RED LAKE SHOOTINGS: May named 2005 Hero of the Year

[NVMojo]

Jeff May, the Red Lake (Minn.) High School student credited with saving the lives of several fellow students during the March 21 shooting that killed 10 was named Hero of the Year by Reader's Digest.

May, who was shot in the face in the incident and almost died, was selected by thousands of readers who voted for him online at www.rd.com, according to a news release Saturday from Reader's Digest.

"Jeff is the quintessential hero," said Reader's Digest Editor-in-Chief, Jackie Leo. "He saved the lives of his fellow students by risking his own." Jeff Weise, 16, had shot to death his grandfather and friend in their home that day before crashing a vehicle into the school door and, using three guns, killing a guard, a teacher and five fellow students, wounding seven others, including May, who was 15 at the time. After police shot Weise, he put a gun in his mouth and ended his own life.

But Weise would have killed many more if not for May risking his own life to try to stop him, say those who witnessed it all.
Watching his teacher and classmates being shot by Weise, May tried to stab Weise with a pencil and wrestle him to the floor. Weise shot May point blank in the face. The bullet went in his right cheek, fractured his jaw and lodged in his neck.

Witnesses to the shooting figured Mays' bravery saved the lives of at least a dozen other students, buying time until police responded to the 911 call.

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