Six Ice Cream Cones

Twenty years ago this spring a schizophrenic seventy-year-old entered the Family History Library across the street from Temple Square with a handgun. He killed two people – a security guard and a library visitor – and wounded three others. Nellie Leighton, who manned the visitor’s desk, was the first one hit.  “I don’t even have a scar,” she says, turning her head to show where she was wounded. “He shot me right in the face but somehow, I wasn’t afraid. I just kept praying and asking Heavenly Father for help, and I guess when talking to Heavenly Father, you can’t be afraid.” A few years back the library was remodeled and the visitor’s desk was moved from the ground floor to the third floor. But you’ll still see Nellie there twice a week, greeting visitors and pointing them in the right direction. If you do, wish her a happy birthday. Nellie turned 100 years old yesterday.