Murder of Hadiya Pendleton
The murder of Hadiya Pendleton occurred on January 29, 2013. Pendleton, a 15-year-old girl from Chicago, Illinois, was shot in the back and killed while standing with friends inside Harsh Park in Kenwood, Chicago after taking her final exams. As a student at King College Prep High School, she was killed only one week after performing at events for President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. First Lady Michelle Obama attended the funeral for Pendleton in Chicago.
Vivian Gordon Harsh Park | |
| Date | January 29, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kenwood, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41.81405°N 87.59556°W |
| Cause | Mistaken Gang Rivalry |
| Outcome | Death of Hadiya Pendleton |
| Deaths | 1 (Hadiya Pendleton) |
| Non-fatal injuries | 2 |
| Suspects | Michael Ward, Kenneth Williams |
| Charges | First degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm |
President Obama mentioned Pendleton's death in his 2013 State of the Union Address in Congress, where Pendleton's parents, Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton and Nathaniel A. Pendleton Sr., attended as guests. The crime scene is "just a mile away from [President Obama's] Chicago house".
Pendleton's mother, Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, went onstage but did not speak at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.