2008 Year in Review

Email From Jason Wright

I received an email this morning from Jason Wright, a 2007 graduate of Morrison High School and a freshman at NIU. The email read:

Dawn
This is Jason Wright, I just want to let you know that I am ok, and as far as I know no one from Morrison was involved in the shooting. Please send your prayers out for Northern and the students.

I emailed Jason back and asked him if he saw or heard anything. The following is Jason’s return email.

As for what I saw and heard; at about 3:15 I was on my way back from Wirtz Hall, which is on the other side of campus. I was walking toward Neptune East, my dorm. I entered the MLK commons, and saw a whole bunch of police cars. I started asking someone what was going on, when someone at the entrance to my dorm started yelling at me "hurry, run, get inside" (at that point they didn’t want anyone in an open area like the commons) I got into my dorm, still not knowing what was happening. I looked out my window, which faces Cole Hall, about 100 yards away (where the shooting occurred) and I saw police running in, and a few injured people being cared for on the ground. My roommate, Derek, and I continued to watch for the next hour, then turned on the TV, and saw the same thing we were looking at on CNN. After awhile, we had seen a few people come out on stretchers, and then we started to see the body bags coming out. That was probably the toughest part. When the all clear was given, Derek and I went outside. It was like stepping onto some horrible movie set, there were cameras and about 8 helicopters in the sky, along with several people crying. When we got back to our room, I decided that I was going to leave, because I didn’t want to stay in a room that faced Cole Hall. I appreciate the opportunity you have given to share my story, and if you do post this for public viewing, I ask anyone who reads it to pray for the victims, their families, and the students and faculty of Northern Illinois University. Also I would like to thank anyone who might read this for the outpouring of support I have received in the last few hours.

Again, Thank You,
Jason Wright

Jason is the son of Leroy and Mary Wright of Morrison.

Thecity1.com invites anyone who has stories or information to email dzuidema@thecity1.com.

by Dawn Zuidema, theCity1.com
February 15, 2008