Family Of Shooting Survivor Talks About UMD Murder-Suicide
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- When a University of Maryland student went on a shooting spree, he killed one roommate and wounded another. Now that survivor is out of the hospital. He's home and his family members are talking about the bizarre shooting.
Derek Valcourt has more from the family of Neal Oa.
A bullet hit Neal in the leg. It left him limping, but his family says he's just lucky.
Police say 23-year-old graduate student Dayvon Green had been diagnosed with a mental illness for more than a year before Tuesday morning's bizarre rampage at an off-campus. He took his own life after killing one of his roommates--Stephen Rane--and shooting another roommate--Neal Oa--in the leg.
"We're just thankful that he's alive. We don't know how he survived it. It was just a miracle," said Chris Merz, survivor's stepfather.
Chris Merz says his stepson Neal and Stephen Rane were both awakened by several fires Green set in the backyard of the small house they all shared. When they went out together to put out those flames, Green opened fire.
"Saw the gun coming out of his pocket and just had a sense that something wasn't right as he turned to run. That's when he got hit. He felt his leg and something was there and just decided 'I just got to go, I just got to run,'" Merz said.
Family members say though Neal is at home recovering and doing well, he isn't ready to speak with reporters just yet until after he speaks with the mother of his murdered roommate, Stephen Rane, 22.
Rane, who graduated high school from Ellicott City, is slated to be laid to rest this weekend in Pennsylvania. As the campus mourns his death, Neal Oa's family counts their blessings.
"As bad as we feel, we can't imagine how the other families are feeling, Stephen's parents. It's just kind of makes us sick to our stomachs when we think about it," Merz said.
In addition to the 9mm handgun that was used in the shooting, police say Green also had a machete and a .22 caliber semi-automatic Uzi in his bag.
The funeral for Stephen Rane will be held Saturday in Malvern, Pa. He will be buried at Philadelphia Memorial Park in Frazer.
