Terror Attack Kills 1 Brother, Plane Crash Hurts 2nd

2 tragedies for one family in just 24 hours

It's been a very tough 24-hours for one family with local ties.

The Henn family, originally from the Wilmington, Del. area, is mourning the death of one son in a terrorist attack in Uganda as they rush to the side of another son hurt in a deadly plane crash in North Carolina.

It was just after 4 p.m. Sunday on the east coast when Nate Henn was killed during an explosion at a crowded rugby field in Kampala, Uganda. He was watching the World Cup final with a large group when the blast rocked the field.

Nate, 25, was a rugby player with the University of Delaware. He was visiting the African nation with Invisible Children, a San Diego, Calif. group focusing on ending the use of child soldiers during war inside the country.

Nate was among 74 people killed in two bombings just minutes apart. A group with links to al-Qaeda has since claimed responsibility for the attack.

Then less than a day after losing Nate, his younger brother Kyle was hurt in a plane crash flying from Wilmington to North Carolina to join his grieving family.

Kyle's sister told reporter Dan Bowen at WRAL-TV that Kyle tried to pull the pilot from the wreckage after the private plane crashed on landing in Chapel Hill. The pilot -- Thomas Pitts from Delaware -- died. Kyle and the co-pilot, Jim Donahue, survived.

Kyle suffered lacerations and was last listed in fair condition, officials said. Donahue was seriously injured. Pitts had offered to fly Kyle so he could be with his family as soon as possible, according to The News Journal.

Kyle, 22, is an alum of the University of Delaware and graduated from Brandywine High School in Wilmington, Del. in 2005, according to his Facebook page.

Friends of Kyle's older brother Nate said they were shocked and saddened to hear of his death.



"You know the risks but you never really can grasp them or really thing that anything like that would happen," Nate's childhood friend Becky Tingle.

Despite the dangers, the Concord High School grad felt it was important to help the young people in need.

"We talked about the dangers that would be involved in going on this trip and he was well aware of them, but he was really excited. He had so much joy on going on this trip," Bryan Tingle said.

After hearing about the crash, former college friends of the brothers were left in disbelief.

"How much can happen to one person in one day," asked Tim Lowe.

While the Henns have experienced such trauma in such a short time, friend Jeff Thompson says the family is strong.

"I know that they're grieving, but I know that they really know how to handle it...they seem like a strong family," Thompson said.

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