Man Hit in Omaha Mall Shooting Thanks Rescuers

OMAHA, Neb. --

Fred Wilson said he feels great and very blessed two weeks after he was shot inside the Von Maur at Westroads Mall in Omaha, and he said he has not anger toward his shooter.

With no discernable pulse and massive blood loss, Wilson, 61, was near death when he was transported to the medical center after the shootings. Wilson told Nebraska Medical Center staff in the days following that he remembers the day of the Von Maur shooting and being shot. He said he never lost consciousness and had no idea how badly he was hurt until later.

"I never lost consciousness. I just closed my eyes to be taken down three different floors. I was aware ? of being put into the ambulance and being driven away," Wilson said. "I was scared. I was frightened. There was a bit of an unreality about it. There still is."

Wilson said he remembers hearing people yell for help after the shooting. He said he saw the gunman walking toward the customer service department, and he thinks he saw the gun.

Wilson extended his condolences to families of the dead and thanked Omaha police and his doctors. He praised Omaha for the way it reacted to the deaths of eight innocent people at the hands of Robert Hawkins, 19, who then turned the gun on himself.

Wilson said he first heard popping and thought someone had dropped glasswares, but soon he knew it was gunfire. Then, he said, everyone tried to take shelter. He said he'd always felt safer on the third floor, but within seconds, he saw a young man walking toward customer service. He said he was shot in the back.

"The fact that the store is opening tomorrow I found quite, quite acceptable. I had mixed thoughts about what would be the right time to open. Wednesday Jan. 2 -- new year, a Wednesday. (But) tomorrow is the right time. Von Maur is in the retail business. (We) should link to the holiday," Wilson said.

There will be a brief public ceremony at 8 p.m. Wednesday outside the south entrance to the store.

Westroads managers said on Tuesday that the public will not take part in removing the memorials.

Westroads said its staff will handle that and then turn the material over to the Douglas County Historical Society for preservation.

Von Maur said on Monday morning that it will reopen its Omaha store on Thursday, and Westroads Mall plans a vigil for victims on Wednesday night.

The Von Maur store at Westroads Mall was the site of a Dec. 5 shooting. Robert Hawkins, 19, killed eight people before taking his own life.

Von Maur said it will hold a brief ceremony in memory of those killed and hurt during the shooting before the store reopens at 10 a.m. Thursday. The ceremony will be held by the store's interior mall entrance.

Wilson graduated from Monroe High School in Monroe, Iowa, in 1964. He was a longtime English and speech teacher before retiring about 10 years ago.

He said it find it amazing that he was so critically injured and was rescued and saved by paramedics and doctors.

"It's unbelievable to me that two weeks ago at this time, the incident had not even happened, and I've gone from near death to rallying," Wilson said.

Wilson said he has no anger toward Hawkins.

"He needed help. He needed attention, and he didn't get attention like I got attention. I have no anger whatsoever," Wilson said.

Wilson said he was near Beverly Flynn, a seasonal gift wrapper who did not survive the shooting.

"The elegance, beauty and capability of our new store manager -- Maggie Webb -- Angie Schuster: I was always a little jealous of her ability to keep her troops in line," Wilson said.

He said Janet Jorgensen was a top seller in the company.

Wilson broke down talking about Dianne Trent, who he called a dear friend. He said Gary Joy was always around to help.

"You didn't have to ask twice when you asked Gary," Wilson said.