A fatal shooting in Skokie on Sept. 28 left one Niles North senior dead and one critically injured. The shooting took the life of Maxwell Gadau, a 17-year-old senior at Niles North. The other victim is also a 17-year-old senior, but her name has not been released.
With the help of Dr. James Shellard, student activities director, and Student Council, South created two large cards that were mailed to Niles North.
“We created two cards and asked people to come in if they wanted to write notes,” Shellard said. “It’s a small step towards [helping them] deal with that tragedy.”
The tragic event really hit home for some South students, specifically those who knew one of the victims.
Senior Tessa Nesis knew the female victim through Solomon Schechter, the middle school that they both attended in Northbrook. According to Nesis, she was very surprised when she first heard about the shooting.
“I was just really taken aback and I really honestly at first didn’t know how to react,” Nesis said. “It didn’t hit me until a couple days later, the reality of what had actually happened, because it was just so hard for me to cope with it.”
All were welcome to the prayer service that Solomon Schechter held on Oct. 2. Participants prayed for both victims and wrote notes that were put into a gift basket and sent to the female victim in the hospital.
In addition to the prayer service, friends and family gathered for a vigil in Skokie, the day after the shooting. Senior Sara Mouayed, a friend of both victims, attended the vigil that Monday night to pay her respects.
“The close friends all gathered around the exact spot where [Max] died and said a prayer and cracked a few jokes that Max used to say,” Mouayed said. “It really did melt my heart.”
In an article by the Chicago Sun-Times, Ryan McTague, Niles North principal, expressed his feelings about the shooting.
“This is heartbreaking and tragic news,” McTague said. “Nothing prepares us for the loss of a student, and our entire school community is impacted and saddened by this tragic event.”
Although the shooting happened a few weeks ago, it is still important for the South community to reach out in any way they can, Shellard said.
“It’s always tragic when someone young passes, regardless of the circumstances, and even worse I think sometimes in these kinds of circumstances where it was just so horrific on so many levels,” Shellard said. “I think it is important for all of us to remember that we are one big community and that when we can help somebody else… through a tragedy, it’s [important] for us to reach out.”
