NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- The parents of Jason Seaman have written a letter of thanks to the community, their family and first responders for their work and prayers since Seaman was wounded in the May 25 shooting at Noblesville West Middle School.
Seaman was teaching a science class when a student armed with two handguns came into the room and opened fire. Ella Whistler, 13, was shot seven times. The teacher heroically tackled the gunman and stopped him before he could hurt anyone else.
Seaman was shot three times, but the bullets missed any vital organs and he was released from the hospital the following day.
Ella remains hospitalized with multiple injuries but family members say she has been recovering a little more each day.
READ | Ella Whistler was shot 7 times
Jason's mother and father penned a letter of thanks to everyone who has been there for them since the day of the shooting and shared it Tuesday.
Read the full letter of thanks from Bob and Kristi Seaman below:
At 9:06 a.m. on May 25th, an armed student entered my son’s classroom in Noblesville IN and opened fire. Amazingly, there were no fatalities. However, another student and my son were struck numerous times. Thankfully, both are recovering, but the injured student will have an extended hospital stay. Since that surreal day, there have been so many acts of kindness and so many notes of encouragement and prayers that I couldn’t possibly begin to thank everyone personally. Please accept the following thanks and know that every act, every word and every prayer has been deeply appreciated.
First and foremost, a very humble and grateful thank you goes to our Heavenly Father. I have been on my knees numerous times these past days thanking Him but it still feels so inadequate. His mercy is great.
Thank you also to our biological families. Thank you, Mom & Keith, for your never-ending support. Thank you, Doug and Denise, for being there when we couldn’t be. To everyone else, even though we’re spread throughout the United States, your support and love have been constant and fierce. We love you all more than you can possibly know.
We would also like to thank our other “families”:
Thank you to the first responders and police officers Friday morning and to the staff at UI [sic] Health Methodist Hospital. Your professionalism, expertise and care were absolutely phenomenal. We realize that you were “only doing your job”, but the competency and compassion you exhibited while performing your job touched our hearts and we are forever grateful.
Thank you to the administration and staff at Noblesville West Middle School. I hope people realize the professionalism that it took to execute the emergency drill Friday in the midst of chaos and the unknown. Not many people go to work in the morning with the knowledge that they could potentially have hundreds of children’s lives depending on them. The word hero has been used to describe Jason but you are heroes also.
Thank you to the students of Noblesville West Middle School, especially those who have been students of Mr. Seaman. You have lifted him up with your caring, cards and support. You are the reason our son did what he did.
Thank you to the law enforcement officers for your ever-present, yet invisible presence. Whether it was escorting Jason to an event, maintaining a car outside of Jason’s residence to discourage unwanted visitors, or simply giving our grandson stickers, a thank you is simply inadequate. Our gratitude is immeasurable.
Thank you to the amazing Mahomet-Seymour School District. Our hearts are filled with gratefulness for the well-wishes and understanding from the Superintendent, Administration and the School Board. The texts, e-mails, and posts from other staff members, past and present, have been so heart-warming and comforting. A special shout-out to my Ya-Yas in the Central Office. As we’ve often said, we’ve saved millions in therapy dollars. Your love and support mean the world to me.
Thank you to the best community in the state of Illinois. The outpouring of love and support we have felt from the people of Mahomet has simply been staggering. You have our backs.
Thank you to our Saluki family. Once a Saluki, always a Saluki, right? Every single text, post and e-mail have meant so much to us. These words seem so inadequate but the communication truly lifted us up. We love you.
Thank you to all of our friends who have reached out and asked for ways to help. Please know that just being there for us has been more than enough. To every single person that took the time to pray for our son, we are humbly indebted to you. You have reached out to us from all over the world and your kindness and caring have not gone unnoticed.
Finally, please continue to pray for Jason and the students of Noblesville West, especially Ella, the student that was injured. Please also pray for the shooter and his family. We all need healing.
Bob and Kristi Seaman
Letter courtesy Current Publishing
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