Maxamilian Hall was shot in the neck on Aug. 8 during a robbery attempt which took place while he and some friends were in his car in Romeoville.

Hall’s sister, Jo Chikko, said Hall, a junior in construction technology from Romeoville, is now a quadriplegic because of the damage the bullet did to his spinal cord, but the seriousness of his condition is uncertain.

They shot him and left him lying in the street, Chikko said. He can’t talk because of the damage to his vocal cords, his spine was severed and he doesn’t remember anything at all about what happened.

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Chikko said Hall spends his days in the hospital listening to the Grateful Dead.

He’s a deadhead. He listens to them everyday, she said. He watched the whole Grateful Dead concert on television on Saturday.

Chikko said what Hall really needs now is support from his friends here at SIUC to help him come to grips with what has happened.

Mike DeMattei and Greg Walker, two of Hall’s instructors, said Hall is a 180 degree student who became a team player after a rough first semester.

These students are very questionable when entering the (construction) program, but change their attitude 180 degrees in one year’s time, they said.

Hall is a member of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America and the National Association of Homebuilders and helped to renovate buildings for local non-profit organizations.

Hall helped renovate the Women’s Center in Carbondale and the Williamson County Crisis Center in Herrin. He also helped build an observation stand in the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge.

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Max is a student that we, as well as SIUC, can be proud of, DeMattei said.

John Giese, president of AGC, said Hall is a good example of what an AGC member should be.

Max is a responsible and dependable individual who is willing to do his part and do it right, Giese said.

Hall’s run-ins with tragedy started when his apartment burned in the Feb. 20 Garden Park Apartments fire that displaced 60 SIUC students, including Hall, but injured none.

Walker and DeMattei said despite losing everything in the fire, Hall managed to tough it out and not get bogged down with the unpleasant after effects of the fire.

Max kept in contact with his friends and faculty to keep abreast of his course work, Walker said.

Hall is a patient at the Loyola Medical Center, but Chikko said he probably will be transferred to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in a few weeks.

Anyone wanting to send cards and letters should address the letters to the Loyola Medical Center, 2160 South First Ave., Maywood, Ill. 60153.