Tributes have been paid to a 19-year-old cheerleader who was shot dead at a Halloween house party in Illinois, US. Giana Dettloff, a freshman at North Central College, died from her injuries after nine people were shot at the party near Illinois Wesleyan University.
Police said no one has been arrested so far in connection with the incident. Officers responded after the shooting was reported around 1.30am on Sunday and found nine people shot in the backyard. The victims ranged in age from 16 to 22. Dettloff, who graduated from Glenbard North High School, was visiting a friend in Bloomington and was the only one who died from her injuries.
Teammates and friends pay tribute
Teammates and friends of Dettloff have spoken of their loss and carried flowers through the campus of North Central College to pay tribute to her. A social media post from the college's cheerleading team described her as an amazing friend, teammate and a pure soul.
Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington said Dettloff was her parents' only daughter and paid tribute to the young lady who was "full of life".
Police chief describes family's heartbreak
Simington said he was with Dettloff's family when they learned of her death. "I witnessed the heartbreak of her parents and other family members when they learned that their daughter had been murdered," he said.
Simington said he patrolled the neighbourhood of the house party and saw no warning signs of trouble. "This party was noticeably peaceful, jovial and there were no disturbances witnessed or reported prior to the shooting," he said. Investigations are ongoing.
