PEKIN, Ill. – Pekin’s junior football league field served as the site for a vigil Tuesday night to mourn two young men shot to death last week at a South Pekin home.
Several hundred people, including Pekin High School alumni, members of the community, and football teammates, gathered at the JFL field where many friendships started for Chase Rhodes and Dawson Reese.
Friends said Rhodes and Reese were the most generous and kind kids on and off the field.
A longtime friend, Kierstin Laws told 25 News they were easy to love, which is what makes saying goodbye so hard for all of Pekin.
“The candle lighting is just a way to represent them and represent the life and the light they brought to us,” Laws said. “I just think it’s very important for us to be together during this time.”
The two 21-year-olds were killed early Thursday morning in Reese’s home on IL Rt. 29. Reese’s dad held the suspect, 21-year-old Memphis Rue, at gunpoint until police arrived.
A Tazewell County judge granted a motion earlier in the day on Tuesday to evaluate Rue’s mental state to see if he’s fit to stand trial.
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