via Ali Eteraz
The list of good people who were killed in this horrifying tragedy keeps growing. There was Professor Librescu (a holocaust survivor) who held the door shut so his students could get away; and a PhD candidate in the Computer Engineering department who helped save three people and held a door closed (does anyone have his name); and now I received an email about Waleed Shaalan, the Egyptian PhD candidate.
Assalamu alaikum everyone,
I would like to share with you some additional information that I received from a colleague in the CEE Dept. This colleague of mine is the supervisor of a graduate student who was with Waleed in the class and survived the massacre. I should mention that the description is graphical so I apologize in advance.
The student mentions that Waleed saved his life and wants to convey this to Waleed’s family. Apparently, the murderer came into Norris 206 and shot Dr. Loganathan and a number of students injuring Waleed. Waleed was sitting in the front row where he always sat. Everyone jumped to the floor after hearing the gun shots including the person narrating the story. The murderer then left Norris 206 to go to another classroom. The student that narrates the story was not shot but pretended to be dead and lay on the ground beside Waleed who at that time was only injured. The muderer then re-entered the classroom and was checking for alive victims. He had approached the person narrating the story who mentions that his heart was pounding out of fear. Waleed at that instant made a movement to distract the murderer’s attention and was shot for the second time. At that time Waleed died and the murderer left the narrator to search for other victims. Ina Lillahi wa ina Ilayhi rajeoon. We ask Allah to forgive Waleed all his sins and grant him paradise.
Like everyone else killed in this horrible tragedy, Waleed was a good man, and our prayers should be with everyone of the victims, their families, and friends, and ourselves as well.