SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WTVR) – Graduating seniors at a high school in Michigan thought they lost one of their own when a classmate was shot a few weeks ago. But the high school senior and star football player overcame the shooting to surprise his classmates at graduation.
On April 6, Balaal Hollings went to a party and when a fight broke out, the honor student and senior class president tried to break it up. When shots were fired, Balaal took a bullet to the head.
His injuries made it impossible for Balaal to finish his senior year. Two months after the shooting, his classmates gathered for the last time for their 2013 graduation ceremony.
When the ceremony didn't start on time, graduates worried something was wrong. Worry quickly turned to joy when their beloved classmate walked out onto stage.
"First of all, I want to thank God," Balaal said. "It is so good to be alive. I got shot in the head and I am fully rehabilitated."
He then sat on the stage and graduated with the rest of his class.
