Students and families in one Maryland community came together Saturday night to mourn the lives of two children who were killed while walking to school.
Sorrow was painted on the faces of the crowd in Riverdale, Maryland, who held candles in solidarity with the loved ones of 5-year-old Sky Sosa and 10-year-old Shalom Mbah.
“It has been a very trying time for not just the families but for everyone who was there," a woman said at the vigil.
A woman driving a van struck the two children and Sosa’s father, Franklin Sosa, while they were crossing Riverdale Road in a crosswalk outside Riverdale Elementary on Monday, Prince George’s County Police said.
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Officers from Prince George’s County police and Riverdale Park police responded at about 8 a.m. and tried to save the children. They were rushed to a hospital, where they died.
Franklin Sosa suffered injuries to his legs and neck. The van’s driver was not injured.
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Police confirmed that there was not a crossing guard at the intersection at the time of the crash.
“This has hit really close; this has broken the hearts of everyone standing here in our community. Especially these families that have been devastated by this tragedy," a man said at the vigil.
Shalom’s parents spoke about their daughter and their emotions.
“Shalom was a princess,” Shalom's mother, Deche Mbah said. “This is too bitter to swallow."
“That we find ourselves in this terrible tragedy, I’m really speechless, there’s nothing more I could say,” Shalom's father, Armstrong Mbah said.
There were flowers, teddy bears and candles placed near the site of the crash.
Those in attendance said they want to remember the two children and keep the families in their thoughts and prayers.
“In our collective embrace, we will navigate this difficult journey of healing and stand as a testament to the true resilience of the Riverdale community,” a woman said.
