Tribute to Preston Lowrey

On August 15, 1996, my brother Preston took the place of a colleague who was ill, to hear a Master’s Thesis defence. The student turned the presentation into a murderous bloodbath when he pulled out a concealed gun and shot all three attending professors to death. 3 young women were widowed that day, 5 very young children were orphaned. For what? Because he had a grudge against the world and decided to use a gun to feel better? His family’s life was also ruined that day. He was 36 but will die in prison – a life wasted. My brother shouldn’t even have been there that day but for his kind heart in helping out a colleague. As well, he was the sort of man, who had he known of the student’s worries, would have gone out of his way to help him.