http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/nat-berhe-paralyzed-grief-death-cousin-article-1.2461439
Giants safety Nat Berhe writes he was ‘paralyzed with grief’ after finding out cousin was killed in San Bernardino massacre
BY JUSTIN TASCH
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, December 10, 2015
The story of the San Bernardino shooting unfolded much differently for Giants safety Nat Berhe than it did for most.
San Bernardino is Berhe’s hometown, where his family still lives. As he detailed in an essay posted on the Players’ Tribune on Thursday, Waterman Avenue, where the Inland Regional Center resides, was a place Berhe spent a lot of his time growing up. His grandmother lived off of Waterman; his first job was off Waterman; the DMV where he got his driver’s license is on Waterman.
Berhe brought Waterman to life in the poignant essay in which he provided more details about the death of his cousin, Isaac Amanios, one of the 14 people killed by Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik last Wednesday.
The Giant and his family didn’t find out about Amanios’ death until the following day.
“They killed Isaac yesterday,” Nat’s brother Tam told him over the phone. “He was at the IRC building for a holiday party. I can’t believe it.”
The essay begins with a text message Berhe received from Tam at 3:05 p.m. on Dec. 2, which said “Active shooters down the street from the office, we’re all good but I’ll call you in a bit, going to get mom and dad out of the office.”
Berhe’s parents’ office is roughly a mile from the Inland Regional Center. He was on the phone with his mother trying to get her to leave for safety when his brother sent him another text at 3:37 p.m.
“Bro, this is really crazy apparently they shot up the DMV building on Waterman. I’m hooking up the TV in Dad’s office so I can get the news, listening to NPR now. Call you when I get in my car.”
The location was incorrect. As often happens in breaking news situations, exact details are fluid and come fast and furious. Berhe, on injured reserve, was at home anxiously watching his television and checking social media for updates. Around 4 p.m. he found out Tam and their parents made it home safe.
It wasn’t until the next day when he got the tragic news.
“You at home? Need to talk man. Judy just called me,” Tam wrote to Nat, who said Tam often referred to their mom by her name. He knew something was wrong when he heard Tam’s voice on the phone, unusually unhappy.
Amanios was born in Eritrea, a northeastern African country off the Red Sea, making it out after the country’s war for independence. He came to the U.S. in 2000 where he became a health inspector.
“I was in complete shock,” Berhe wrote in the essay. “I was sick. I didn’t leave my apartment that day or much of the next. I felt paralyzed with grief.”
Amanios was always thinking of his children and the futures of his family, Berhe said. He ended the essay by writing “He will be remembered on his own terms.”
Donations to cover Isaac’s three children’s expenses can be made at
https://www.gofundme.com/IsaacAmanios.
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/new-york-giants-nat-berhe-san-bernadino-massacre-grief-cousin-killed-121015
Giants' Berhe pens essay about cousin who was San Bernardino victim
You can find Nat Behre's essay in its entirety here.
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/nat-berhe-giants-san-bernardino/
Received on Fri Dec 11 2015 - 07:27:17 EST