matthew. He has since moved into the family home to help take care of Audrey while she recuperates.

Audrey’s family also accepted Matthew’s apology.

“Once we realized she was alive — and that she was going to be alive — we started to lighten up a little bit,” said Audrey’s sister. “It’s like a modern version of how a caveman used to bash a woman over the head with a club… They just shoot her in the leg.”

Local authorities weren’t as willing to excuse Matthew: After calling 911 to report the accident, Matthew, 23, admitted to being on drugs. He was then charged with firing a gun within 150 feet of a road. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources may also charge him with misuse of a firearm, a hunting license violation and failing to wear orange.