Residents Line Streets in Respect for O'Laughlin Funeral Procession

They came to stand as one community—a community of grief and of support, of "hands and hearts."

Hundreds upon hundreds of residents formed a corridor along 55th Street and Wolf Road on Friday morning for the funeral procession of Kelli O’Laughlin, whose young life was just a week before in a senseless act of brutality.

They came in purple, many of them, Kelli’s favorite color. Some wore scarves and sweaters and pins. Others released purple balloons.

“We went to Jewel this morning and they were almost sold out of balloons—we got the last ones—the last purple ones,” said Indian Head Park resident Carol Otto. “Seeing this many people get together for her, it’s really nice.”

They came for the O’Laughlins, the family who have suffered so greatly—they came to show that they are not alone, that a bastion of love has swelled up from throughout Lyons Township area and beyond to carry them through this heartbreak.

“I just can’t imagine the nightmare that they’re going through,” said Kris Kocek of Western Springs. “I got here at 8:30 and I was waiting in my car and I hadn’t seen anyone, I thought ‘you’ve got to be kidding me—’ [But] then it’s been slowly filling up, so that’s really good.”

They came bearing signs: “Kelli Is Our Angel.” “God Be With Her.” "Love is All Around You." “She Made Us Smile.” 

“She made a lot of people smile,” said Highlands eighth-grader Christian Natiello. “I remember that. I’ve never seen her with a frown on her face.”

They came and stood in silence, three and four deep at some places, as the long procession rolled by, travelling from to . As planned, many held each others hands. Some lit candles. Some prayed.

Countryside mayor Ed Krzeminski watched the procession from a flatbed truck with a movable-text sign reading “God Bless Kelli.”

“This is just an outpouring of the entire community,” Krzeminski said. “I’m just so proud of the community for coming out and showing their support, that the family’s not standing alone—we’re standing with them in their hour of need.”

Krzeminski, who lost his own best friend to a gunman when he was 15, added that Kelli would live on in the memories of everyone who knew her.

“You’ll always remember her smile, her laughter. You can’t do anything [about] this, but be proud of what type of person she was.

“Because this shows what type of person she was.”

They came by the hundreds. To show what type of person Kelli was.

To remember never to forget her.