Reader's Digest honors teen's heroism (Jeff May grappled with school shooter, saving a dozen lives)

Jeff May, 16, has been awarded the title of "hero" in a national poll. But for him the recognition always will be linked in his mind to tragedy. Reader's Digest magazine has named May, who is credited with saving others' lives during last spring's shooting at Red Lake High School, as its Hero of the Year. May was shot in the face after he tried to wrestle the gunman, schoolmate Jeff Weise, to the ground. It has been a long and difficult struggle for May — who turned 16 on Friday — since the shootings nearly a year ago. And any thrill and happiness over receiving the honor is still largely erased by his memories of the shooting. When told of the award, May said: "I wasn't thinking about it (the award) much. I was thinking about the day." Weise shot seven people dead at the high school March 21 and then killed himself. Seven others were injured. Before heading to the high school, Weise fatally shot two other people, one of them his grandfather. In its announcement of the award, the magazine said May grappled with Weise "for just time enough, witnesses estimate, to spare the lives of a dozen people." The day of the shooting, Weise, who was 6-feet, 4-inches tall and weighed about 250 pounds, shot out a window in order to enter the locked classroom where May and other students, along with their teacher, had sought safety. Weise, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun and two semiautomatic pistols, shot the teacher and five other students. Realizing he was probably the only student big enough to physically challenge Weise, May tried to stab Weise with a pencil and then grappled with him. But Weise fought him off and then shot May point blank in the face. Police soon arrived, and Weise killed himself. The bullet entered May's right cheek, fractured his jaw and lodged in his neck, near his vertebrae. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Fargo, N.D., where he underwent surgery to remove the bullet. A stroke left him immobilized on his left side. Following months of physical therapy, he has moved from a wheelchair to walking with a cane to walking on his own, he said. He returned to Red Lake High School in September, where he still works with physical and speech therapists. The story of May's heroism was featured in the September issue of Reader's Digest as part of its monthly series "Everyday Heroes." May received more votes than 11 other nominees featured during 2005. About 16,000 votes were cast in the magazine's online poll to determine the winner. "Jeff is the quintessential hero," Reader's Digest editor-in-chief, Jackie Leo, said in a prepared statement. "He saved the lives of his fellow students by risking his own." Other finalists for the honor include a helicopter pilot who rescues people and a fifth-grade crossing guard who pulled a boy out of the path of an oncoming van. May, who said he has never traveled farther than Wisconsin, will be honored April 7 at a special ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange, where he will ring the closing bell with two Reader's Digest executives. The trip will mark his first plane flight. He will be accompanied by brothers Shane, 23, and Tony, 17, and cousin Ryan Brown, 17, he said. His mother, Jody May, suffered a stroke two months after the shootings, likely a consequence of stress, according to the family. "I'm doing good, but not all that good," Jeff May said after thinking about the tragedy and what it has done to his community and family. "The award helps a little. But everything is just hard."


	Posted on Sun, Mar. 05, 2006

	Reader's Digest honors teen's heroism Jeff May grappled with school shooter, saving a dozen lives BY ELLEN TOMSON Pioneer Press Jeff May, 16, has been awarded the title of "hero" in a national poll. But for him the recognition always will be linked in his mind to tragedy. Reader's Digest magazine has named May, who is credited with saving others' lives during last spring's shooting at Red Lake High School, as its Hero of the Year. May was shot in the face after he tried to wrestle the gunman, schoolmate Jeff Weise, to the ground. It has been a long and difficult struggle for May — who turned 16 on Friday — since the shootings nearly a year ago. And any thrill and happiness over receiving the honor is still largely erased by his memories of the shooting. When told of the award, May said: "I wasn't thinking about it (the award) much. I was thinking about the day." Weise shot seven people dead at the high school March 21 and then killed himself. Seven others were injured. Before heading to the high school, Weise fatally shot two other people, one of them his grandfather. In its announcement of the award, the magazine said May grappled with Weise "for just time enough, witnesses estimate, to spare the lives of a dozen people." The day of the shooting, Weise, who was 6-feet, 4-inches tall and weighed about 250 pounds, shot out a window in order to enter the locked classroom where May and other students, along with their teacher, had sought safety. Weise, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun and two semiautomatic pistols, shot the teacher and five other students. Realizing he was probably the only student big enough to physically challenge Weise, May tried to stab Weise with a pencil and then grappled with him. But Weise fought him off and then shot May point blank in the face. Police soon arrived, and Weise killed himself. The bullet entered May's right cheek, fractured his jaw and lodged in his neck, near his vertebrae. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Fargo, N.D., where he underwent surgery to remove the bullet. A stroke left him immobilized on his left side. Following months of physical therapy, he has moved from a wheelchair to walking with a cane to walking on his own, he said. He returned to Red Lake High School in September, where he still works with physical and speech therapists. The story of May's heroism was featured in the September issue of Reader's Digest as part of its monthly series "Everyday Heroes." May received more votes than 11 other nominees featured during 2005. About 16,000 votes were cast in the magazine's online poll to determine the winner. "Jeff is the quintessential hero," Reader's Digest editor-in-chief, Jackie Leo, said in a prepared statement. "He saved the lives of his fellow students by risking his own." Other finalists for the honor include a helicopter pilot who rescues people and a fifth-grade crossing guard who pulled a boy out of the path of an oncoming van. May, who said he has never traveled farther than Wisconsin, will be honored April 7 at a special ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange, where he will ring the closing bell with two Reader's Digest executives. The trip will mark his first plane flight. He will be accompanied by brothers Shane, 23, and Tony, 17, and cousin Ryan Brown, 17, he said. His mother, Jody May, suffered a stroke two months after the shootings, likely a consequence of stress, according to the family. "I'm doing good, but not all that good," Jeff May said after thinking about the tragedy and what it has done to his community and family. "The award helps a little. But everything is just hard." Ellen Tomson can be reached at etomson@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5455.

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