Oakland boy, 4, now awake and speaking after accidentally shooting himself

A 4-year-old Oakland boy who accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun he found at his home last month is now awake and beginning to speak.

The child, Na'vaun Jackson, was recorded by his grandfather Ramon Price on Wednesday smiling and saying words like "sister," "mama," and "grandpa" before Price asks him to say "thank you" to those who prayed for his recovery. Jackson was taken off life support two weeks ago and has since been recovering. He's now out of intensive care.

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"It's nothing short of a miracle," Jackson's great aunt Jamilia Land told the East Bay Times. "He just started speaking — moving his arms, legs and continues to progress."

It was on March 27 that Jackson, with his mother Brijjanna Price, visited her boyfriend Terrence Wilson, 37, at his home. Wilson reportedly told police he slept the night before with a gun under his pillow and that he forgot to lock it up when he woke up. Jackson then apparently found the gun and accidentally shot himself with it. When police arrived, they found the gun on a bedpost near the boy.

Wilson was later charged with one count of child abuse, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of first-degree criminal firearm storage.

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At the time, doctors told Jackson's family that the child would likely never walk again and that he might be brain dead. But now, against the odds, he's speaking and smiling. He's not walking yet, but he's in physical therapy. Still, he has a long recovery ahead of him.

In the meantime, Ramon Price is raising money for his grandson through a GoFundMe, and is posting videos of his recovery. In one update posted Thursday, he says, "I just held my grandson's hand and prayed with and for him and under my instructions he said amen and thank you Jesus."

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

