A community grieving: Hundreds attend vigil for Barrington High School student killed by train
Devastated members of the Barrington community gathered for a candlelight vigil near downtown Friday evening in memory of 17-year-old Marin Lacson, not quite 36 hours after the high school junior was struck and killed by a train in town.
Sheltering from the cold, wet weather that prevented an outdoor ceremony, more than 300 people huddled inside the Barrington Campus Life Center for the solemn observance marked by tearful speeches.
The crowd packed shoulder-to-shoulder giggled and cried at the same time as several speakers spontaneously shared personal stories of Marin, while people lighted candles.
Several students who knew the teen described how she made them feel welcome at school when they felt out of place.
“She made you happy,” one student said.
“She loved everyone she met,” another student chimed in.
Immediately following Thursday’s train crash, counselors had been made available to help Marin’s Barrington High School peers cope with their grief.
Barrington police responded to the Union Pacific railroad tracks at Hough and Main streets about 7:45 a.m. Thursday for a report of a pedestrian being struck by a train.
Officers and paramedics arrived and confirmed Marin had died at the scene.
The preliminary investigation indicated Marin was attempting to cross the tracks after an outbound train had passed, when she was struck by a second train, this one inbound, passing through the area, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
Barrington police concurred Friday their preliminary investigation also indicated Marin’s death was accidental and that she had been unaware of the inbound Metra train as she attempted to cross the tracks.
Witnesses told police all the crossing protections were activated, including gates, lights and bells, a Metra spokesman said earlier.
Barrington and Metra police continue to investigate.
Classmates and friends began creating a memorial to Marin with flowers and other items at the crash scene Thursday afternoon.
Marin was a junior in Barrington High’s Chinese Immersion Program and a member of the lacrosse team. She previously attended Countryside Elementary School and Station Middle School in Barrington.
Lacrosse teammate and friend Ellie Ewalt and her mother, Heather Ewalt, on Thursday placed flowers in the snow along with balloons forming the number 22, the number Marin wore.
“She was a great teammate and a great friend,” said Ellie, who has known Marin since first grade.
• Daily Herald staff writer Steve Zalusky contributed to this report.