A Graham High School graduate who was stabbed to death at the University of Texas at Austin was remembered Tuesday for his generosity, talent, and contagious smile.
Harrison Brown, 19, was killed Monday and three other students were injured in a stabbing attack on campus.
Police say the man suspected in the attack suffered from mental health troubles and had been involuntarily committed for treatment in another city.
Brown graduated from Graham High School just last year after being voted "Senior Class Favorite" and "Mr. GHS."
He ran cross country, acted in school plays and often pulled out his guitar on bus trips and sang his favorite tunes, his friends remembered Tuesday.
They also said he always wore a smile and his happiness was contagious.
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"Everybody liked Harrison. He was that kind of kid. Just special," said his former cross country coach Marcus Morris.
His former chemistry teacher agreed.
"He was a light here," said Tracy Pippins. "He was fun to be around."
At a vigil Tuesday evening, hundreds of people lit candles at the high school football stadium.
"I can tell you Harrison Brown was one of the finest young men I have ever known," said principal Joe Gordy.
Emma Stroup met Brown when they were five years old.
"Today doesn't feel real," she said. "You meet lots of people in life and very rarely do you meet people you can't imagine your life without. Harrison Brown was one of those people."
Everyone in Graham is struggling to explain how someone so popular and outgoing could have become the victim of such a violent and random attack.
Nobody is taking his death harder than his drama teacher, Sally Maxey.
She has dozens of photos of him but cherishes most a handwritten letter he wrote to her.
"What a journey it has been," he wrote. "Thank you for your perseverance and belief in me. You left an impact on my life."
He left an impact on the younger drama students, too.
"There are not many people like Harrison in the world that you can honestly say affected your life," said senior Diana Gates. "It was so amazing we got to be a part of his family, even if it wasn't by blood. You don't get to meet amazing people like that very often. And we were blessed to know him and to have been his family."
Brown liked to sing so much he once auditioned for NBC's "The Voice." He didn't make it on the show – but continued singing.
And then there was the time he was the odds-on favorite to be elected homecoming king.
He asked school counselors to give his votes to a student with special needs.
When that student won, Brown was the first one to hug him.
