Latest news with #Duggins
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas families share grief with those from around the globe at lives lost in Washington, D.C., crash
There were no survivors when an American Airlines flight from Wichita and a Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. last week. The crash claimed the lives of the 60 passengers and four crew members on the commercial flight, and the lives of the three Army pilots on the helicopter. American Eagle Flight 5342 was on its final approach to a runway at Reagan National Airport and defense officials said that the helicopter was on a training flight. Federal and local D.C. area authorities are working together under a unified command to coordinate the work at the crash site. On Tuesday, the unified command said that all 67 people have been recovered from the crash site; all but one have been identified. To date, no official flight manifest has been released for the commercial flight. But families, friends and colleagues of the presumed dead have begun to create a portrait of the lives lost. The names of eight passengers have not been released yet. Here's what we know about the victims so far. Kiah Duggins, 30, Grace Maxwell, 20 Lindsey (Carter) Fields, 40 Bob Schrock, 58 Lori (Girard) Schrock, 56 Pete 'PJ' Diaz, 30 Dustin Miller, 43 So far, seven Kansans have been identified among the passengers on the D.C. bound flight. They were four Wichitans, a couple from Kiowa and an El Dorado man. Duggins was among the first passengers identified from the commercial flight. A native of Wichita, she graduated from East High School and was a former Miss Butler County. Duggins attended the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University. She earned degrees in international business, economics and Spanish while at WSU. Duggins went on to get her degree from Harvard Law School, serving as president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau while there. After law school, Duggins moved to Washington where she worked as an attorney for the Civil Rights Corps. In 2023, she advocated for the EPA to act on contaminated groundwater in minority neighborhoods in Wichita. She was looking forward to teaching at Howard University School of Law in the fall. Duggins was traveling back to Washington after visiting family in Wichita. Maxwell came back to her native Wichita for her grandfather's funeral. A student at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio, she was on her way back to classes. Maxwell's family told The Wichita Eagle that she was working toward a degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering. In a memorial service at the university on Friday, school leaders recounted how Maxwell was known for her devotion to others and a regular on the university's student-run radio station. Friends told The Eagle that in her final broadcast, she talked about her grandfather, grief and finding hope through the pain. Fields of Wichita was a biology professor at Butler Community College and the president-elect for the National Association of Biology Teachers. A passionate science educator, Fields' colleagues told KAKE that she'd moved her trip to Flight 5342 so that she wouldn't impact her teaching schedule at the college as she traveled to D.C. The NABT said in a statement that she was traveling to 'represent the NABT community and advocate for excellence in life science education.' Fields wrote in a biography for the college's biology department that she'd attended Seward County Community College in Liberal before transferring to Oklahoma State University for her bachelor's and master's of sciences degrees in zoology. She completed her doctorate at the University of Mississippi. An obituary for Fields said that she was a wife and mother of a 3-year old girl who was 'the light of her life.' Bob and Lori Schrock of Kiowa were president and vice president of Premium Grain, McClatchy newspapers report. The Schrocks grew wheat and canola in Kiowa and northern Oklahoma. An obituary published about the couple said that they transformed their family farm into a thriving agriculture business. Bob Schrock was born in Kiowa, but loved to travel to the beach and sought out ocean-related activities. Lori (Girard) Schrock was born in Topeka and received degrees in accounting, English and linguistics from Wichita State. Her obituary notes that she was involved in St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Kiowa and 'brought humor and joy to those around' her. The Schrocks had a home in Annapolis, Maryland. Their daughter, who is a college student at Villanova University in Philadelphia, told the Washington Post that her parents were traveling to visit her at school. Diaz was a graduate of Valley Center High School who worked in aviation, The Eagle reported. The paper writes Diaz loved traveling and was on the flight to D.C. for leisure. He was looking forward to a long cruise next year. Miller was an IT professional from El Dorado. He grew up in Rosalia and was a graduate of Flint Hills High School, according to an obituary published by his family. After high school, he attended Butler Community College and studied computer science. Miller moved to Tucson, Arizona, to be closer to family. He lived there for several years before moving back to El Dorado to be closer to his girlfriend. His sister said in a statement that he was an outdoorsman, great chef and 'the funniest guy in the room.' Miller was also an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan and was looking forward to watching the team's third straight Super Bowl appearance. Miller was an information technology technician at Watermark Retirement Communities. He was on a work trip to Rochester, New York, when the crash occurred. A statement from his boss on a GoFundMe for Miller's family said he will be missed terribly. Evgenia Shishkova, 52, coach Vadim Naumov, 55, coach Spencer Lane, 17, skater Christine Lane, 49, mother of Spencer Lane Jinna Han, 13, skater Jin Hee Han, 49, mother of Jinna Han Alexandr 'Sasha' Kirsanov, 46, coach Cory Haynos, 16, skater Roger Haynos, 56, father of Cory Haynos Stephanie Branton Haynos, 56, mother of Cory Haynos Brielle Beyer, 12, skater Justyna Magdalena Beyer, 42, mother of Brielle Beyer Sean Kay, 11, skater Julia Kay, 42, mother of Sean Kay Angela Yang, 11, skater Zhengheng 'Lily' Li, 50, mother of Angela Yang Alydia Livingston, 11, skater Everly Livingston, 14, skater Donna Smojice Livingston, 48, mother of Alydia and Everly Livingston Peter Livingston, 48, father of Alydia and Everly Livingston Olivia Eve Ter, 11, skater Oleysa Taylor, 50, mother of Olivia Eve Ter Edward 'Eddie' Zhou, 16, skater Kaiyan Mao, 52, mother of Edward Zhou Yu Zhou, 60, father of Edward Zhou Franco Aparicio, 14, skater Luciano Aparicio, father of Franco Aparicio Inna Volyanskaya, 59, coach Nearly half of the passengers on the American Airlines flight were skaters, parents and coaches leaving the U.S. Figure Skating development camp held in Wichita last week, the sporting body confirmed in a statement on Sunday. The development camp followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. The invitation-only camp was an opportunity for young and up-and-coming skaters to work with high-level coaches and athletes from the sport. The three-day camp ended Wednesday after sessions for the highest-performing skaters. The skaters and coaches on the flight hailed from five clubs in the East Coast: the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts; the ION Figure Skating Club in Leesburg, Virginia; the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club in Newark, Delaware; the Skating Club of Northern Virginia in Fairfax, Virginia, and the Washington Figure Skating Club from around the D.C. metro. Wendy Jo Shaffer, 35 Asra Hussain-Raza, 26 Sarah Lee Best, 33 Elizabeth Anne Keys, 33 Casey Crafton, 40 Vikesh Patel, 33 Col. Pergentino Malabed Jr.,51 Jesse Pitcher, 30 Michael 'Mikey' Stovall, 40 Steve Johnson, 45 Alexander 'Alex' Huffman, 34 Charles 'Charlie' McDaniel, 44 Jonathan Boyd, 40 James 'Tommy' Clagett, 43 Chris Collins, 42 Melissa Nicandri, 28 Robert Prewitt, 44 The passengers of Flight 5342 were a wide array of travelers. Some were international, like Malabed who was an officer from the Philippine National Police. Several were business professionals, wrapping up work in Wichita. Among them were co-workers Best and Keys, two attorneys at the D.C. law firm Wilkinson Stekloff; Collins and Nicandri, two analysts at Moody's; Patel, an engineer for GE Aerospace; Prewitt, a construction supervisor for The Industrial Company, according to the Kansas City Star, and Hussain-Raza, a health care consultant. Some traveled with friends. Seven of the passengers were members of a D.C.-area hunting group that had just finished a hunting trip with Fowl Plains, a central Kansas waterfowl outfitter. Jonathan J. Campos, 34, captain Samuel Lilley, 28, first officer Danasia Elder, 34. flight attendant Ian Epstein, 53, flight attendant Flight 5342 was operated by PSA Airlines, a regional airline company out of Dayton, Ohio. The company is wholly owned by American Airlines. Campos worked for PSA Airlines for eight years, according to the New York Times. A Brooklyn native, his family told the paper he'd wanted to be a pilot since the age of 3. He was a 2015 graduate of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. Lilley was a second-generation pilot. His father said in a Facebook post that he was 'so proud when Sam became a pilot. Now it hurts so bad I can't even cry myself to sleep.' Lilley worked for PSA Airlines for two years. He lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was engaged to be married. Staffing the flight along with Campos and Lilley were two flight attendants. Elder was a married mother of two children, ages 13 and 5. Her brother-in-law told WSOC that Elder was 'an entrepreneur' and that being a flight attendant was 'one of her dreams.' Epstein's sister told the Associated Press that he was 'full of life' and loved traveling and meeting new people. He was married and a father and stepfather to four children, according to his obituary. Elder and Epstein were both members of the Association of Flight Attendants. They were both residents of Charlotte, North Carolina. Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O'Hara, 28 Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39 Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, 28 The United States Army identified the three soldiers who were onboard the Black Hawk helicopter. The crew was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Defense officials said the crew was conducting a routine training flight. Eaves and O'Hara were identified first. Lobach's name was released later at the request of her family. O'Hara was a pilot and helicopter technician originally from Lilburn, Georgia. He was deployed to Afghanistan from March to August 2017 and had earned several medals and commendations. Eaves, of Great Mills, Maryland, originally served with the U.S. Navy before transitioning to the U.S. Army as a pilot in 2017. He'd also earned several medals and accommodations from both the Army and Navy. Lobach, of Durnham, North Carolina, was an aviation officer. A statement from her family said that she'd earned certification as a pilot-in-command and served as a White House military social aide for events like the presentation of the Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom. Support Several fundraising efforts have been established to support the families of the victims and help cover funeral costs. In Wichita, the Wichita Foundation established ICT Together to contribute funds to the affected families and local organizations and nonprofits working on recovery efforts. In D.C., the Greater Washington Community Foundation has organized a similar effort called DCA Together Relief Fund. GoFundMe is also working to aggregate a list of verified fundraisers that will be distributed to first responders and victims' families. You can view that list by visiting This article was produced as part of the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, which includes KMUW and 10 other organizations and community groups, including KSN-TV. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
American Airlines Crash: Tina Knowles Mourns Death of Law Professor
Originally appeared on E! Online Tina Knowles is mourning the loss of a young visionary. The mother of Beyoncé expressed her condolences to the family of a soon-to-be Howard University School of Law professor Kiah Duggins after she was named as one of the passengers on the American Airlines flight from Witchita, Kan., that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., Jan. 29. 'So very saddened by the loss of this beautiful accomplished young woman,' Knowles wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of Duggins Jan. 31. 'Rest in peace to her family sending condolences and love to you. God Bless your Soul Kiah.' The 71-year-old's message was shared alongside a photo of the civil rights attorney—who was set to join the school's faculty this fall—that emphasized, 'May her memory be an inspiration to all.' The university also confirmed Duggins was among those onboard American Eagle Flight 5342 as the airplane carrying 64 people and Black Hawk helicopter carrying three crashed into the Potomac River. (District of Columbia fire chief John Donnelly confirmed Jan. 31 that all 67 are presumed dead as they continue to recover the bodies.) More from E! Online Adult Star Emily Willis Allegedly Left "Permanently Disabled" After Rehab Stint for Ketamine Addiction NBC News' Chuck Todd Announces Sudden Exit After Nearly 20-Year Run Reese Witherspoon Reveals Actress Ended Their Friendship Over This "Pretty Bad" Faux Pas 'As a civil rights lawyer,' the university shared on LinkedIn Jan. 30, 'she dedicated her career to fighting against unconstitutional policing and unjust money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C.' After earning her J.D. from Harvard Law School, Duggins worked as a litigator for the Civil Rights Corps., as well as the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, per her CRC bio. In addition to being an alumnus of Witchita State University and Wichita East High School, Duggins had another personal connection to Kansas. Her former pageant director Larry Strong shared that Duggins—who was a season pageant queen—was a top 10 finalist in 2014 and 2015 at the Miss Kansas Pageant. Despite not earning a crown at the coveted event, she was previously named Miss Butler Country in 2014 and 2015. Along with Duggins, the regional jet also carried 14 American figure skaters, coaches and family members who were at a camp in Wichita, Kan., according to U.S. Figure Skating. Of those, six were local skaters from the Skating Club of Boston, where two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan formerly trained. She mourned the tragic loss in an emotional speech to reporters alongside other club representatives. "When you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it's an even bigger blow,' the retired skater said. "I feel for the athletes, the skaters, their families [and] anyone who was on that plane. "We've been through tragedies before as Americans, as people, and we are strong, and I guess it's how we respond to it. Even when it's hard, you get back up.' Keep reading for more information on the devastating crash. What Happened to the Passengers on American Airlines Flight 5342?Who Was Onboard American Airlines Flight 5342?Who Was Onboard the U.S. Army Helicopter Involved in the Collision?What Happens Next After Recover Efforts for American Airlines Flight 5342?Who Has Spoken Out After American Airlines Flight 5342 Crashed Into the Potomac River? For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
Graduates of Massachusetts universities among those killed in DC plane collision
A pair of women who graduated from universities in Massachusetts were among the 67 people killed when an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided near Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. Elizabeth Anne Keys, a 33-year-old graduate of Tufts University, and Kiah Duggins, a 30-year-old graduate of Harvard Law School, both died when the wreckage of the two aircraft plummeted into the icy Potomac River following the fiery midair crash. Keys, a native of Cincinnati, graduated from Tufts in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and community health, according to her LinkedIn page. She had been most recently working as an associate at the D.C.-based law practice Wilkinson Stekloff LLP. Duggins, who grew up in Wichita, Kansas, earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2021, where she served as president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, her LinkedIn page indicated. Duggins, who had been most recently working as an attorney for the D.C.-based Civil Rights Corps, served as a White House intern during the Obama administration. A pair of young figure skaters from New England, their mothers, and two coaches were also killed in the crash. The Skating Club of Boston identified the skaters as Jinna Han, 13, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, and Spencer Lane, 16, of Barrington, Rhode Island. Their mothers were identified as Jin Han and Christine Lane. Two coaches at The Skating Club of Boston, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumo, were flying with the Hans and Lanes after departing a US Skating National Development Camp and Championship Competition in Wichita. Chris Collins, a native of North Dighton, Massachusetts, also died in the crash. His family remembered him as a 'beloved husband, son, brother, and uncle.' More than 40 bodies have been pulled from the Potomac since the crash, the AP reported. The NTSB is leading an 'all-hands-on-deck' investigation into the crash. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Express Tribune
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Howard University law professor Kiah Duggins among victims in fatal DC plane crash
Kiah Duggins, a civil rights attorney and incoming Howard law professor, was among 64 killed in the Jan. 29 midair collision. Duggins, a Wichita State University alum and Harvard Law graduate, had been traveling back to Washington, D.C., after visiting her mother, who recently underwent surgery. She was a prominent advocate for criminal justice reform, working with the Civil Rights Corps to challenge systemic issues within the legal system. Her family confirmed her passing, with her father, Maurice Duggins, releasing a statement requesting privacy as they mourn their loss. Howard University also honored her memory, with President Ben Vinson III expressing deep sorrow over her untimely passing. Duggins was a former Miss Kansas finalist and had served as president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. She was set to begin teaching at Howard University's law school in the fall. Friends and colleagues remembered her as a brilliant legal scholar and dedicated advocate for civil rights. As of Jan. 30, search crews had recovered 28 bodies from the Potomac River, where the aircraft crashed. The Associated Press confirmed that three Army soldiers aboard the Black Hawk helicopter were among the deceased. Investigations into the cause of the collision remain ongoing.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
Washington air crash victims led lives helping others
By Rich McKay, Hannah Lang and Eric Cox (Reuters) - Kiah Duggins was a civil rights lawyer hailed as a justice warrior who fought against police abuse and protected people from eviction. Bob and Lori Schrock were cutting-edge farmers who ran their own grain business and were traveling to visit their daughter. They, too, served others: through a Christian program providing counseling and education for young men experiencing trauma. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. All three were among the 67 lives lost in the air disaster over Washington on Wednesday night, when a U.S. Army helicopter and a passenger jet collided near Reagan National Airport. As the investigation into the crash continues, more details about the victims have emerged. Duggins, 30, an incoming professor at Washington's Howard University, was returning home after visiting her family in Wichita, Kansas, where she grew up. She was a bright student and had been a policy intern for former First Lady Michelle Obama in the White House. "It was an honor to be able to work in the White House, and not only work in the White House, but work for the first Black President, which would not have been possible through most of American history," Duggins said in a 2017 article in an online newsletter called The Sunflower, describing her summer semester in Washington. She had just been visiting her mother, Gwen, who was recently in hospital, media accounts said, and she was expecting to teach law at Howard this fall. Duggins, a Harvard Law graduate and former Miss Kansas contestant, had worked for Civil Rights Corps, a nonprofit legal group. Her litigation included challenging unconstitutional policing and money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C., according to the group's website. Her online Harvard Law profile said her peers called her "force of nature", who protected people from eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic while working at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, where the faculty and staff called her "a true justice warrior." In one case, Duggins successfully represented a woman who was being evicted for refusing to pay an unaffordable rent increase for an apartment with substandard conditions, the Harvard website said. She later negotiated a long-term affordable lease for the woman and her young child. She also represented indigent defendants - people unable to afford a lawyer - in criminal matters for Harvard Defenders. "My law school experience was totally defined by clinical and pro bono work," Duggins is quoted as saying in her profile, adding that her experience with clients taught her "the technical elements of the law, and larger philosophical questions about what the law should be." Family friend and former Sedgwick County Commissioner Lacey Cruse remembered Duggins as a "brave and beautiful soul, a light in the fight for civil rights." "Her loss is heartbreaking, not only for her family and friends but for everyone who believes in justice and equality," Cruse wrote in a Facebook post. THE MOURNING OF BOB AND LORI SCHROCK Bob and Lori Schrock, aged 58 and 56, were farmers from Kiowa, Kansas, a town of 2,400 people near the Oklahoma border. The couple were traveling from Wichita to Washington on their way to visit Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where their daughter Ellie is a student. They were president and vice president of Premium Grain, Inc. in Kiowa, and were among the first farmers in the area to rotate winter wheat with winter canola to further crop yields and enhance soil health, according to the Kansas City Star. They also set up a home in Maryland to be closer to their daughter. "There are truly just gifts from God. They didn't deserve any of this," said Grace Cantrell, 20, a Kansas State University student who grew up with Bob and Lori's daughter. She called the couple a second "set of parents." Michael Simpson, a friend of Bob's since the age of 11, got to know Bob through weightlifting and stayed close over the years. He said the Schrocks inspired him to quit his job and become the head of Freedom Gate Boys Ranch, a Christian program that provides a home, Christian education and trauma-informed counseling, the group's website says. Bob had quietly provided financial support to the program over the years, Simpson said, and both Bob and Lori were deeply rooted in their faith. "I don't have a lot of friends, so the ones I have are close, and he was one," Simpson said.
