The lone survivor of a Texas killing spree that took her parents and four siblings last week said that she knows her family is in a "much better place."
Cassidy Stay addressed supporters during a press conference on Saturday, just one day after being released from the hospital and three days after the tragic shootings.
"I know that my mom, dad, Bryan, Emily, Becca and Zach are in a much better place and that I'll be able to see them again one day," Cassidy said.
The teen also drew strength from a line in "Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban."
"Dumbledore says: 'Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light,'" Cassidy said.
"I'm feeling a lot better, and I'm on a straightforward path to a full recovery.
"Thank you all for coming and for showing support for me and my family. Stay strong."
The Stay family included parents Stephen, 39, and Katie, 33, and their five children: Cassidy, 15, Bryan, 14, Emily, 9, Rebecca, 7, and Zachary, 4. On July 9, the children were at their home on Leaflet Lane in Spring, Texas when a man posing as a FedEx delivery driver gained entry into their home.
The man was Ronald Lee Haskell, the children's uncle, disguised with a beard. Haskell and Katie's sister, Melanie, divorced on February 14. He held a semi-automatic weapon at the children, and waited for their parents to return home from an errand.
When Stephen and Katie returned, he ordered the family onto the ground and demanded to know where his ex-wife was. When they refused to tell him, he shot each of them in the head. The only survivor was Cassidy, who was grazed in the head by a bullet and played dead until Haskell left. She also lost a finger when she raised her hands to shield herself before being shot.
Cassidy is being called a hero for giving police Haskell's name and description, and informing them that Haskell was headed to Anvil Drive in Houston to kill her grandparents. Haskell was apprehended that night after a three-hour standoff with police. He was charged on Thursday with six counts of capital murder, and is being held without bond.
