MILFORD— The Milford community is still in mourning a day after the death of 16-year-old Jonathan Law High School junior Maren Sanchez.
Maren was stabbed to death Friday morning in the hallway of the school. Another student, Chris Plaskon, 16, is expected to face a murder charge as an adult in the case.
“I was walking out of the media center, and I heard something was happening and teachers stopped me. She said don’t go down the hallway, and it’s pretty sad knowing and finding out that she was killed on the stairwell,” said Joe Curry, a 15-year-old sophomore at Jonathan Law High School.
On Saturday, members of the Milford community showed up to at the school. Grief counselors and some members of the school’s administration were on hand to provide their support.
“I think it’s great we’re trying to show love in light of this horrible event,” said Jaclyn Griffin, a 2009 graduate of Jonathan Law High School.
Outside the school, mourners gathered to leave a permanent mark of their love for Maren. A large rock, painted purple on Friday, bore her name, her birth date, Aug. 26, 1997, and a large white heart.
A collection of flowers and pictures, and other tokens placed by the memorial grew larger throughout the day.
Sanchez is an accomplished high school junior. She was a member of the national honor society. She played sports and had a talent for music.
“She had the most amazing voice. That’s the one thing I remember about her,” said Kassandra Sevas, a 15-year-old who attended middle school with Sanchez.
Many we spoke with describe Milford as a tight knit community.
“It wasn’t something you expect to happen, especially in Milford, where it’s such a small community and everyone knows each other,” Sevas said.
Owners of Honeycutt Pizza, located close to the high school, say Maren stopped in almost every day to visit a friend who worked there.
“We felt sad about it. We don’t want to hear something like that around the neighborhood, especially next door to the school. We don’t want to see something like that,” said Remzi Korkamz, owner of Honeycutt Pizza.
On social media, many showed their support for Maren, especially on Twitter—a “#milfordstrong” hashtag circulated throughout.
Many people from outside Milford, those who never met Maren, came out to the place where she lost her life to honor her memory.
“Law is such a great, small school. When we went there, it’s like home to me, and for something this tragic to happen is just unbelievable”” said Griffin.
The Jonathan Law Advocate, the high school student newspaper, said classes would be canceled on Monday, but that counselors would be available at the school from noon to 5 p.m. that day.
A vigil is scheduled on the football field at 7 p.m. on Monday, according to the newspaper.
Students are asked to wear purple in Maren’s honor at school on Tuesday.