Friday, Febuary 21, 2025
Payton Little
Danielle (left) and Steve Long, live in a quieter house after their daughter, Gabi Long, former OSU student was killed in a hit-and-run on campus last year.
A year without Gabi Long: Family, friends grieve sudden loss
E
BY KENNEDY THOMASON
I
S TA F F R E P O R T E R
ach night, Gabrielle “Gabi” Long would come home and loiter in her parents’ doorframe, talking for 20 or 30 minutes
broke her arm climbing out of her crib and needed stitches after tripping into a wheel on Steve’s car. She took time each night to tell her parents about her day. “She was a friend to all of us, I would about her day. say,” Danielle said. “Until she was gone, Steve would pause the TV, prop I didn’t realize she really was my best himself up on a pillow and listen to his friend at home, and she was his (Steve’s) daughter talk until she finished. He’d buddy.” pause it again when Gabi would return Gabi was killed in a hit-and-run on the two minutes later to fill her parents in on north side of Oklahoma State campus the details she’d forgotten to tell them. last year. Crossing the street, she was “Her name fit her very well — Gabi,” struck mid-morning on Feb. 22, 2024 Danielle said. — her 19th birthday. The Longs and the Their daughter was fearless, clumsy State of Oklahoma are in ongoing legal and liked to talk. When Gabi was little, battles with the former OSU student who she’d run down the steps and launch to- hit her, Tyler R. Peters. ward her dad, trusting he’d catch her. She Gabi was a freshman at OSU who
I
@ _ K E N N E D Y PA G E
lived with her parents and commuted to campus. Nearly a year since Gabi’s death, Danielle reflects on what could have been for her animal-loving, artistic, nerdy daughter. “She wasn’t mature enough to have experienced things that hurt her, but she wasn’t so young that she wasn’t starting to come into her own,” Danielle said. “So she was right there in that space where… whatever you want to accomplish, you can do it. And she was excited for it, and she was on fire to just start her life.” Freshman year Gabi was “super busy” during her first year at OSU, Danielle said, and she was “starting to get comfortable.”
In her second semester, Gabi was still trying to make friends. Danielle said she encouraged her daughter that she would meet friends in class or on campus. “She was trying to meet people in classes and stuff like that,” Danielle said. “I was kind of laughing because she was like, ‘Mom, I think I might have made a couple friends in one of my classes because I’m helping these girls with some of their work and stuff.’ But then, after a couple weeks, she started figuring out, like, ‘I think they only like me because I’m helping them.’ It really kind of hit her; she felt kind of disappointed.”
See GABI on page 5A
Shrum leaves class of 2025 hanging, students in shock HAYDEN ALEXANDER NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
months. She and her fellow seniors witnessed Shrum’s full tenure as president. “It felt like a low blow, and I was really scared for the future of the university,” said senior Regan Congdon. Shrum took office on July 1, 2021, weeks before a class of new freshmen Dr. Kayse Shrum’s resignation sent stepped on campus. As the first female ripples across campus. president, she created a new atmoStudents, faculty and staff made calls, sphere at OSU for female students. sent texts and took to social media look- Congdon said the news of Shrum’s ing for an explanation. For one group of resignation was hard to hear. students, Shrum’s departure as Okla“When I started on this campus, it homa State’s President felt different. was extremely empowering to have a “I was in shock,” senior Zoe Kelley woman in charge of the university I said. was starting at,” Congdon said. Kelley and the rest of the class of 2025 will graduate in the coming See SHRUM on page 6A
Bryson Thadhani
Former president of OSU, Dr. Kayse Shrum won’t finish her presidency with the class of 2025.
Jillian Bryant performing at Jammin’ at The ‘Weed on Feb. 15.
Raynee Howell
Student blossoms in local music scene RAYNEE HOWELL
It’s fine.’” Bryant was taken aback. She connected with Flores on social media because of their connection to the music scene in Stillwater, but she had never met him in person. She told him she was at the rodeo and didn’t have a car. His response: Jillian Bryant was out with some “Well, I’m five minutes away.” friends at the Cowboy Stampede when Sure enough, five minutes later, Bryher phone rang. ant and her friends piled into Flores’ The person on the other end of the truck and headed to Enid. It was just the line was Wyatt Flores, one of the most beginning of their friendship. recent musicians to come out of the Red “He’s always really been a big brother Dirt music scene in Stillwater. to me with music stuff,” Bryant said. “He goes ‘Hey, I lost my voice,’” Bry“I always ask him questions, because ant said. “He’s like ‘I have a gig in Enid, he was more in the scene than I was in and I can’t sing. Would you come and Oklahoma at the time.” play this gig for me? It’d only be like five songs. You can play my guitar, whatever. See MUSIC on page 6A ASSISTANT NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR @RAYNEEHOWELL