Shot Senior Graduation: 2 Weeks After a Blow to the Head, Student Balaal Hollings Makes Surprise Appearance with Classmates

By

On April 6, Balaal Hollings, a Detroit high school honor student, football star and the student council and class president, was shot in the head at a birthday party. Two months later, Hollings, surprisingly showed up at his gradation with his classmates.

The bullet that hit Hollings entered his temporal lobe, and he was hospitalized for two weeks, his older sister said. The shooter has not been identified. After being released from the hospital, Hollings entered a rehab facility facility, ABC News said.

His sister indicated that he did not allow his friends and classmates to visit him while he was working on his recovery.

"He advanced way faster than we thought that he would," his sister said. "He was just fighting so hard. He looked up, and it was like, 'Oh my God, it's my brother again!'"

When Hollings took to the podium, his friends and classmates were amazed just by seeing him.

"First of all, I want to thank God. It is so good to be alive," he said . "I got shot in the head, and I am fully rehabilitated. I forgot a lot of stuff. I forgot how to walk. I forgot how to talk. I didn't forget how to eat!"

"I just winged it," he told ABCNews.com. "I talked to them about unity. And the difficulty of graduation, and moving on. That we don't forget about each other."

In January, he plans to study criminal justice or law at Lakeland College in Sheboygan Wisconsin.

On Thursday evening, Hollings will throw out the first pitch at the Detroit Tigers game.

Tags
Gun Violence

© 2025 Lawyer Herald All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Discussion
More News
Florida Man Who Allegedly Terrorized Pregnant Girlfriend Sent Her Photos

Florida Man Who Allegedly Terrorized Pregnant Girlfriend Sent Her Photos of Her Toddlers Beaten After She Escaped: Police

Police Chief Spiked Officers' Coffee With Viagra, Left Body Hair

Police Chief Terrorized Staff by Pooping on the Floor, Spiking Coffee with Viagra and Sprinkling Body Hair on Food: Complaint

Texas Man Rammed Parked Tesla

Texas Man Rammed ATV Into Parked Tesla 'at Full Speed,' Keyed 'Elon' Into Side of Others: Police

Dumpster Diving Pedo_03282025_1

Binders of Child Porn Discovered in Dumpster by Homeless Duo Leads Man to Admit to Molesting Dozens of Children: Police