NEW ORLEANS — For Kayla McCloud and her husband, Terrell Gilmore, the night of Jan. 3 haunts them.
"I got a phone call around 10:30-10:40 from a co-worker," Gilmore said. "She had told me (Kayla) had been shot and just, my world was crushed. It wasn't real at first, and I didn't know if she was still living. I didn't know her condition at all and I couldn't talk to her. That was the hardest part, not being able to be there to see what was going on and be by her side."
Around 10:15 p.m., a co-worker taking out the trash saw a man rummaging through McCloud's car. McCloud went to see what was going on when she says everything went black.
"I remember being on my hands and knees screaming for help. I think the police came and talked to me and held me until EMS came," McCloud recalled. "And then it was blurry after that. I remember being in the ambulance and they started poking me and everything. Then I remember waking up and my mom was there. They had a breathing tube in my throat, and I couldn't breathe or talk."
McCloud was rushed to the hospital. Gilmore says he waited for what felt like an eternity to see her. Finally, around 1 a.m., he was able to be with her.
"She had tubes and everything on her," he said. "Once I saw her, it still was unreal. But knowing she was still here, it did make me feel a lot better. But knowing what she just went through, it was a horrible feeling. I felt like I let her down because I wasn't there to protect her and she didn't deserve it."
Kayla had been shot in the head. The bullet, they say, went through her forehead and out her jaw.
"He actually tried to kill her," Gilmore said. "If she would've been less than an inch to the left, the bullet would've been through her brain, and thank God it didn't."
"The doctor said I can't use my eye anymore, so I had to get a prosthetic eye," McCloud said. "But I'm fine with that as long as I'm still alive, I'm okay with having one eye."
"I'm okay with it too," Gilmore said, as the two shared a laugh.
When asked how brave his wife is, Gilmore said she gives him strength every day. He added she's tough and is extremely happy she's alive.
"Other than the kids," he said. "that's the best gift I could have. I can't imagine life without her."
Despite the fear and anger, McCloud, who's known for her loving spirit and great humor, is finding reason to smile again.
"I just want people to be safe," she said. "I want to thank my family and my friends. They're very helpful. The cook, he pushed me back into the building after I got my injury and another server called the police. And I want to thank her. She's just so sweet."
She also says she's hoping to meet one of the first responders to arrive at the scene. She feels the job he did helped save her life that night.
Gilmore agrees, saying he'd like to tell him thank you.
The gunman is still on the run. He drove off in a silver, four-door sedan. The family is pleading to anyone with information to come forward, including the man responsible.
"As far as the guy, just own up to your mistake because you did this to a great person," Gilmore said. "She didn't deserve it, she didn't deserve it at all, so take responsibility."
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the growing number of medical bills. If you'd like to donate, go here.
Anyone with information is asked to call NOPD Seventh District Detectives at 504-658-6070. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously at 822-1111 or 1-877-903-STOP.