Friend says slain UT student was 'everyone's best friend'

Mike Harahan would rather not talk about the moment when he and his friend were confronted by a robber last week at the edge of the North Boulevard Bridge.

He doesn't want to talk about the 3 a.m. robbery or the shooting that left his best friend from high school dead.

Instead, he wants to remember and honor University of Tampa student Ryan McCall for his personality and how he faced life.

"He was the funniest kid," said Harahan, from his home in Downingtown, Pa. "He was always smiling. His smile was contagious. He was just a bright kid with a bright future."

They met when Harahan was a sophomore and McCall was a junior at Downingtown West High School in Downingtown, a suburb of Philadelphia.

They were both in the school's cross country and track and field teams, Harahan said.

"We both made each other laugh and that was what brought us together." he said.

McCall came to UT because his older brother had graduated from the school, Harahan said. Harahan, 21, is a junior at Susquehanna University in Sounds Grove, Pa. He is majoring in math and is a member of the university's cross country team.

He was in Tampa last week to help McCall move in to his off-campus apartment on Ridgewood Avenue.
McCall, who was on the University of Tampa's cross country team, planned to become a physical therapist. He was graduating in 2010 and wanted to attend graduate school after taking some time off, Harahan said.

This summer, McCall spent about six weeks living with Harahan and his family in Downingtown. They worked a retail job at a nearby mall, trained for cross country and visited Harahan's college. One weekend, McCall went with friends to the beach, Harahan said.

McCall enjoyed running, being with friends and family, music, watching sports - especially his beloved Philadelphia Eagles - and playing pickup basketball games.

McCall made friends easy and stayed close to both family and friends.

"Everybody has good friends, but this kid was everyone's best friend," Harahan said. "He would do anything for anyone. People were drawn to him, and he was open to everyone."

Harahan said the experience has been difficult.

"It's a tough time for me," Harahan said. "It's a tough time for everybody - for the whole Downingtown and Tampa communities."

The case remains unsolved.

Tampa police described the robbery suspect as a black man in his mid-20s to mid-30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds. He was last seen with short cropped hair, possibly facial hair and a husky build. He was wearing a white T-shirt and was armed with a handgun.