A Wheaton College freshman died after being struck by a freight train in Illinois shortly after attending Sunday Mass, leaving his family, teammates and Christian community mourning a young man remembered for his deep faith and love for others.

Tomassino “Tommy” Offer, 18, of Washington Township, Michigan, died Sunday after he was hit by an eastbound Union Pacific freight train near Main Street in Wheaton at approximately 10:30 a.m.

According to ABC Chicago, Offer had just left St. Michael Catholic Church with a friend when the accident occurred. A Metra spokesperson said the teenager attempted to cross the railroad tracks after one train passed, apparently unaware that another train was approaching from the opposite direction.

The Rev. Santos Castillo of St. Michael Catholic Church said he had spoken with Offer just moments before the tragedy. He added that the freshman regularly attended Sunday Mass at the parish.

“I definitely saw him before he left, and he just waved at me, and together with his friend Joe, they were here together, and who would have known that was the last time he’d be in church,” Castillo told ABC Chicago.

Offer was a member of Wheaton College’s Thunder baseball team and had only recently begun his freshman year at the Christian university.

In a statement, head baseball coach Matt Husted described Offer as a young man whose faith and character left a lasting impression on those around him.

“Our team is grieving, and our hearts are heavy as we grieve alongside Tommy’s family and friends,” Husted said. “This is a difficult time for us all; however, we have peace in knowing he was strong in his faith and that Christ is with him and those close to him.”

Husted also remembered Offer as joyful, competitive and genuinely interested in others.

“He was really interested in other people and showed them that they were important to him,” the coach said.

An obituary described Offer as a gifted athlete who earned first-team All-State honors in soccer and was named Goalkeeper of the Year at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Michigan. Still, those who knew him said his Christian faith was an even greater part of his identity.

“He played baseball with a fearless confidence — a mindset he attributed to prayer and his faith in God,” the obituary stated.

Just weeks before his death, Offer’s father, Benny Offer, shared an emotional Facebook post after helping his son move into Wheaton College on August 17.

Reflecting on his son’s future, he wrote that he and his wife had always understood their role as parents through the lens of faith.

“We are his parents, but in truth we have always known that we have been the stewards of Tomassino these last 18 years,” he wrote, adding that their son had “always belonged to his Heavenly Father first.”

Following the tragedy, Wheaton College held a memorial Sunday evening. Students and community members then gathered for a memorial Mass at St. Michael Catholic Church on Monday.

Andre J. Guest, head of Notre Dame Preparatory School, remembered Offer as an extraordinary student-athlete with a promising future and a kind heart.

“His loss leaves an immeasurable void in our community,” Guest said, offering prayers for the family as they grieve.