One of the students wounded during a deadly attack on the campus of UNC Charlotte has shared a note about his recovery and issued a call for state and U.S. officials to work together for change.
In the note he shared on Twitter, Drew Pescaro expressed appreciation for the outpouring of support he received but he also said that it made him reluctant to share what he was really feeling.
“People were telling me how much of an inspiration and symbol of strength I was,” he wrote. “Although that is kind and nice to hear, it also made me feel as though I wasn’t allowed to share how I was truly feeling due to not wanting to upset anyone who has supported me throughout all of this.”
“I reached a point where I am no longer concerned with upsetting anyone because I needed to do this for myself -- and in my opinion, being strong and inspirational means speaking up when others can’t or won’t,” he continued.
Pescaro explained that he has good days and “horrible” days.
“Some days I am perfectly fine, others I experience anger/sadness over everything that transpired [the day of the shooting] and that has happened since.”
The 19-year-old from Apex, N.C., wrote about his frustration over the ongoing violence in this country.
“What is being done to try and prevent these tragedies, or rather, these terroristic attacks on our schools, places of religious gathers, concert venues, etc.?” he wrote.
Pescaro also addressed the mental health issues that come up sometimes in mass shootings, stating that he and many people he knows have dealt with mental health issues but that it’s no excuse for violence.
He called for state and U.S. officials to work together to bring about change.
“This problem has gone on for far too long and I can’t live the rest of my life with this continuously happening,” he wrote.
See the full letter below:
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