ANTIGO -- The Antigo teen shot at his high school prom is opening up for the first time about the terrifying ordeal.
Collin Cooper was one of two people hurt after former student Jakob Wagner opened fire. Antigo Police shot and killed Wagner to stop the April 23 attack.
Cooper says physically it’s a difficult road to recovery but mentally he’s surprisingly doing OK.
“I have a wound on the exit hole of my leg," he said. "I can’t walk yet. I can put pressure on it in three, four weeks but I won’t be able to walk on it for three, four months."
The 18-year-old spent nearly seven days in the hospital. He underwent three surgeries to get the leg just below the knee on the right track to heal properly.
“The bullet shattered 10 percent of my tibia, which is lucky because it didn’t hit an artery,” Cooper said.
Cooper said he has to sit at home and rest up. His blood levels are still low and he said it hurts to hold his leg vertically. He does ankle exercises daily.
When asked about how he’s processing the shooting at prom, he just shrugs and says, “It could have been worse.”
Cooper said he has been bombarded on social media, having posted only a few things since the shooting.
The oldest of five children has leaned on his faith, family and friends.
Cooper’s friend Spencer was with him when he was shot and helped tie a tie around his leg.
“I can’t believe this has happened to us,” Spencer said.
Cooper said he won’t let the injury keep him from working this summer or from walking across the stage at graduation.
“It’s cool to see how the town has rallied around me and all the other victims. It’s an opportunity to share with people what happened and how I can help people through thing, too," he said. "But, I want to put some of it in the past but some of it I’ll hang on to, to help people in the future.
