Von Maur shooting victim to speak May 7 in Red Oak

Fred Wilson was present and shot on Dec. 5, 2007, the day two customers and six employees were killed in the Von Maur department store in Omaha where he had worked for 10 years. By the time Wilson’s body was rushed to the hospital, he had “bled out” and had no pulse. But Wilson will be the speaker May 7 at Red Oak’s prayer breakfast that coincides with the observance of the National Day of Prayer.

Tickets are available from Alice Artherholt (712-623-2073) for $10.

The national theme for May 7 is, “Prayer…America’s Hope.” Red Oak’s Christian Business Associates began efforts to organize Montgomery County’s participation in the national annual event after Sept. 11, 2001. This eighth annual prayer breakfast will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 7, at the Red Coach Inn and Restaurant, 1200 Senate Ave., on Hwy. 34. At 7 a.m., the program will begin. Several individuals will participate prior to Wilson’s presentation. The event will conclude by 8 a.m.

Wilson, whose teaching background is in English, speech and theater, and who has worked in Clarinda and Shenandoah, has told audiences he came to a degree of forgiveness while hospitalized, but the shooting changed his life. Wilson frequently speaks to schools and at other gatherings.

Red Oak’s older high school students will have an opportunity to hear about Wilson’s experiences during the forenoon on May 7. He will also speak at the Clarinda prayer luncheon that day.