FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- A memorial run took place Saturday (July 9) in honor of a local runner who was shot and killed one year ago this weekend.
Around 6:30 a.m., on July 11, 2015, Brent Morrison was shot and killed on a run on Wells Lake Road. This Saturday, dozens of people came together for the Brent Morrison Memorial 5K. Dianne Morrison remembers her husband as a man full of life, who always had a smile for everybody.
"He'd probably be happy it was raining; he'd probably not be bothered at all by the rain," she said. "He'd probably be bothered that it's not starting at 6:30, but he knew I could never be on time, so."
Sheri Nicholls, the president of Western Arkansas Runners, remembers the day Morrison was killed vividly.
"I had met him at several trail running events," Nicholls said. "He never ran with any of us, but we took it to heart, and came together the following Saturday and had a memorial run, and we had over 400 people show up."
Dianne said all the money raised from the memorial run will go to Fort Smith trails.
"This year, I'm probably going to [give to] Chaffee because that is where it happened, and they're starting on [their trails,]" she said. "It's going to be an annual event and every year the money is going to go toward the trails."
Morrison's wife said she is also grateful for the turnout after about 160 runners registered for the memorial run.
"It's pretty impressive," she said. "I'm really excited and I'll have a good amount of money to donate for the trails. It says a lot of what people thought of my husband."
Meanwhile, John Suleski, the man police said killed Morrison, is scheduled to go to trial this October.