A woman in Chicago was killed on the same day that her sister sat behind President Obama for a speech about gun violence in his hometown.
According to the Huffington Post , Janay McFarlane was killed at 11:30 pm in North Chicago on Friday night. The shooting occurred a few hours after President Obama gave a speech in Chicago about the gun violence in the city. Chicago saw 500 homicides in 2012 and this year has not gotten off to a good start.
During his speech, Obama said that he was working “towards giving every child every chance in life.” McFarlane’s 14-year-old sister sat behind Obama during his speech at the Hyde Park Career Academy and listened as he talked about the needless gun violence in the city of Chicago. Sadly, the young girl would lose her sister later that night.
During his speech, the president talked the tragic death of Hadiya Pendleton , a 15-year-old student who performed at his inauguration. ABC News reports that Pendleton’s death was one of 40 homicides in Chicago during January.
The city’s most recent victim, Janay McFarlane, was reportedly deeply affected by Pendleton’s death. Angela Blakely, Mcfarlane’s mother, said:
“She always said after Hadiya Pendleton got killed, `Momma that’s so sad.’ She was always touched by any kid that got killed. She was always touched by mothers who couldn’t be there for their babies because they were gone.”
McFarlane was 18-years-old and the mother of a 3-month old-child. She was scheduled to graduate from an alternative school this Summer and had plans of studying the culinary arts.
Police are currently questioning two people in relation to McFarlane’s death.