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Subscribe to RSSThe first lady joined hundreds of mourners on Saturday at the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton, 15, who was killed at a park near her Chicago high school. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.
CHICAGO -- Hadiya Pendleton was remembered by many Saturday as a smiling young girl full of laughter and love.
First lady Michelle Obama and hundreds of supporters attended a funeral for the slain teen Saturday morning at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church.
The service began shortly after 11 a.m. to a packed room.
"Hadiya was too young to leave us but not too young to make a mark," Pendleton's pastor Courtney Maxwell said at the start of the service.
The service was filled with uplifting testimonials and a few words on gun violence in the area.
One of Pendleton's close friends happily remembered their last moment together.
"Her smile lit up a room," she said. "The last thing I saw before they put her in that ambulance was her smiling and from heaven above I know that each day she's smiling down on all of us."
Hadiya's mother, Cleopatra Pendleton, thanked everyone for the kind words that were spoken about her daughter.
"I can stand up here and say my baby girl was good," she said. "But for all you to say she's good ... that's something different."
Cleopatra Pendleton also thanked her family for the support she received since her daughter passed.
"You don't know how hard this really is," she said. "And for those of you that do know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Though the family strived to keep the focus on Pendleton the first lady's visit drew attention, and lots of security, to the funeral and shed light on the ongoing issue of gun violence.
Pendleton's godfather Damon Stewart, wearing purple accents to honor her with her favorite color, said he thinks her passing will help raise awareness for those who have lost their lives to violence.
"She is a representative to not only the people of Chicago but to the people of this nation who have lost their lives," he said.
One of her friends said he was being realistic about the tragedy because Pendleton "always kept it real."
"This is life," he said. "This is Chicago."
A letter from President Barack Obama offering his condolences to her parents, Nathaniel and Cleopatra Pendleton, was printed on the back of the program.
"We will continue to work as hard as we can to end this senseless violence," the letter read.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Rev. Jesse Jackson were also in attendance.
Pendleton was killed last Tuesday at Kenwood Park on the city's South Side days after she performed at some of President Barack Obama's recent inauguration festivities. She was shot to death blocks from her school and about a mile from the president's and first lady's Chicago home.
Hundreds flocked to pay their respects to the 15-year-old girl and emotions were high.
The church quickly filled to maximum capacity before the service began and many people were turned away, though a large group remains gathered outside.
Some of Pendleton's classmates were emotional when they couldn't get in and cried outside the church.
One man was arrested after a fight broke out among the line of mourners stretching down South State Street.
Nam Y. Huh / AP
Danyia Bell, left 16, and Artureana Terrell , 16, react as they read a program for the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton outside the Greater Harvest Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday.
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You have good guys and you have bad guys. I said 30 years ago that the way this friggin country was going, the bad guys were going to win. And they are winning. The legal system doesn't work when gangs become so large that they turn into armies.
Kings, bloods, all the rest of this BS. Cops need to be turned loose. Either these thugs give up this gang banging or you take them out. And I don't mean put them in jail. You have to take them out and scare the rest of them to give up the gang. Some of these gangs now over 100,000 members. Put 2-3 guys in jail, so what.
This country declares war on a lot of stuff. They need to declare war on gangs.
Or maybe they just need to cancel the war on drugs, and watch the gangs disappear.
Both of you are right.
just calling something a war and not following thru with staff and support is useless PR. This has been going on since Nixon. In a real war, endanger America , treasonable offence. Death penalty. Drone strikes on Chicago, LA, Detroit, Pheonix, Miami. Just kidding about the drone strikes. Still?
Still haven't heard from the kings of rap and hip hop asking for community support in identifying the killer or an end to gang affiliation. Oh, They are all former gang bangers and the ' no snitch' rule is more important than any child's life even if the WH is making a statement. Maybe the next time Jay and Bey are over at the WH they can discuss it.
Hasn't most of her family been killed because of gang activity? Why didn't the family move away from the dangerous neighborhood? There are always choices that can be made to have a better life if you really want it to be. I am sorry for the family's loss but it is what it is. It happens everyday unfortunately. I wonder if the story would be covered so much if she had been hit by a drunk driver, stabbed, killed with a bat, etc. Probably not, I would say because most people don't see the whole world and the evil that it contains. Most people are ban wagon jumpers. How about instead of wasting your time talking about a problem, you do something about the problem. Find someone and try to help them get out of a situation to find a better way of life.
Thankfully most of us will never know this pain but to many do know it.
We need to make changes in our culture as too innocents are dying.
The change in our culture needs to be retaliation against the gangs!
where are all the soliders on the front page that have been killed
And Floyd, I don't remember the 0bamba's attending any military funerals.
lets all watch the o pemp this girls death just like the school shooting...."don't let a good tragedy go to waist"
It's for the children.....
"This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration.
Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!"
~Adolph Hitler, 1935,
on The Weapons Act of Nazi Germany
As a person who was born and raised in Chicago my heart goes out to the family. My prayers go out to the family and classmates and this senseless killing must stop!
Since you have lived there. What do you feel could truely make a difference. More laws,National Guard,more Cops,protection from armed community groups/militias?
Bet Barry Soetoro hasn't called this American "just a bump in the road" and since this happen awhile ago wouldn't Hillary's "what difference does her death make" fit.
The enemy is right in front of you and you keep turning your political party head.
No matter what Michelle Obama (and her husband) does, there will always be a bunch of armchair quarterbacks who question and mock their efforts. Mrs. Obama does not seek media attention or glorify in having a kazillion photo ops. Study U.S. history, and you'll find that Jackie Kennedy, Mamie Eisenhower, and other energetic first ladies have always worked hard to improve our lives. They've all had certain causes that they championed and spent time on. And, they inevitably received lots of media attention and had their photos bandied about. It's no different today.
Mrs. Obama cannot possibly be expected to attend every funeral of gang victims or other wronged individuals--and if she did, you'd be the first to criticize her for spending too much time and taxpayer money to do so! She can't win either way.
The majority of you who criticize her so viciously really resent her because she gets to live in the White House and doesn't HAVE to clean the toilets; someone else is paid to do that. I wish that all of you hateful, racist a**holes would move to another planet!!!
Few of you probably know that Michelle has a best-selling gardening book on the market. It's been on the top 100 gardening book lists for almost a year. (And don't tell me that's not true, because my own book is on that list, too, and I check it often.) That woman is very intelligent and wants to see the people of this country get their priorities straight. Right now, very few meet that goal . . .
Face it, the last lady is an attention whore who will do anything for some political capital. All she is doing is exploiting this girls tragic death for her and her husbands agenda. And I thought the exploitation of blacks was over.
That's really not surprising that she has a gardening book in the top 100 considering how many low information sheeple worship her, and the fact that there is only about 75 gardening books published a year.
This lady can't even carry the water for any of the other first Ladies, most of whom did their great deeds quietly and in the background. She is so busy telling others how to eat and live that she doesn't even notice that she's bursting at the seams.
This has nothing to do with racism. Why did she go to this funeral and not an American Heroes funeral who was also killed by a gun? You see, you are being blind on this issue and what the Obama's are trying to do here. Just like Johnny said, this is nothing more than her and her husband in trying to push their political agenda and to keep getting votes for Democrats. By going to this is not going to help anything. Shoot, hundreds of people who attended do not even have a clue who this young girl was personally? What did they go for? Do you see these people doing this for every person who dies from a gun in the city of Chicago? Nope! So wake up!
Michele Obama attending this young ladies funeral was a very nice and respectful gesture.If she wants to see gangs eradicated in this country she has to look no farther than her husband,President Obama.These types of tragedies have been going on for decades and will continue until the laws are made harsher for gang members with their illegal activities that have ruined innocent people's lives.
Pendleton's death brought new attention to Chicago's homicide rate and the national debate over gun violence. Pendleton's slaying came in a January that was the city's deadliest in a decade. In 2012, Chicago recorded 506 homicides.
Oh national debate over Gun Violence huh? Why are the too stupid to call it what it is GANG VIOLENCE!!!!
perception. Because gun violence targets white people as the main culprits and gang violence targets back and Hispanic people as the main culprits. Spinning the news. Not just a FOX sport.
my 'l' is sticking
Its time for the BLACK CULTURE to take responsibility for their actions. obama can't blame Bush anymore and Blacks can't blame slavery.
It time to take responsibility for you how you behave in society. A 3rd world culture is failing you miserably and its not the white peoples fault. The Black folk who try and don't make excuses, succeed. We are all children of GOD and are wired up to succeed at some level or another.
Jesse, Al and Obama need to be fired as your slave owners and you need to go it alone, you will do far better.
You no longer have a free pass, its your fault your unemployed, your kids kill each other and do drugs, fail in school, not the white people, not the society, not the govt. nothing, its your life, live it and no longer does anyone take the blame.
May this young girl's soul rest in peace and in GODS loving hands. So sad, time for the BLACK culture to get a handle on your people!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is time they listen to Bill Cosby. Not Jesse or Al.
David It's these criminals that voted and put our current crop of politicians in office. Of course these same politicians are going to politicize this tragic event to ensure that they stay in power as long as possible. Do you think any of the politicians that attended this funeral would have gone if they were not in the job they hold?
It is time to start treating gang bangers as terrorists - which is what they are. Unleash the police, national guard, special forces - whatever it takes to get the streets of Chicago back. It is seriously time for gangsters to be shot as indiscriminately as the the innocent people they mistakenly continue to shoot. Senseless violence that continues to be tolerated - while we clamor for more gun control. It is time for people control.
This was a Polical Statement, how many gang related furneal has she attended? Kids die everyday by gang shooting's this just happened that this girl was from the area in Chicago were the Obama's house is. You have not one time hear Obama and his Liberals mention going into the gang areas and taking their guns and lets not forget Fast & Furious, this was nothing but a Political Statement and you Liberals think people are just so blind to Obama's agenda.
Johnnia,its a photo op for the first lady,period! If she or mr . ears cared they would be trying to cause change in these large cities before these killings occur. Blacks have a violent society/culture and and creating laws that prevent everyone from purchasing weapons is like putting breathalyzers in all cars just to punish a few drunk drivers. Address the issue of gang violence and you will solve the biggest part of the problem. I live in a middle income beautiful white neighborhood. No violence, no burglaries, great schools, really wish rest of country could experience this. Don't lock car doors ,or house. Nearly 200,000 people here in this midwest city and never worry about being attacked by some monkey that needs $5.Johnnia,I challenge you to try to change your neighborhood,then the county,then the city etc..But PLEASE address the real problem stop blaming inanimate objects for your races demise.Yes,I do feel bad for this little girl and there will be many more unless you try to change things.thanks
good post gunowner. i used to work on @!$%#cago HUD homes and refuse to anymore due to not being able to protect myself legally.i could tell you horror stories about how these people act and treat the homes that the taxpayer pays for.
You will never be able to change the ones that are allready animals. For the children, there is allways a chance.
Sadly, the one's who are 'animals' breed like rabbits and have feral 'children'. I don't see much hope for them. Have you seen that video from Atlanta? The one with the ghetto 'Mom' who gets tazed by a security guard. Her 'kids' were screaming things like "You Gay" at the security guard, when he was trying to get the women to calm down and stop yelling profanities at him, on a public street at the doors to a public mall. Then she proceeds to try and hit him, which is why she got tazed. Thankfully, the guard (poor guy) is black, or we'd be bombarded with cries of 'racism'...
Want to know why this came about? The kids were running around and scream profanity to the top of their lungs in the midst of the mall and the guard asked the 'Mom' to take her kids and leave. The nerve of him, right? Wonder where they learned their behavior from?...If you haven't seen it, please go to YouTube and search for it. You'll have no doubt the black community is never going to get better, and there is no chance. No chance at all...
Psalm 33:12...Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,and the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance...
America takes God out of the picture,and just cant understand why it gets worse....cause and effect....and as a result,a nation on the brink of judgment..John 12:48...wait for it..
How's that code of silence in the black community working out for you?
Exactly!
when our useless elected politicians get 5 generation inner city minority families off of welfare , stop being p.c. and do something about the real problem (gangs,welfare mommies pumping out more future bangers,violent illegals etc) you might see this problem start to correct itself.oh wait i forgot....they need their voting base, cheap labor and foam at the mouth dreaming about criminalizing law abiding firearms owners while they build their power and greed pile.
First, this is a sad event and I pray for the young girls family.
Ever wonder...
Why is it Blue areas and democrats shoot each other and yet they call for ban's on the rest of us in the Red states that actually go to work every day, pay taxes, hunt and fish to feed our families instead of "waiting on the check"?
I'll bet Jesse was happy to be in the spotlight again. He hasn't been this happy since the kid in Florida was killed. More ka-ching for the Rainbow Coalition.
What a great opportunity for Michelle to show she cares.
That's True ,Michelle REALLY CARES.........about her Husband's...poll numbers..
She's nothing but an attention whore, exploiting a tragedy for political capital. I wonder who she learned that from?
People like Johnny hate them so much they accuse them of not caring, and then when they care, they insult them for that too. I really just don't understand hate.
IF
The Gangs,....Rapists,...Thugs,...Muggers,...Psychos...
DID NOT OBEY..The Previous 20,000 GUN LAWS..In The Country..
What MAJIC LAW..# 20,001...Will they Now..abide By..?
O.K KIds ..What's More Dangerous..
A Walk Around The South side of Chicago...? Or a Tour of Duty...in AFGHANISTAN...?