Chicago teen fatally shot hours after sister sat onstage behind Obama

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By Jessica Chasmar

The Washington Times

Sunday, February 17, 2013

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A Chicago teenager was fatally shot Friday night just hours after her younger sister sat onstage behind President Obama as he spoke about gun violence.

Two people are being questioned in the slaying of Janay McFarlane, according to North Chicago police.

Miss McFarlane, 18, was shot once around 11:30 p.m. in an alley after a bullet that was meant for her friend struck her in the head, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

“I really feel like somebody cut a part of my heart out,” her mother, Angela Blakely, told the Sun-Times.

The young woman’s little sister, Destini, 14, sat just feet away from the president as he spoke at Hyde Park Career Academy on Friday, just hours before her big sister was killed.

“Barack Obama said teenagers are killing each other,” Destini told the Sun-Times on Saturday night. “He was saying we need to cut down on street violence.”

Miss McFarlane’s 3-month-old son, Jayden, is now without a mother, though Ms. Blakely said he has a big family to help care for him, the paper reports.

“I’m just really, truly just trying to process it — knowing that I’m not taking my baby home any more,” Ms. Blakely said.

About the Author

Jessica Chasmar is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.