VIDEO: A Community In Mourning

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Joseph Tillman’s death has shocked Starkville and Mississippi State University.

On Monday, people were trying to make sense of what happened.

When WCBI talked with MSU students and those who knew Joseph Tillman, there was a profound sadness, complete disbelief, and some were even scared.

Mary Kate Rankin was out of town when she got this text.

“It was about 2 a.m., and I got two calls back to back, and I was kind of in and out of sleep. I didn’t answer and when I woke up about five that morning, I had a text from a friend saying somebody’s been shot in your yard.”

The person shot was 21-year old Joseph Tillman, who was steps away from his home.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s kind of crazy that it was one person that just got the end of this. I didn’t know people would do that in such an area like this. I don’t know what the motive was, and I don’t know, it’s really upsetting and also really scary that happened in such a public place like this,” says Rankin.

A makeshift memorial site has been set up in the yard, where dozens of friends have stopped by to mourn the loss of Tillman.

Although none of his friends wanted to go on camera, they say this video from four years ago describes him best.

MSU Senior Natalie Harris lives two streets over from where the shooting happened, and she says it’s terrifying to think about.

“I feel like that’s very disrespectful of human life, no matter who it is, and you know, you never think that anything like that is ever going to happen, but it did, and now we know, and I feel like it kind of opens everyone’s eyes. Now, you have to be careful and you have to watch out for yourself, and it doesn’t matter who you are, what you’re involved in, or how good of a person you are, something like that can be taken away from you in a split second.”

Harris says Tillman was well known on campus.

“I know way more people that did know him personally, and were very affected by it, and it’s very heartbreaking to see like my friends hurting because you know, it’s evident how good of a person, and how good of a friend he was, and you know the kind of legacy that he left on those people.”

The tragedy not only affects students, it also brings worries for parents.

“It’s scary for your parents not to be able to do anything because they are far away, and  we’re here and we have to take care of ourselves, and it’s scary for them to know that you know, to realize things like this do happen because it happened to one of ours. I’m sure his parents, I can’t imagine how they feel about this, and just knowing you know that there was nothing that they could have done,” says Harris.

Counseling Services are available at Mississippi State for students, staff, and faculty during this tragic time.