Trevor Wehner was beginning to prepare for life after graduation as he started a spring internship with the Henry Pratt Company on Friday, but that life was cut short as he was one of five victims killed at the facility on Friday.
Wehner, a student at Northern Illinois University, was set to graduate in the spring of 2019, but now his family is left with only grief and sadness as the young man’s life was cut tragically short.
Thomas, Wehner’s brother, got a call from his mother when he was just minutes from home on Friday, and says that's when he learned the news about his brother's death.
“My heart just sank immediately,” he said. “I just had a horrible feeling because that was my first thought.”
Police believe that Trevor Wehner was sitting in on the meeting in which gunman Gary Martin was fired, and he was one of five people killed when Martin pulled out a pistol and began shooting.
Just hours after Wehner’s tragic death, family and friends are remembering him as a jokester who could defuse any situation with his quick wit and his goofy sense of humor.
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“He was always known for being so goofy,” his brother said. “You guys could argue and then he would give you a little smile, a little chuckle. You couldn’t be mad at him for anything.”
It didn’t surprise Thomas Wehner at all to see his brother considering a career in human relations, as he loved interacting with others and trying to help them out in whatever way that he could.
“He just wanted to care for others and be there for them and make everything better,” he said.
Now, Thomas and his family are left to wonder why this tragedy occurred, and the family hopes that their faith will be strong enough to guide them through one of the darkest periods of their lives.
“God tells us to forgive and I think that’s what I’m going to have to do and that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said. “It’s a hard time for all of us and I really want to make sure my mom and dad are okay because I can’t imagine how hard it is to lose a son.”
