First lady attends funeral of slain Chicago teenager

Michelle Obama pays her respects to the family of Hadiya Pendleton, 15, who was fatally wounded in a random shooting just days after performing at inauguration events.

5 Seconds

00:00

Feb. 9, 2013

Elnor Brown holds up a program from the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old Chicagoan who was shot dead a few days after performing in inauguration ceremonies in Washington. A note of condolence sent by President Obama to Pendleton’s family was included in the program.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Feb. 9, 2013

An overflow crowd stands outside the Greater Harvest Baptist Church in Chicago’s South Side. In addition to the first lady, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett attended the funeral, as did several other state and local dignitaries.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Feb. 9, 2013

Nate Pendleton arrives for the funeral of his 15-year-old daughter, Hadiya Pendleton, at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church. Because of her performance in the inauguration events, the shooting death of Pendleton attracted the nation’s attention as debate in Washington over proposals to reduce gun-related violence grows.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Feb. 9, 2013

Cleopatra Pendleton, center, arrives with her son Nathaniel, left, for her daughter’s funeral. Hadiya Pendleton was remembered at the funeral as an honors student at Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep who enjoyed cheerleading, debate and volleyball. She loved eating Chinese food, cheeseburgers and Fig Newtons; her favorite class in school was Latin; and she aspired to major in pharmacology or journalism in college.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Feb. 9, 2013

The remains of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton arrive at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church. Pendleton died Jan. 29, when a gunman opened fire on her and about a dozen other teenagers while they were hanging out in the afternoon at a park in Chicago, police said. Investigators say she was an innocent victim and had no ties to area gangs, although several of the other young people gathered at the park were connected to gangs.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Feb. 9, 2013

A floral arrangement is delivered at the Greater Harvest Missionary Baptist Church. The arrangement, which included a heart-shaped pillow, rested beside Pendleton’s casket, which was lined in purple, her favorite color. The pillow featured a smiling image of the girl and said “You’ll always be in our hearts Hadiya” and was signed “mom and dad.”

Nam Y. Huh / AP

Feb. 9, 2013

First lady Michelle Obama, second from left, arrives for the funeral. Obama did not speak at the funeral, but, before Saturday’s service, she met privately with about 30 of Pendleton’s friends and classmates, as well as with members of her family, according to a White House official.

John Gress / Reuters

Feb. 9, 2013

Mourners wait in line to get into the Greater Harvest Baptist Church for the funeral. Some mourners here said they wished President Obama could do more to end the gun and gang violence in Chicago, where he worked as a community organizer for many years before representing a South Side district in the Illinois Senate.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Feb. 9, 2013

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, right, and an unidentified man arrive for the funeral service. Jackson, a civil rights leader who lives in Chicago, stood at the front of the church near Pendleton’s casket for a while before taking his seat in the congregation.

Tannen Maury / European Pressphoto Agency

Feb. 9, 2013

Education Secretary Arne Duncan arrives for the funeral. Duncan was chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools before joining the Obama administration.

Nam Y. Huh / AP

Feb. 9, 2013

King College Prep majorettes gather outside the funeral of their schoolmate Hadiya Pendleton. Pendleton, a sophomore at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School, had performed with her school band at President Obama's inauguration.

John Gress / Reuters

Feb. 9, 2013

A mourner cries outside the wake and funeral for Hadiya Pendleton. During the service, Eric Thomas, pastor at Greater Harvest Baptist Church, addressed the issue of gun violence and the efforts in Washington to tackle it by asking that God “let the family know — her parents know — that her life has not been in vain. Because of this day, there will be many others saved.”

John Gress / Reuters

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

epa03714567 A Thai Buddhist family take an offering of lotus flowers to pay respects to a giant Buddha surrounded by more than 1,000 smaller Buddha statues at a Buddhism Park, on Vesak or Visakha Bucha day, in Nakhon Nayok, north of Bangkok, Thailand, 24 May 2013. Buddhist devotees throughout the world offer blessings at temples to mark one of the holiest days in Buddhism, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and the death of Buddha. EPA/BARBARA WALTON

Photos of the day

Buddhist Wesak festival, prisoners-of-war reunion, bridge collapse, world’s largest Lego model and more.

A portion of the Interstate 5 bridge is submerged after it collapsed into the Skagit River dumping vehicles and people into the water in Mount Vernon, Wash., Thursday, May 23, 2013 according to the Washington State Patrol. (AP Photo/Skagit Valley Herald, Frank Varga)

I-5 bridge collapse in Washington state dumps vehicles, passengers into river

No fatalities reported; collapse over Skagit River shuts down main route between Seattle and Canada.

SILVER SPRING MD: MAY 18
from left to right, Bodybuilders Jorge Villatoro, Sidney Bumbrey, Eric Holmes and Ron Coleman show off their most muscular poses for the judges at the 2013 Musclemania - Capital Tournament of Champions Contest held at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland on May 18, 2013.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Flexing their muscles

Dozens of bodybuilders came out to Silver Spring to compete in the 2013 Musclemania Capital Tournament of Champions.

epa03714543 US actress Carmen Electra arrives for the Life Ball gala, at the airport Schwechat, in Vienna, Austria, 24 May 2013. The 21th Life Ball, an annual fundraising charity event for HIV and Aids projects, takes place at the Vienna City-Hall on 25 May 2013. EPA/HERBERT NEUBAUER

Eye on entertainment

Carmen Electra, Barbara Eden, Sharon Stone, Goldie Hawn, Jaden Smith and more.

A police forensics officer investigates a crime scene where one man was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 22, 2013. British Prime Minister David Cameron has called a meeting of his government's emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Terrorism cited in London cleaver attack

Two assailants hacked to death a British soldier on a busy southeast London neighborhood street Wednesday afternoon before delivering an apparent...

MOORE, OK - MAY 24: A 'For Sale' sign hangs in a tree in a storm ravaged neighborhood on May 24, 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma. The tornado of EF5 strength and two miles wide touched down May 20 killing at least 24 people and leaving behind extensive damage to homes and businesses. U.S. President Barack Obama promised federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Assessing tornado damage in Oklahoma

Amid great destruction, residents of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore begin to assess the severity of the twister that hit Monday.

WASHINGTON DC: MAY 22
Contestant Travis Rumans, 31 dances with his beloved glow sticks for talent at Penn Social in Washington, DC on May 22, 2013. The contestants help raise over $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The Mr. DC pageant is a fundraising event to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The qualifications for the Mr. District of Columbia finalists is that they must live, work and attend school in the District of Columbia between the ages of 21-30 who are unmarried, intelligent, and dapper in a suit.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Mr. D.C. Pageant contestants compete for charity

Contestants in the Mr. D.C. Pageant, a fundraising event, helped raise more than $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center.

A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Animal views

Fun and fascinating creatures around the world.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.