Knight Transportation Heartened by Trucking Community's Support in Wake of Tragedy
Knight Transportation is using social media to express its heartfelt appreciation for the support shown by hundreds of people in the wake of the shooting death of an employee May 4 at its facility in Katy, Texas.
Michael Dawid was shot and killed by a disgruntled former employee, Marion Guy Williams, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s office. Williams, a driver who had been let go two weeks earlier, returned to his former workplace, firing a shotgun as he approached the building and inside until he found Dawid, his former supervisor, officials said. One other employee was injured. Williams then turned the gun on himself and was found dead at the scene.
Dawid had worked for Knight since 2007 and left behind a wife, Ellie, and a 2-year old son, Noah.
As Knight employees grieved, the company received an outpouring of kindness from all corners of the trucking industry, leading to a Facebook campaign that aggregated posts of support using the hashtag #KnightLight.
“The level of support to the families and friends affected by this tragedy has been astounding,” reads the Facebook post from Knight Transportation. “It’s truly inspiring to see the whole industry coming together to support one another. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for everyone’s thoughts and prayers.”
Supporters were asked to post Facebook photos of their trucks with their marker lights on, accompanied by the hashtag #KnightLight. YouTube user askatrucker assembled a video showcasing those posts, set to the music of Metallica’s powerful and somber, “Nothing Else Matters.” The video has been viewed nearly 10,000 times as of late May 6.
A Go Fund Me account has been created for those wishing to contribute to the Dawid family; more than $20,000 had been raised as of late May 6.
