Here’s your Days of our Lives recap for Friday, August 22, 2005, when the shooter is identified.
What happened on Days of our Lives

Shawn returned from his visit with Claire, and he ran into Belle in the square. “The jury is about to return a verdict in Johnny’s trial,” Belle said. Belle noted that it was a strange situation for a prosecutor to hope for the acquittal of the accused.
Brady and Rachel met up with Sarah at the pub. Brady explained that the jury was ready to deliver a verdict in Johnny’s case, and EJ and Kristen had needed to go to the courthouse. Outside the pub, Kristen stared through the window at Rachel.
While Rachel went to wash her hands, Sarah noted that Rachel appeared less stressed since she had testified in court. “If Johnny ends up being convicted, I think she’s gonna blame herself,” Brady said. “You’re going to be there for her to help her through it,” Sarah countered. Brady changed the subject to Sophia and her slip of the tongue about the baby’s gender.
Brady noted that he had been thinking about the situation and that it had reminded him of Sarah’s surprised reaction when he had told her about the baby’s sex. “[Was] I?” Sarah said. Brady noted that just like then, Sarah appeared to be uncomfortable. Brady asked Sarah if she had any information about the baby. Sarah reminded Brady that under HIPAA laws, she could not divulge any medical information about her patients.
“That means that there’s something you know that you just can’t say,” Brady countered. Before Sarah could respond, Shawn interrupted. Rachel told Shawn that she had been staying with her dad. “I thought it was because Uncle EJ was mad at me for what I had to say on the witness stand,” Rachel said. Brady stressed that no one was mad at Rachel. “We just want what’s best for you,” Brady said.
In the courtroom, Johnny, Chanel, and Paulina took their seats. In the hallway, EJ nervously wondered aloud to Marlena about Kristen’s arrival. “She told me she had a foolproof plan to let Johnny walk out a free man,” EJ said. EJ noted that if Kristen did not fix things, he would have no option but to tell the judge that he had remembered that Rachel had been the shooter.
“You can’t reveal that Rachel was the person that shot you,” Marlena whispered to EJ. EJ refused to let his son take the fall for a crime he had not committed. Inside the court, Judge Dabney called the court to order. As Leo started to read the jury’s verdict, EJ interrupted. “Mr. DiMera, you are no longer the attorney of record and have no standing in this proceeding,” Judge Dabney warned. Kristen burst into the courtroom and yelled, “Stop!”
Kristen confessed that she had shot EJ. The crowd gasped, and the judge called for a recess. “We’ll reconvene once I determine the veracity of Ms. DiMera’s confession,” Judge Dabney said. The bailiff took Kristen into custody. “I have no idea what just happened,” Johnny said to Chanel.
EJ met up with Marlena in the hallway, and he admitted that he was surprised by Kristen’s actions. Marlena argued that Rachel would be traumatized by the idea that her mother had attempted to kill her uncle. EJ reminded Marlena that Kristen had been in prison before, and Rachel had been fine.
“Who knows what kind of psychological damage that caused. And now she has to face the fact that her mother is going to prison for a crime that she, herself, committed,” Marlena argued. EJ countered that it was possible that Rachel would never recover the memory of the shooting.
After EJ returned to the courtroom, Leo approached Marlena. “Can you believe what just happened in there?” Leo said. Marlena nodded, and Leo commented that she did not appear happy with the development. “I’m worried about my granddaughter. This is going to be a lot for her to deal with,” Marlena said. Leo noted that at least Rachel had Marlena to help her deal with the emotional fallout. “And because of that, I know she’s gonna be okay,” Leo said.
Inside the courtroom, Johnny talked with Chanel and Paulina about Kristen’s stunning confession. Chanel was furious that Kristen had let Johnny suffer through a whole trial when Kristen had known that he was innocent.
In the judge’s chambers, Belle asked Kristen why she had not spoken up sooner. “I never thought [Johnny] would be held accountable for what I did,” Kristen said. “You testified during his trial,” Belle said. Kristen said she had testified in order to help Johnny. “By perjuring yourself,” Judge Dabney said. Kristen asked the judge if she could explain what had happened.
Kristen explained that after she had checked on Rachel, she had argued with EJ and snapped. “I saw the gun on the table, and something just came over me. And I reached for the gun, picked it up and I pointed it at my brother,” Kristen said. Kristen informed Belle and the judge that she had demanded that EJ return her mother, and EJ had reached for the gun. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to shoot him, I swear,” Kristen said.
“And then you just let your brother lay there bleeding out?” Belle asked. Kristen said she had been in shock, and she had not thought to call 911 until after Chad had arrived. “I am ready to take full responsibility for what I have done,” Kristen said. Kristen promised to sign a confession. The judge handed Kristen a pen and paper, and she instructed the bailiff to ask the police to arrest Kristen for attempted murder.
At the pub, Shawn talked with Sarah, Brady, and Rachel about his trip to South Africa. Shawn told Brady that Claire was doing better since her breakup with Theo. “No matter how old they get, we don’t stop worrying about our kids, do we?” Brady said. Shawn took a call from Jada, and he left for the courthouse.
In the courtroom, Marlena congratulated Johnny. Chanel wondered aloud why Kristen had not confessed sooner. “She must have had some reason for it,” Marlena said. Leo walked in. Chanel asked about the verdict. Leo admitted that he could not say anything until the case was formally dismissed.
In the judge’s chambers, Kristen handed her confession to the judge. Shawn arrested Kristen. When the judge called the courtroom back from recess, the judge dismissed the case. EJ told Johnny that he was happy for him. Johnny, Chanel, Marlena and Paulina walked out without acknowledging EJ.
“You must be so relieved,” EJ said to Belle. “I’ve never been so happy to lose a case in my entire life,” Belle said. Belle said she was sorry about how things had turned out. “As am I. More than you’ll ever know,” EJ said. Belle left and headed over to the pub and she told Sarah, Brady, and Rachel that Johnny was not going to jail. Rachel hugged Belle. Belle asked to speak to Brady privately outside. As Rachel tore into her meal, Brady stepped out front with Belle. “Kristen confessed to shooting EJ,” Belle said.
At the police station, Shawn handcuffed Kristen to a chair in the interrogation room. Kristen declined to speak to her attorney. Marlena walked in, and Shawn stepped outside. “You can’t do this,” Marlena growled. Kristen argued that she could only keep Johnny and Rachel safe if she continued to lie. Kristen asked Marlena not to tell anyone the truth, including Brady.
“Because if they do find out that I lied to the judge, then people will start asking why. Which will lead to the truth coming out before Rachel is ready or able to make sense of what she’s done,” Kristen said. “I don’t like being in this position, but yes. I will stay quiet,” Marlena said. Kristen asked Marlena to take care of Rachel. “I will make sure that she gets whatever treatment she needs,” Marlena promised. Kristen asked Marlena if she believed that Rachel would ever remember the shooting. Marlena said she did not know.
“You know that everyone will believe that you committed this crime, and that you forced your daughter to take the stand and testify just to save your skin,” Marlena said. “I know that’s what they’ll think, including Brady. And he is going to hate me for this,” Kristen said through tears. Kristen said that she would make any sacrifice to help her daughter. “I’ve never seen you be so selfless,” Marlena said. “My daughter means more to me than anything else in this world,” Kristen said. Marlena noted that Rachel would be traumatized to learn that Kristen had shot EJ. “But not as traumatic as the truth,” Kristen countered.
Paulina walked through the square with Leo, and they talked about how happy they were that the trial was over. “You finally get to start that book of yours, you know, now that the case is over,” Paulina said. “Honestly, I have a feeling that it might not be,” Leo countered.
At the DiMera mansion, EJ told Sami the good news on the phone. “No matter how angry we are at [Kristen], Johnny’s free and that’s all that matters,” EJ said. EJ told Sami that he worried he had lost his son forever.
Johnny and Chanel returned home. “There were so many days that I thought that this day would never come,” Johnny said. Johnny credited Chanel for being his guiding light forward. “You have been here for me every step of the way, and I don’t know how to thank you,” Johnny said. Chanel led Johnny to the bedroom.
At the Brady Pub, Belle rejoined Sarah and Rachel at their table without Brady. Belle noted that Brady had needed to run an errand. “I’m just happy Johnny won’t go to jail,” Rachel said. After a moment, Rachel wondered aloud who had shot EJ. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” Belle said. Shawn escorted Kristen to her jail cell. Alone, Kristen sat on her bed. Brady walked up to the bars and scowled.
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