Stacy Hanson was at a loss for words Tuesday. But in reality, his few words reflected the thoughts of an entire community.
"It's good to be home," he said.
Hanson, 53, was the final victim from the tragedy at Trolley Square to be released from the hospital. Tuesday, he received a hero's welcome as he was chauffeured to his driveway by the Salt Lake City Fire Department for the first time since the Feb. 12 shooting spree that left six dead, including the gunman, and four wounded.
Hanson was shot multiple times and now needs the assistance of a wheelchair to get around. He is not completely paralyzed, however, and remains optimistic that some day he will be able to walk again, in some form, on his own power.
A large crowd of neighbors, friends and family members were waiting on Hanson's front lawn when he arrived. Although the outside of his house looked mostly familiar, the inside had been completely revamped.
"No corner of the house wasn't touched," said Greg Adamson, president of the Heart to Home foundation.
The volunteer organization has helped upgrade six homes to make them accessible for people like Hanson who have special needs.
Originally, the group started with a budget of $40,000 to upgrade Hanson's home. The donations and volunteer work poured in, however. By the time the snowball effect had ended, contractors, volunteers and others who donated their time ended up giving Hanson's house a $100,000 upgrade.
"If we're going to do it, let's make it great," Adamson said, describing the attitude of those who worked on the house.
Hanson's home has a new paved driveway to make it easier to move around with his wheelchair. It also has a wheelchair accessible ramp in the rear of the house. Doorways were widened inside and other modifications made to make it wheelchair accessible.
In addition to changing the interior to help Hanson adapt to a new type of normal, quite a few extras were added to help the entire family. The kitchen received new cabinets and granite countertops. Five plasma TV's were added throughout the house. The entire home is now equipped with surround sound, Adamson said.
He said the home is now a "smart house," meaning it's fully automated and lights can be turned on and off through a computer. It took volunteers about three weeks to re-do the entire house.
"I'm knocked out. It's unbelievable," Hanson said. "This is just overwhelming."
Members of the Salt Lake City Police and Fire departments were present for Hanson's homecoming, including Chief Chris Burbank, the four Salt Lake officers who were first inside Trolley and confronted shooter Sulejman Talovic and Ogden Police officer Ken Hammond.
"He didn't deserve what happened that night, but he deserves this," Hammond said.
Hanson and Hammond have developed a bond since the shooting. Ironically, the due date for Hammond's first baby to be born is on Hanson's wedding anniversary. Hammond remembers Hanson at Trolley Square and how he looked to be in "bad shape," but he declined to discuss any other details of their contact in the mall, saying it's personal.
Hanson Tuesday was appreciative of the efforts of everyone and thanked friends and those who worked on his house numerous times. He said the upgraded house was a way not only to help his family heal, but to allow the whole community to join in the healing process.
"The best part is being able to see everyone involved," he said. "The house is great, but it's the people we're getting our energy off of."
Hanson said he had his down days right after the shooting and didn't even realize at first how extensive his injuries were. But he said he never worried about not coming home again.
"I didn't even give that a thought," he said. "I've got a lot of things to do in this life. I resolved it's not going to be over."
Hanson acknowledged he still has a long road to recovery ahead, and he wouldn't wish what he has been through the past two months on anybody. But his spirits remain high and he's "pretty confident I'll be able to walk again on some level."
To show his gratitude for all that has been done, Hanson said he himself wanted to give something back to the community and plans to become involved in the Heart for Home foundation as well as help with projects from the mayor and governor's office.
"This is what's good about the world. Even with the (Virginia Tech massacre), this is a pretty wonderful world despite all the tragic things that happened," he said. "The world is full of good people."
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com