Family, friends gather to remember Andrew Russell, who was shot at a Saginaw house
Friends and relatives embraced Cynthia Williams before the candlelight vigil for her son, 21-year-old Andrew Russell, on Friday.
Russell, who had epilepsy and frequent seizures, was shot to death early Monday after knocking on a neighbor’s door. In a interview with KDFW-TV earlier in the week, Williams said that Russell likely wandered out of his home and needed help.
On Friday, Williams said when she put her son to bed Sunday night, Russell was still in a postictal state, which means the brain is “hot” following a seizure and needs to calm down. Williams said the process takes time and it can take days for the brain to return to normal. To those unaware of the signs of epilepsy, she said the postictal state can appear like the person is under the influence of a substance.
Williams said she is very pro-gun, but does not support shooting before assessing the situation.
“You don’t have to shoot someone down dead. You need to take a moment and analyze the situation before you shoot,” she said.
Since the shooting, Williams said her goal is to raise awareness for epilepsy.
Williams said Russell experienced his first seizure as a senior at Chisholm Trail High School, but he had epilepsy his whole life without the family realizing. When he was younger, Russell would have moments where he would seemingly space out, but really those had been baby seizures, she said.
Epileptic seizures can be triggered by dehydration, flashing lights or, in the case of Russell’s first seizure, stress, Williams said.
Six months ago Russell underwent surgery for an implant that would act for the brain as a pacemaker does for the heart, Williams said. Every few minutes it would go off to prevent another seizure, she said. The device worked for some time but then stopped working, Williams said, and the family was still trying to adjust the levels where they needed to be for ultimate effectiveness.
“Andrew was getting ready to go to college next year, because he had had that implant,” she said. “He was moving forward, and his quality of life was pointed in the right direction.”
The family has started a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses, and any extra funds will be donated to the Texas Epilepsy Foundation. Shirts honoring Russell were also available at the vigil, with proceeds going to the foundation as well.
Russell’s older brother, Trey, said his brother knew no stranger and always made a point to get to know someone new.
One of his fondest memories of Andrew was when they were around 6 and 7 years old. As the boys were running down the street to a friend’s house, Trey said he vividly remembers watching his brother run with a huge smile on his face.
“Andrew was always happy,” he said. “The only time he wasn’t happy was whenever you interrupted one of his [video] games and that was it. Any other time he was a very happy and gentle guy.”
Since Monday, Trey said, it’s been hard not to break down but he’s kept himself busy and remains a rock for his mom as well as making sure everyone else is OK.
During the vigil, Trey said a prayer asking for justice for Andrew. The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office has said it will take the case to a grand jury to determine whether any charges will be brought against the man who killed him.
Holding a lit candle, Williams told those gathered in a circle outside Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Fort Worth that the only way she was making it through the loss of her son was with their support.
After some of Russell’s friends shared their memories of him, Williams mentioned how November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month and encouraged those gathered to help raise awareness about the condition.
Williams said the family is pushing for funds to create an annual scholarship that would go to a high school graduate with epilepsy and help fund their college tuition.
“Do not let him die in vain,” she said. “What’s happened, we need to turn it into something positive, we need to make a difference.”
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 10:59 PM.
