Bobby Christman remembered as kind and devoted fraternity brother, friend

UPDATE: This story has been updated to remove an error regarding Christman's major. The Arrow regrets the error.

Southeast Missouri State University has lost a dear friend to many in Robert Christman. He was known as a good friend and a dedicated young man. During his time as a student at Southeast he left a lasting impact on all who knew him, an impact which will not soon be forgotten.

Christman,19, was shot and killed on Jan. 11 trying to stop a man from stealing his girlfriend's purse. He was in a parked car in downtown St. Louis with his 19-year-old girlfriend, and his 17-year-old brother, Sean. Around 12:45 a.m., an armed gunman opened the rear door and demanded the woman's purse. The woman resisted and Christman, who was in the front passenger seat, turned and said something to the suspect. In response, the gunman fired a single shot and hit Christman in the head before returning to his vehicle and fleeing. Christman was rushed to Saint Louis University Hospital and was pronounced dead at 6 p.m. that evening. An investigation into the event is still ongoing, and no suspects have been arrested.

At Southeast, Christman was a brother in the Mo Zeta chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. The brothers gathered on Jan. 12 to pay tribute to Christman.

"I am happy to have seen Bobby in his final day," Aaron Clite, president of Southeast's chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon and resident assistant, said. "He is a soldier and kept fighting for his life until the end. For someone to have been involved in such an event and hold on as long as he did, it was amazing."

Christman was very active in Sigma Phi Epsilon. According to Clite, he would always sit in the front and center of the room during meetings. As a result, he would always understand what was being said and would always be on top of things.

"I asked him why he chose that spot to sit in and he said 'I don't like background noise,'" Clite said. "He also did not want to be relegated to the background either."

In addition to being Christman's fraternity's chapter president, Clite was also the resident assistant on Christman's floor. According to Clite, Christman would come to him and talk about his career plans and how he was doing in his classes. Christman was a public relations major in the Department of Mass Media at Southeast.

"... He was a dedicated young man who always wanted to help people. Even the smallest interactions were meaningful," Clite said.

In addition to Sigma Phi Epsilon, Christman was also a founding member of Southeast's Wrestling Club. He had previously been on the wrestling team at De Smet Jesuit High School.

"I had known Bobby since freshman year and we quickly became good friends," Alex Vaughn, a brother in Sigma Phi Epsilon, said. "Bobby was the ideal son that any man would want. He was kind, devoted and would never give up."

In honor of Christman's memory, Sigma Phi Epsilon plans to name a volleyball tournament after him. The fraternity also plans to offer a scholarship that will be funded through gofundme.com. So far, the chapter has raised $8,155 out of a goal of $20,000. Other details such as eligibility and how long the scholarship will last are currently unknown.

"We will miss Bobby," Vaughn said. "A man like him is not commonly known in one's lifetime. Even if we have only known each other for a short time, he will not be forgotten."

Christman's funeral was held on Jan. 16 at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church in St. Louis.