Community reacts to tragic deaths of three kids; GoFundMe pages started
MENTONE, Ind. -- Community members in Fulton County react to the tragic deaths of three kids killed trying to get on the school bus Tuesday morning.
"You want to hug your children when you take off in the morning, because you never know what the day's going to bring," said Kathy Moore, a Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation alumnus.
Tragically, Tuesday morning was the last time one family got to hug their three kids goodbye before they were killed getting on the school bus
"Just wanted to cry...Your mood kind of changed real fast," said Kathy Moore.
Moore works at Teel's Family Restaurant, which is just blocks away from Mentone Elementary School.
Kathy herself attended a school in the district growing up.
She says the elementary students and their families often stop by the restaurant.
“We had the kids come down at trick or treating nd we had passed out candy to them, so it’s tough. It's tough. We don’t know all of them, but we know them by faces," said Kathy.
A little ways away in Winamac, the fire chief remembers the faces of some of the students killed quite well, saying they had visited the fire station before.
He says nine-year-old Alivia Stahl's dad, Michael Stahl, has volunteered with him as a firefighter for a year and a half.
"Real dedicated individual, enjoys doing what he does," said Winamac Volunteer Fire Chief Bill Weaver, of Stahl.
The chief was devastated when he got the call Tuesday morning.
“It's just sickening. Sickening to your stomach. Bad feeling. Right now we’re just hurting. Hurting for mike. right now, we’re going to try to reach out to him and let him know that we’re here for him, and if there’s anything we can do, we’ll do everything in our powers to do it," said Chief Weaver.
There are two GoFundMe pages set up to help the families.