i'm shocked and my heart aches for the santiago family... i just found out that a guy i went to nyu with, luigi santiago, was shot and killed in the philippines. he was only 26.
- article from philstar.com
- article from manila times
- article from abs-cbn news

luigi lived in my building my freshman year. he was a senior when i was a freshman. i remember running into him in the atrium at my dorm while he was smoking a cigarette and we'd chill and talk. one time, i went to his room to pick something up and he came to the door flustered, sweaty, with his shirt off. then i heard a girl's voice and knew he had been "busy" and (whoops) i just happened to visit at the wrong time. i also remember seeing him at a mutual friend's bbq last summer. it had been so long since i'd seen him, i didn't think he'd remember me so i didn't say hi. i should've said hi.

i know his brother (nicolo) and i've spoken to his sister (army) several times. his brother went to rutgers with a bunch of other people i know. i read his blog about his brothers death and it brought tears to my eyes. i thought it was too personal for me to share, but its also too powerful to keep to myself. his blog is here.

my heart and prayers go out to that family. he was so young and so successful, and something so stupid took it all away.

this is the second guy i know from nyu that has passed away. both of the guys were friends. the first guy was tony regina, who one day just collapsed on the floor of our nyu gym while he was playing basketball. he died there. my friendship with him had gone sour, and when i was still at nyu and would accidentally run into him at the gym, we didn't even say hi anymore. i always felt guilty about that.

rest in peace guys. there are a lot of folks who will remember you.