Student-Athlete, 18, Paralyzed in Waffle House Parking Lot Shooting: ‘He’ll Never Walk Again’

Two teens have been arrested in connection with the incident

Seth Jackson.Credit : GoFundMe

A Texas teen was shot while trying to help a friend — and now “he’ll never walk again,” his family said.

Seth Jackson, an 18-year-old high school student-athlete, was left paralyzed after a shooting at a parking lot of a Waffle House in Richardson, Texas, on the evening of March 19, according to police and the teen’s family, who spoke with local ABC affiliate WFAA.

Two people — Taylor Griffin, 18, and Charles Webster, 17 — were arrested and charged in connection with the incident at 120 West Spring Valley Road, which investigators said “began as a conflict between two groups” and “escalated when multiple individuals drew handguns and fired their weapons,” according to a Richardson Police Department news release.

Seth, meanwhile, was rushed to the hospital, where his father told WFAA that “it’s every parent’s nightmare.”

Seth’s family told WFAA that a crowd of teens had gathered at the Richardson spot and as Seth was trying to help a friend who was being attacked, at least one person pulled out a gun. Seth subsequently turned to flee and was shot, his family said.

The Waffle House at 120 West Spring Valley Road in Richardson, Texas.Google Maps

The teen was taken to the hospital, where doctors later told his parents that he had a shattered spinal cord, along with fractured ribs, a ruptured lung and a ruptured aorta, WFAA reported.

“They said he’ll never walk again,” the teen’s dad, James Jackson, told the outlet. A GoFundMe fundraiser created to fund his recovery and aid his family also states that he is “permanently disabled from the waist down.”

On March 26, the heartbroken father told WFAA that Seth had been moved from intensive care to a regular hospital room, adding that doctors had removed a second tube from his chest — which he described as a good sign given the “touch and go” Seth experienced in the days immediately following the shooting.

The family’s No. 1 “concern” regarding Seth, who underwent three surgeries in a span of three days, “is that he survives it,” James continued. “We’ll figure out the changes we need to make.”

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Seth is a straight-A Richardson High School student and basketball player who worked two jobs and was preparing to attend the University of Houston later this year, per WFAA. After he is released from the hospital, he “will go directly to an inpatient rehab facility for a few weeks,” the GoFundMe states.

“There are still many unknowns facing the Jackson family and they are unsure of what needs there will be when Seth returns home,” the fundraiser says. “They know that the rehab facility will educate them, but it is understandably overwhelming right now.”

The GoFundMe has raised over $52,000 of its $65,000 goal.

Griffin and Webster were taken into custody and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity a week after the incident, on March 26, the Richardson Police Department said its news release.  Investigators believe that both teens “participated in the events leading up to and during the shooting,” they said.

The incident left a glass door at the Texas establishment completely shattered, per photos shared by WFAA.

“The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests are anticipated,” police said. “No further details are being released at this time as detectives continue their work.”

Police also shared a statement in support of Seth and his loved ones:  “Our thoughts are with the victim, 18-year-old Seth Jackson and his family, as he remains in the hospital. We are committed to seeking justice for Mr. Jackson and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.”