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Richardson student paralyzed after Waffle House shooting
A Richardson ISD student was left permanently paralyzed from the waist down after getting shot in a Waffle House parking lot. FOX 4's David Sentendrey has more.
RICHARDSON, Texas - The family of a Richardson ISD student is asking for help after he was seriously injured in a shooting last week.
Richardson ISD student paralyzed
What we know:
On March 19 at around 12:40 a.m., Richardson Police responded to reports of a shooting at 120 W. Spring Valley Road.
Several witnesses called 911 to report a large fight occurring in a Waffle House parking lot, followed by an eruption of gunfire.
Officers found one individual had been shot, who was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. The victim was later identified as 18-year-old Seth Jackson, a student at Richardson High School.
James Jackson, the victim's father, says his son is permanently paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the shooting. Seth remains in the ICU with a ruptured lung, fractured ribs and a shattered spinal cord.
What we don't know:
Police have not said who fired the gun or why the fight started.
Family adjusts after tragic shooting
What they're saying:
"Nobody calls in the middle of the night with good news."
James Jackson says his son was involved in the fight after he saw one of his friends getting attacked. In videos of the shooting sent to FOX 4, Jackson does not appear to be anywhere near the shooter.
"He saw five guys jump on his friend, so out of knee-jerk reaction he kind of headed over there," James said. "So he just headed over there and never made it within 10–15 feet."
James Jackson
James says his son worked two jobs and played on the Richardson High School basketball team. He also says Seth had been accepted to the University of Houston, and he already had an apartment rented for the fall semester.
Now, his father is figuring out how to make his home ADA compliant. "I’ve got to go around the house and get a carpenter to modify the bathroom doors. We’ve got to remodel his bathroom."
James hopes the shooter is caught, but for now, he's just worrying about his son.
"Hug your kids. You don’t know when is the last time you’re going to see them."
What you can do:
Richardson Police are asking for anyone with information on the shooting to contact them.
A GoFundMe has been started to pay for Jackson's recovery, which you can find here.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Richardson Police Department and an interview with the victim's family.