On Monday, November 28, The Ohio State University was under attack by one of its own when 18-year-old student Abdul Razak Ali Artan drove his car over a curb, jumped out with a large knife, and attacked students  and faculty on campus. He injured eleven people, one critically. Artan was fatally shot by a campus security guard less than two minutes after the attack began.

Many Walsh Jesuit students who have friends and family attending Ohio State were naturally sent into a panic. Senior Malyka Musso said, “The moment I heard about the attack, I was instantly worried about my sister and cousins who attend The Ohio State University. The fact that another human being could do that and not see anything wrong with it is just sickening.” Malyka’s statement expresses the unimaginable fear one experiences when hearing about a dangerous situation close to a loved one.

WJ Junior Michael Kadair’s cousin, OSU student Dominic Manning, lives in an apartment just above a part of the assailant’s route and was home during the time of the incident. He told Kadair that he could sense something was wrong by the unusual level of commotion and noise outside.

The brother of senior Conner Evans was also near the scene of the attack. Conner described his response to the news: “The first thing that came to my mind was to text my brother to make sure he was alright. I knew that he lived 40 yards away from the Watts Building where the shooting occurred. He was even able to send me a picture from his dorm room window of where the attack took place. People say that something this tragic could never happen to them, which is far from the truth. I am just glad my brother and friends who attend OSU are alright and that [no innocent people were] killed.”

A surreal aspect of this entire ordeal is the dramatic shift from positive energy to tragedy in a twenty-four hour period. Senior Sam Thomas noted, “The whole thing is so shocking, especially after being there for the excitement and happiness which was felt on campus after beating Michigan.” An obscene incident like this puts even an intense sports rivalry into perspective, emphasizing the importance of being available to support and comfort those affected.