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Teen shot outside Des Moines school faces long recovery

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An 18-year-old student who was shot in the head outside a Des Moines school that killed one teen and injured another is making what her family and doctors say is a remarkable recovery.

Kemery Ortega's parents tell the Des Moines Register she was rushed into emergency surgery on March 7 after the shooting at East High School, and doctors warned that her prognosis didn't look good. Thirteen hours after the surgery, she opened her eyes and waved at her mother.

Doctors said Ortega might struggle with speech, memory loss, or personality changes due to her injuries. But her mother, Miriam Montiel Téllez, says Ortega is speaking and writing normally and walking when she has the strength to do so.

On Wednesday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds held a press conference at the Des Moines International Airport and addressed the East High School shooting, calling for better education instead of new gun control measures.

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