Woman becomes widow at 34 after husband killed in Knight Transportation shooting

HOUSTON – "I called him and the phone rang three times and it just went dead,” said Ellie Dawid, surrounded by family and friends at her home Thursday night. There are no words to explain what she has experienced since she kissed her husband, said a prayer and went off to work Wednesday morning. 

Dawid tearfully explained, "34 years old and I'm a widow. A mother of a 2-year-old little boy who will know his father through pictures and videos that I've taken."

Friends texted her Wednesday morning. There was a shooting at her husband’s office, Knight Transportation, in west Harris County. The sheriff said a disgruntled former employee shot and killed one person. Soon Dawid learned the victim was her husband, 34 year old-year-old Mike Dawid, the service center manager.

Dawid said, "My husband was taken from us. But, you know, his co-workers witnessed these things. They were there. They felt it. They saw it."

He was a husband, a father to a 2-year-old little boy, Noah, and Patty and Wally Dawid’s son. Wally Dawid said, "Mike filled the room wherever he was. Everybody liked Mike. Everyone." And his family says he loved the Texans and the St. Louis Cardinals while his wife loves the Astros. They were so devoted to their teams that they wore baseball jerseys at their wedding.

Now she tries to explain to her son something that it’s impossible for her to understand. She said, "I just hope he wasn't in any pain. I hope my husband just is at peace. I hope he's at peace and I hope he watches over Noah."

Friends of the Dawids set up an account to help cover expenses here.