Teen Athlete Left Paralyzed After Waffle House Shooting While Trying To Save Friend

A promising young student athlete has been left paralysed after he was shot while attempting to protect a friend during a violent altercation at a Waffle House in Richardson.

18-year-old Seth Jackson had reportedly stepped in to help a friend who was being attacked by a group of teenagers when the situation escalated in a matter of seconds.

According to his family, one of the suspects suddenly pulled out a gun.

Jackson attempted to flee the scene, but was shot as he ran, turning what began as an act of courage into a life altering tragedy.

The teenager, described as a straight A student with a bright future ahead, suffered catastrophic injuries, including a ruptured lung and aorta, fractured ribs, and a shattered spinal cord.

Doctors have confirmed he will never walk again.

Friends and family say Jackson had been balancing two jobs while excelling academically, and had recently committed to attend the University of Houston, making the incident all the more devastating.

Two suspects, Charles Webster, 17, and Taylor Griffin, 18, have been charged with engaging in organised criminal activity in connection with the attack.

However, the individual believed to have fired the gun remains at large.

The shocking violence has sent ripples through the local community, with many struggling to come to terms with how quickly the situation escalated, and how a young man attempting to do the right thing has been left facing a lifetime of consequences.

As the search continues for the shooter, Jackson’s family now faces an uncertain future, rallying around a teenager whose life has been irrevocably changed in a matter of moments.