Pregnant LA Fitness Aerobics Instructors Survives Shooting, Has Baby Boy

COLLIER TOWNSHIP, Pa.,None — Wednesday marked one year since a gunman opened fire inside a Collier Township fitness center, killing three women and injuring nine others.

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Elizabeth Gannon, 49, Heidi Overmier, 46, and Jody Billingsley, 37, were killed when gunman George Sodini opened fire inside the health club on Aug. 4, 2009 before turning the gun on himself.

Overmier's sister, Connie Moneck, talked with Channel 11 News about how her sister's death has affected the family.

"You always get the feeling of the presence that she is missing," Moneck said. "We'll look at one another and just for a second make eye contact, and you'll realize that we are all missing Heidi right now."

The night of the shootings Mary Primis had just announced to her aerobics class that she was 10 weeks pregnant. Shortly after, Sodini opened fire.

RAW INTERVIEW: Mary Primis, LA Fitness Shooting Survivor

"I didn't know if she was alive or if she was dead," said Mary's husband, Alex.

Mary was shot two times in the shoulder.

"After I felt the second bullet, I thought that if he saw that I was still breathing that he would keep shooting," said Primis. " I didn't know if he was near me or if he was across the room, but I just put my head down and held my breath as long as I could."

Primis said after the shooting she was the subject of nationwide media attention. After seven days in the hospital she and her husband went home to start the journey of recovery, with the baby's health being the primary focus.

"Knowing that I had him on the way, I think that helped with my emotional healing because I could focus on whatever I needed to do to take care of him and not so much think about what had happened," said Primis.

Mary said she has survived a lot of pain over the past year and that she still is in therapy, but now she and her husband focus on the joy that their baby boy named Oliver has brought to them.

"Going through the horrific tragedy that we went through, and what other people went through, you lose a lot of faith in people because you wonder how someone could do something so terrible," said Alex. "So you start to questions people and that side of it. But then seeing so many people offering us kindness and love and support kind of refuels your ability to be able to trust and that was inspirational for us."

Some people left flowers at the site on Wednesday for the three women who were killed. Those who talked to Channel 11 News said they've tried to move on, but said it's impossible to forget how Sodini walked into an aerobics room, turned out the lights and started shooting.

"I just rejoined today," said gym member Ben Volle. "I told the worker I was here before it happened. He gave me a frown and didn't say much else about it."

Workers at LA Fitness said they're not having any special services at the club Wednesday, but they'll have space for a memorial, allowing people to leave flowers and other items to honor the victims.

According to a Web diary that surfaced after the shootings, Sodini seethed with anger and frustration toward women, claiming he hadn't had a girlfriend since 1984 and hadn't slept with a woman in 19 years.

"Women just don't like me. There are 30 million desirable women in the US (my estimate) and I cannot find one. Not one of them finds me attractive," he lamented.

The diary included references to an "exit plan" at his health club, where many young women worked out.

Businesses in the shopping center were all impacted by the tragedy at the gym, but owners said things are nearly back to normal now.

Loretta Moss who was working out inside the gym the night of the fatal shooting, said even a year later she can't return.

"I heard the shots," said Moss. "I tried to shut it out. It was a very horrifying night that I don't think I'll ever forget."

Moss said she has seen a grief counselor several times over the past year. She told Channel 11's Vince Sims that she has tried to return to the gym, but it was emotionally too much.

"I stayed 20 minutes and I felt overwhelmed, you know, with anguish of what happened here so I haven't been back since," she said. "What little I experienced I couldn't even imagine what the other people that lost family members are going through right now. I pray for them every day as well as I do for myself."

Napoli's Pizza is next door to the gym. It's where many people sought cover immediately after Sodini opened fire.

Napoli's owner Bob Steffl said after the shooting that it was hard for people to come back.

"They just didn't come in this part of town," said Steffl. "I'm glad things didn't fall apart."

Josh Keener said he was working inside the Big Lots discount store the night Sodini opened fire inside the neighboring health club.

"Ladies came in, yelling, 'Call 911.' We actually closed early that night," said Keener.

But one year later, new businesses are now opening up inside the shopping center, which people working and living nearby the area said is a sign that people are no longer afraid to eat, shop and work out there.

"It's just that time has elapsed. Time does heal," said one shopper.

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