Published: July 28, 2008 12:45 am      

WILSON: Wolf, Gorman were counseled by principal

Residents of this hamlet in the Town of Wilson were shocked by the news that two of their own died Saturday in an apparent murder/suicide.

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department reported that Shawn Wolf, 19, shot his girlfriend, Kari Gorman, 18, at his home and then took his own life at the cemetery where his father is buried.

Neighbors don’t understand it and Wilson Central school officials are left to deal with their most serious crisis of a troubled year.

Gorman was a cheerleader who often waved and smiled at teachers and other students in the hallways. Wolf beamed and raised his hands in triumph on the stage as the last person in the 2008 graduation procession, where both earned regents diplomas.

“There was a real pride that he had,” high school principal Dan Johnson said.

Wolf and Gorman had been dating for about eight months but had a fight Friday night. On Saturday morning, she left work at Johnston’s Restaurant on Academy Street to see Wolf. She was shot in the head.

“It’s pretty shocking,” said resident Doug Paschke of Parker Road. “Wilson was always quiet. Nothing like that ever happened in Wilson.”

Both teens worked at Johnston’s Restaurant. Doug and Grace Paschke would go to the restaurant for chicken wings.

“We saw the girl there,” Doug Paschke said. “It’s hard to understand what happens, especially when you’re 18 or 19 years old. What was he thinking of? Then there’s the school teachers. You wonder what’s going to happen next. It’s tragic in a small community that two things like this can happen at the same time.”

Wilson School Superintendent Mike Wendt objected to mixing the latest tragedy with the baseball team on the school bus alleged assault.

“What we really have to do is address this issue here,” Wendt said. “We have to focus on the needs of kids with this immediate crisis ... It’s hard to get your hands around this and come to grips with that kind of a crisis. We have to focus on the people who are here, which would include their surviving friends and families. Remember the positive contributions these kids have made.”

Johnson said many students will visit the principal’s office voluntarily and he spoke regularly with Wolf and Gorman.

“I can’t tell you why, but I speak with most of our students on a regular basis,” Johnson said. “I try to be visible and try to be available. I knew both of them very well. Like any of our students, if they had a problem they thought I could help them with, the door was open.”

The Rev. William Lowery Jr., pastor of the Ransomville Free Methodist Church, led prayers for the family at services on Sunday. He is administering to several of the families, he said.

“It’s devastating to our community,” he said. “It’s one of those things that’s unexpected. It doesn’t make sense. We ask the question why. I’m not sure we’ll ever know that.

“It’s an opportunity for people to pull together and support each other,” he added. “We prayed for God to comfort those people and help them make sense out of something that seems senseless.”

Although Wolf and Gorman were not members of the Methodist Church, Lowery said, “We’re the same community. We’re pretty tight.”

Mark Baker of Miami returned to Ransomville for a family reunion and read the reports Sunday.

“We were sorry to hear that news. There’s a lot of good people here,” he said. “We have family here. News like that is very upsetting, not just here, but in the whole community. Everybody knows somebody who’s impacted by it.”

Graham Litt, 23, of Lewiston, stopped at Joe’s Little Pizza on Wilson-Ransomville Road. He did not know the circumstances, but said, “It’s a sad thing, regardless. I don’t know why they were fighting but there’s no reason to kill somebody or kill yourself. You seek help before you do something like that.”

Dan Gallogos, 21, of Lewiston didn’t buy the excuse that there is too much pressure on teens.

“I got out of high school four years ago,” he said. “I don’t remember anything like that. Normal people don’t think like that.”

Hoppy Leggett, who was attending the Ransomville Fire Co. picnic for exempt firemen, graduated from Wilson in 1950. “I don’t understand all the stuff that’s happening down there... It happens, but nobody has a rhyme or reason. It just happens. You don’t know why. It touches a lot of people in a small town.”

The Ransomville Fire Co. got a call to standby for police assistance Saturday morning, but were not called into action.

“It’s a tragedy,” said Lt. Matt Wedge. “What could be so bad to take your own life and somebody else’s?”

Wendt emphasized that the Wilson staff is sure to have personal contacts with students and makes sure that every student talks to somebody every day.

“One of my staff members said that one of the visions I can’t get out of my head is Kari walking down the hall with a big smile on her face saying hello,” Johnson said. “That’s kind of the memory people will have of her.”

Only a few students attended Sunday’s grieving period at Wilson High School. “We’re giving students a place to gather if they need it,” Wendt said.

The school will send letters to all parents of students ninth to 12th grade and set up a meeting on Aug. 4 regarding suicide. “We’ll let know that we’re concerned and make them aware what the warning signs would be,” he said.

Grieving, suicide, suicide prevention and warning signs will be discussed.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott  439-9222, ext. 6246.