ADEL — The Adel-De Soto-Minburn community was reeling with anger and indignation this weekend after a high school senior suffering with cystic fibrosis was injured at the ADM Homecoming parade Thursday, and the children who allegedly hurt him ran away.
ADM High School Senior Shade Hall was taken to Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines after he was struck directly in the chest with a full bottle of water shortly after Thursday’s homecoming parade, according to a Facebook post apparently written by his mother, Michelle Montang Hall Roling.
“To say we are sad about what happened to Shade Hall after the ADM Homecoming parade is an understatement,” Hall Roling said on Facebook. Her son’s medical condition requires him to wear a port in his chest for injections.
According to Hall Roling’s account of events Thursday evening, a group of ADM Junior High School football players walked past her son during the parade and saw that his shirt read, “Feed me,” a reference to the play, “Little Shop of Horrors.” One of the boys said, “I’ll feed you,” and threw a full water bottle at Hall, striking the left side of his chest and the recently placed port.
“When it took his breath away and he fell forward, the boys all ran,” Hall Roling said. “No one stayed to see if he was okay or help him.” She said her son was being treated at the hospital for his injuries, and “I hear him say his pain is 10 of 10.”
Steve Hall, Shade’s father, said Friday his son “is still in the hospital this morning.” He said Shade “is going to miss out on homecoming his senior year in high school because of some punk.”
As matters turned out, Shade Hall was released in time to attend the ADM Homecoming dance Saturday night. Hall Roling tried to forgive the children who hurt her son and very nearly cost his homecoming.
“I know the boys involved didn’t know Shade’s story or situation,” she said. “There is no way for them to know he has a port placed under his chest skin directly into his heart to use for the regular IV treatments or for them to know he has to take 50 pills per day just to be okay, or inhale five vials of nebulized medications each day, or inhale antibiotics two times per day, or sit connected to a therapy vest for a minimum of an hour per day, or use one other inhaler, or give himself insulin shots, or take crappy-tasting medication to stimulate his appetite two times per day.”
Along with forgiving the boys, both parents strongly urged the guilty bottle thrower to step forward and identify himself.
“If anyone has any information about what happened to Shade Hall last night or who was involved, please contact the ADM High School at 515-993-4584,” Steve Hall said Friday. “We need solid information in order to find out who did this.”
“Maybe only one of you threw the bottle,” Hall Roling said, “but several of you ran away. Shame on you! I know ADM students are better than that. We know this is not what ADM is about, is not what even the students involved are. We also know that when we make mistakes we must step forward, take responsibility. Many people have to know who was involved. I sincerely hope they take the brave step forward.”
The Adel Police Department was apparently not summoned to the parade incident involving Hall, but “the police spent time at the school on Friday,” according to one person’s comment on Facebook. “I guess they are pulling students into (the) office in both schools,” said another Friday post.
Hall’s injuries set off a deluge of furious commentary on social media, but other things were also stirring local anger. Outrage was expressed over numerous acts of vandalism allegedly committed by ADM students Thursday night in their VEISHEA-like frenzy, including allegedly shooting BB guns at people at a convenience store and damaging numerous vehicles.
“Not only was there an attempt to steal my brand new golf cart,” said one irate resident, but “they stuck my ax in the city’s tree. Video surveillance is now getting installed this weekend. Thank you for making this town less safe.”
Jessica McDonald of Adel gave a long list of property damage allegedly done by ADM students.
“It’s supposed to be fun and harmless,” McDonald said, “but as I hear stories that kids were soaping vehicles and then wrapping them in plastic and then leaving them, damaging the paint; throwing eggs at cars, damaging the paint; throwing eggs and rocks, breaking windows. Damage was done to someone’s $60,000 boat, damage to people’s property, bushes, vehicles and houses and shooting BB guns at people, leaving bruises, using metal forks and scratching vehicles, the whole incident with Shade Hall.”
The allegations of criminal mischief have not been proven at this time, and neither the Adel Police Department nor the Adel-De Soto-Minburn School District has issued a statement on the events of Thursday night.
“The kids are bragging about it,” McDonald said. “I am told it’s mostly sophomores and a few seniors. Never in the history of homecoming hazing has there been damage done to other people’s property like that, especially not intentional damage. The kids this year have probably ruined it for the next classes and years. So next year my daughter will be a senior, her last year, and this may just have robbed her and her classmates of their senior homecoming. Anyone who had damage done needs to make sure the school knows so they can reprimand those kids, and they need to file a police report.”
ThePerryNews.com will update this story as information becomes available.
