I typically stay in the realm of sports in my weekly column.
But this week, I feel compelled to write about something different. And it’s something that’s close to home for me — literally.
In case you don’t know, here’s a breakdown:
– Eighteen-year-old Nia Wilson, of Oakland, Calif., was stabbed to death at an Oakland BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train station Sunday. Her sister Letifah Wilson, 26, was also wounded from the attack but survived.
– Suspect John Cowell, 27, was arrested Monday at another BART station just miles away. Cowell, a paroled felon, was arrested peacefully following an anonymous tip from a BART passenger.
– The Wilson sisters are black women, and Cowell is a white man.
– Surveillance video showed Cowell rode the same car as the sisters but did not interact with them. He then attacked as they got on the platform. BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas said, “It looks like it was an unprovoked, unwarranted, vicious attack.”
– Cowell was released from state prison in May after serving two years for second-degree robbery, said a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Records show he had convictions for battery, being under the influence of a controlled substance and assault with a deadly weapon.
– Letifah Wilson said they were returning home from a family outing when they were “blindsided by a maniac.”
– Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence against Cowell.
– Cowell’s family said in a statement he suffered from mental illness.
– Though motive is not yet known, it’s been reported many have protested and have taken to social media demanding justice and expressing belief Cowell’s motive was racial, including singer Kehlani, an Oakland native, and actress Anne Hathaway.
As some of you may know, I’m from San Jose, Calif., which is nearby Oakland and San Francisco. Many of you have asked where I’m from, and I’ve proudly proclaimed as such.
When I read of this news, I was floored.
I just visited home in May. I’ve taken the BART to and from San Francisco, and I’ve passed through that MacArthur BART station where Nia Wilson was murdered.
For all I know, I may have rode the same train she was on.
That was my first thought. Then, my second thought was, “My, god. She was just 18.”
Nia’s father, Ansar Muhammad, said she was going to graduate “with very high honors” and intended to join the military.
“I should be planning her graduation, not her funeral,” Muhammad said.
I mean, wow. Those words are heavy.
I’m sure we’re all aware of the climate we live in our country today — politically, racially, etc. And, I have my own opinions on what’s occurred.
But all I’ll say here is I hope Nia Wilson and her family get justice. I hope Cowell gets his just due.
As this has proven, and maybe some of you already know from personal experience, you never know when a loved one will be taken away.
And for those of you who are reading this, I hope you hug your loved ones just a little bit harder and perhaps more often.
Whether you say it plenty or hardy enough, I hope you say, “I love you” to those near and dear to your heart.
RIP Nia Wilson.
Information from Associated Press.
•••
Nick Celario, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or ncelario@thegardenisland.com.
Well said Nick.
My daughter and teen-aged grand children went thru the MacArthur Bart station that day. This hits very close to home!