Two days after the mass shooting that killed 9 people in Dayton, Ohio, the Saint Francis University community in Loretto, held a mass for one of the victims, a local student.
This Immaculate Conception Chapel at Saint Francis University, was packed with friends, classmates, teachers and family members of Nicholas Cumer.
They sang and listened to a sermon in honor of Cumer.
Those at the mass say the sudden death of the 25 year old leaves a big hole on campus.
Nicholas Cumer was an ordinary college student in some way.
“He wore Converse, but he was the biggest Batman fan, he had a belt buckle,” Timothy Hornick, Cumer’s friend, said.
Hornick says in other ways his best friend was extraordinary, explaining the diverse turnout from the Saint Francis University family and the Loretto community at Tuesday’s mass for Cumer.
“He could relate to anyone on campus, which is why tonight you saw athletics there, you saw Greek life there, you saw just community members, you saw band members,” Hornick, said.
Cumer was going through an internship through Maple Tree Cancer Alliance in Dayton, Ohio. He was shot and killed in the Ned Peppers bar on Sunday morning.
Cumer was a graduate student in the Cancer Care program at SFU, which is how he met Brother Shamus, who was in an exercise class to recover from cancer.
“He always asked me, “Brother, are you feeling OK, and would you like to come back again?”, Brother Shamus McGrenra, at Saint Francis University, said. “Because a lot of times I was so exhausted that I just wanted to give it up and, he said, “Brother, he said, don’t give up, he said we would love to see you again in a couple days.”
Hornick says Nick leaves a lasting legacy.
“He inspires me everyday, he always has since 2013 to be more like him, someone that’s outgoing, and caring and loving and just genuine,” Hornick, said.
Father James Puglis, Director of Campus Ministry with SFU, tells WTAJ, Kelsey Golarick, another Saint Francis student who was in the same internship program Nick was in, and was in that bar during Sunday’s shooting, is recovering from the shooting. Father Puglis says Kelsey’s mother told him Kelsey has been released from the hospital and is doing well.