'He was always happy': Friend remembers Raleigh native killed in Minnesota shooting
You were talking about it over the phone
Describe the community there your friend group the the strong
bond you all have
It was a really um neat place to be
Um we had a a smoking court
That tells you
So all the teachers and students would go out to
the smoking court and smoke
It was like at lunchtime it was we think back
on that we're like that was so
Weird but yeah that was our kind of life and
so we were really close with our teachers our principal
Mr
Langston because he came from West Millbrook with us over
our 9th grade year and so we were together a
long time um middle school and high school had um
just friends with the teachers our parents knew them
It was very much community uh type school
And when did you first meet Mark How did you
know him growing up Um as far as I can
think back we I wanna say we met in middle
school
Um at West Millbrook
I don't think we went to the same elementary school
together but I think we I know we met at
West Millbrook and so and then we all went to
Millbrook together and graduated
And I saw on Facebook you went to school dances
together like how how close were you to Mark Well
we were all just like a a big group
We go out to get pizza we go to the
Pizza Inn for lunch and we all just you know
ran around together on the
weekends but you know we it middle school was the
funniest because we had the dances in the cafeteria and
so it was one of our favorite songs would come
on
We all go and just like grab his arm and
you know put him on the dance floor
So he was a fun person and um you know
we just really had a good time and he was
just one of those people like
He was always happy
I really loved that about him
He was kind
He was very um mild mannered and he just had
the um really good kind of goofy smile
He just was a very happy young man
When when was the last time that you saw him
and what was it like at that reunion Um it
was at the reunion and that was the first time
I had met his wife and the only time I
had met his wife and um we were just all
happy to be together and I didn't know he was
that far away um cause you know I'm in Lynchburg
so I can't really tell who's in Raleigh cause when
we come we're all coming for something and so it
was nice to see him
And um just all of us on the dance floor
together one big circle all dancing kind of doing like
the Soul Train when someone goes down the middle and
yeah it was really really fun
Um I remember him telling me um via Facebook that
his when his wife was running for office and he
was so very happy and so very proud of her
and you know and that's the kind of person he
was
He was always very very supportive
Yeah uh obviously this came as a huge shock the
other day or uh your your moment where you realized
what was that like Um I was had seen the
um manhunt
On the TV but I had the volume down and
was doing things with my grandkids and wasn't really thinking
too much about it
And then um I had turned it up just to
kind of hear what they were saying
And then I realized when they said his name I
was like that's not a common name
And so then I thought about it later in the
day
I'm like wait his wife is named Melissa
And so then as I started seeing pictures pop up
And then I went to his page and that's when
I realized that was him and his wife and that
was just heartbreaking and devastating to think
Somebody could be so evil to hurt someone that they
probably didn't know or didn't know well and you know
they're in the privacy of their home and I just
just to think about it it's just very hard and
I don't know it's um I'm still in shock
I I really am and and we weren't like the
best the best
I mean we were good good friends but like we
had so many years that's passed and so um but
yeah we always you know talk on Facebook and things
like that so it's not like we were completely out
of touch cause our group we're still very close especially
on social media and But yeah I'm I'm shocked and
can't believe it because truly that could be any of
us at any time opening your door to something you
think is safe like a police officer
So I don't know really anything about the case because
I've just seen stuff from the manhunt but it's a
tragic for sure
And I'm just in prayer for his family because I
can't imagine his children losing both parents on the same
day and in such a tragic way
When you knew him and you can now put a
personality to the name and memories to the name how
does that change this tragedy for you I I don't
have a good answer for that at this moment
But um I am blessed that I I knew him
for many many years and um have the memories that
we do have and now looking back at the reunion
pictures and stuff I probably hadn't looked at the reunion
pictures until yesterday
And um so yeah it is to lose a friend
that we've grown up together and just had so many
fun things um that we did together at school as
a whole group um everyone is very much grieving right
now
And I I noticed that a lot of people commented
on your post
What is this done in terms of the the Millbrook
community as you all kind of exchange stories it seems
Yes people are thinking of things in writing and we're
already like I'm like I called um one of the
friends last night in Raleigh
I'm like I'm balling and everything and I'm like we
need an emergency meeting we had to get together
And so they're like we're working on something
So um yeah cause we like to meet and um
we would have like um Andy would host uh the
pig pickings at his house and so we would have
these little everybodyi would pop up and say hey we're
all gonna go to this bar anyone can come come
so we like to get together as often as possible
but I'm not in town as much so that's a
little sad
Yes well I'm I'm sure it's nice to just hear
from people and talk about it
I think that's those were the questions that I had
for you but is there anything else that we haven't
talked about that you think is really important when we're
remembering him or sharing his story anything at all you
think we missed Just that he I I could not
imagine Mark having any enemies
He was just the nicest young man um he was
very smart and he just was a good friend to
everyone
And you know I can just see his smile
I even looking in the picture he's like right behind
me
I'm in the front row in the dress and he's
like right behind me and I'm just like yeah that's
a smart smile
That's his smile
And um but I'm just blessed to have known him
and I'm really in prayer for his family of the
next month
That's a lot to deal with