Glenbard North gym opens for visitation of slain 19-year-old

Residents in Carol Stream are preparing for a large gathering at Glenbard North High School to bid farewell to Giana Dettloff. The 19-year-old was killed during a mass shooting at a house party near Illinois Wesleyan University on Halloween weekend.

Dettloff was visiting a friend in Bloomington when she was struck by gunfire. She was one of nine people hit in the incident. Police report that six victims have been released from the hospital. No suspect is currently in custody, and officials have not identified a motive.

The visitation is held in the school's gymnasium to accommodate the expected crowd. It runs until 9 p.m. Thursday at 990 Kuhn Road. A procession of vehicles, including a hearse carrying Dettloff, left a Bloomingdale funeral home shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday.

Dettloff graduated from Glenbard North with honors and served as a cheerleader. She was a freshman at North Central College in Naperville. On Wednesday, friends and community members gathered at the high school to hang ribbons in her memory. Carol Stream Mayor Frank Saverino and his wife Debbie attended the gathering.

Debbie Saverino said the family has deep ties to Carol Stream. "It's going to be very tough, very tough for everyone involved to say goodbye to Giana. She didn't deserve this, and here we are," she said. "Tomorrow's not promised. You gotta hug your kids extra hard."

Mayor Saverino noted that Dettloff continued to support younger students after her graduation. "This young lady not only went through the high school but come back and helped younger kids through the cheer. She's a phenomenal person," he said. The family plans a private Mass Friday morning.