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Feed“And Forgive Those Who…”
An Interview with Fred Wilson
Refusing to be made a victim, Fred Wilson, Von Maur shooting survivor, has become an inspirational model of grace and forgiveness.
You may not know him. His name may not be familiar, but Fred Wilson’s story is a remarkable one. Fred Wilson is the survivor who was severely injured in the Von Maur shooting of December 2007. His story is miraculous in and of itself; however, his reaction and attitude towards the situation is legendary. Forever changed was Wilson’s life in a single brief moment by a single act of a troubled young man. But instead of responding with anger and bitterness, Fred Wilson expressed a prevailing forgiveness.
Wilson vividly recalls the details of that day– how he’d made calls to his church; planned to pick up books at Borders the next day; leaving the house and saying to his cat, “I love you Bailey, be a good kitty”; and thanking and asking God to take care of him.
About an hour into his shift as a Von Maur customer service supervisor, Wilson stepped out of his department to visit with the floor manager when they suddenly heard the sound of gunfire. Wilson remembers, “If I had it to do over, I’d have dropped to the floor and flipped a light switch.” However, he returned to his department and concealed himself behind a counter. When he looked up, Wilson saw a young man walking in his direction. “For a moment I wondered why he wasn’t hiding. Then I realized he was the shooter.”
With that realization, he decided to move hiding positions, and stood for a brief second. In that moment, Wilson was shot in the upper arm, and immediately slumped to the floor where he remained until the shooting stopped. Once the paramedics arrived, he said, “it was in God’s hands.” He remembers being put on a cart, noticing the sunny day as he was being rushed to the ambulance, and the subsequent 60-block trip to UNMC. By the time they reached the hospital, Fred Wilson had lost so much of his blood that there was almost none left. His family in the Ames/Newton Iowa area had heard the news happening in Omaha, and learned a man in the Von Maur customer service department had been shot. To which Wilson adds, “They made their way to Omaha, not knowing if I was dead or alive.”
Wilson was surrounded by family when he awoke in the ICU two days later. He was told that eight people, six of whom were colleagues, had been killed. Four days later, he was moved to a regular room, but hospital personnel kept him “hidden away”. On December 19th, Wilson and his doctor held a press conference. Wilson recalls, “I went with no notes. I wanted to speak from my heart, hopefully with my brain engaged.”
Rather than harboring bad thoughts, Wilson’s heart was filled with an abounding forgiveness. When asked if he held any anger or hostility toward the shooter, Wilson answered: “Absolutely not. I think when anyone resorts to something like that– carrying a gun into a store and lashing out at people--it is a sign of a trouble life; a troubled soul.”
Wilson was pleased that his answer was so well received, and had a positive, soothing impact on the community. “So often people get angry when they are victims,” he said.
After two weeks at UNMC, Wilson spent two more weeks at Immanuel Medical Center. He received outpatient occupational and physical therapy. Now, he goes for two hours each week, and is currently awaiting another surgery on his wrist- to hopefully result in some use of his right arm.
Wilson’s reaction is central to his character. His innate feelings of compassion and forgiveness have only intensified. During his years as a teacher, he thought it was important to make everyone feel validated and acknowledged. Wilson believes, “We’re all on this journey together and we need to take care of one another.” He credits his parents, grandparents and Methodist upbringing for nurturing that spirit. He spends time each morning doing some religious reading, saying, “that sets the tone for the day.”
Wilson’s faith has always been an integral part of his life, and remarks, “You don’t have to be in church every Sunday morning but it helps,” and describes church, “like a calm in the storm.” He notes that there is a lot of turmoil in the day-to-day, but “for one hour you can be surrounded by solace. That helps me get through the week.”
As a child, Wilson suffered with severe asthma. In third grade, Wilson was admitted to the hospital, and had to stay there for much of the year. He was confined to an oxygen tent in his room, which was difficult for him. However despite his frailties, Wilson worked hard to be accepted. “Maybe I have that compassion for others, having needed it myself.” He indicates, “We are all very much alike and we need to be helping one another.”
His brush with death made Wilson acutely aware of life’s value. “We need to make sure everything is right with our relationships. Family was important to me before, but it is even more so now.” Since the shooting, Wilson has had three grand nieces and nephews born. “They will always know me as Uncle Fred with a bad right arm, but that’s okay.”
“I’m so very blessed to still be able to have the opportunity to live my days and see the seasons and holidays. Not one day goes by without my saying ‘Thank you God, thank you Jesus’; Eight people died and I was blessed to live.”
He similarly understands that life is fragile. “We are all mortals and each and everyone will die someday. We don’t know how long we’re given. We just need to cherish our moments. We assume as we step into our days thinking that we’ll be fine, but people have heart attacks, falls or traffic accidents.”
While Wilson’s experience has made him more appreciative and careful, it has not made him fearful. He returned to his job at Von Maur where he walks over same spot where he once lay bleeding. He mentions, “I just don’t think much about it. I focus on what needs to be done.”
When asked what advice he would give to those seeking a similarly positive attitude, Wilson said it is important to see ourselves in others, and expresses, “We need to be caring and forgiving.”
Since February 2008, Wilson has been giving speeches about his experience. “I never expected to do that, but it just developed,” he observes. “I try to be present to the media when asked because there was a lot of coverage of the shooting. I felt personal responsibility because I lived. I could have been shot in the head.”
In sharing his story, Wilson focuses on forgiveness and importance of time. “We don’t have a guarantee of tomorrow. We do have today so we’ve got our work cut out for us if we’re going to take care of business.”
He also pays homage to those who died. “I have great respect for the eight families who lost loved ones. I end by speaking of those eight because they were lovely human beings. We miss them and will never forget them.”
As a member of First United Methodist Church, Wilson said many Sundays are emotional for him since he realizes that the setting could have been his funeral. With this thought he responds, “I am so glad God saw more time for me.”
