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September 18, 2017
THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
5 ALUMNI KILLED IN MASS SHOOTING JAMES DUNLOP
OLIVIA DEFFNER
MEREDITH HIGHT
RION MORGAN
ANTHONY CROSS
How could something like that happen to someone who was that good of a person? It doesn’t make sense. It still doesn’t feel real. — Nick Disiere Rion Morgan’s coworker
Former UTD student kills estranged wife, seven other people
Relatives, friends remember victims of Plano shooting
RUTH VARGHESE
ARIANA HADDEN
UTD alumni were killed in a home shooting last week, leaving nine dead and one injured. On Sept. 10, former student Spencer Hight killed Rion Morgan, an alumnus and employee at the Office of Information and Technology, and alumni Meredith Hight, Olivia Deffner, Anthony Cross and James Dunlop, along with four others at a house in the 1700 block of West Spring Creek Parkway in Plano. SPENCER HIGHT “Without a doubt, this is the worst mass-casualty incident that we’ve had in the history of Plano,” said David Tilley, Plano Police Department’s public in-
After receiving the news that their loved ones were victims of a mass shooting, friends and family members are trying to cope with their deaths by remembering their lives. Of the nine killed on Sept. 10, Olivia Deffner, Anthony Cross, James Dunlop, Rion Morgan and Meredith Hight were UTD alumni. The shooter, Spencer Hight, is a former UTD student and estranged husband of Meredith. Jonathan Harvey, a close friend of the victims, met Spencer and Meredith at their engagement party in 2011. “Those are the memories I choose to stick with rather than getting a call from James’ dad wondering if I’m still alive,” he said. On the night of the incident, Harvey was supposed to attend the watch party at Meredith’s. After deciding not to go because he was
News Editor
Managing Editor
→ SEE SHOOTING, PAGE 12
SAHER AQEEL | PHOTO EDITOR
Family and friends created a makeshift memorial in front of the Plano home where former student Spencer Hight killed his estranged wife, Meredith Hight and seven other people on Sept. 10. This shooting had the largest casuality in the city’s history.
→ SEE PLANO, PAGE 12
Editorial Board
As a community, we should address domestic violence The deadliest mass shooting in Plano’s history, claiming the lives of five alumni, was a direct result of domestic violence. The Mercury stands against domestic violence and calls upon Comets to do more to recognize and prevent abuse. Ultimately, one man’s violent actions took nine people’s lives and 10 families are forever affected. While alumna Meredith Hight hosted a football watch party at her Plano home last Sunday, her estranged husband, Spencer Hight, arrived at the party, killing her and seven other people. She recently filed
for divorce from Spencer after six years of marriage. Darryl Hawkins, Myah Bass, Caleb Edwards, and alumni Anthony Cross, Olivia Deffner, James Dunlop and staff member Rion Morgan were also killed in the shooting. One victim, Carly Shockey, is currently in the hospital and in critical condition. Unfortunately, incidents such as this happen all too often. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that 55 percent of female homicides in the United States were due to domestic violence and out of those, four out of five women
were killed by their romantic partner. As Comets, we need to come together and speak out against domestic violence, help those in abusive relationships and spread awareness of the issue. It shouldn’t take the shocking murder of alumni to spur change. Our community needs to address the problem of domestic violence to make sure no one else loses their child, their friend or their life. A local organization you can donate to is Hope’s Door New Beginning, a Plano-based nonprofit organization providing services to
those affected by family violence. Another important step we can take to combat domestic violence is offering resources and support to those who need it. It’s also critical to know that domestic abuse is not always physical. It can also manifest as emotional or psychological mistreatment, which is not always as evident. As a community, we need to listen, provide a welcoming space and support to those who are affected by domestic abuse. Even if the victim does not decide or is unable to leave their abuser, we need to make sure
not to judge them for the situation they’re facing, as leaving a violent relationship is difficult and sometimes deadly. If you know anyone who needs help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 or access campus resources including the Galerstein Gender Center, Student Counseling Center and UTD Police. — Miriam Percival, Ariana Hadden, Bhargav Arimilli, Summer LeBel, Ruth Varghese, Chad Austin, Saher Aqeel, Bharat Arimilli, Carolina Alvarez