US teen who performed at Barack Obama's inauguration shot dead in Chicago
said today that Obama – who has often spoken of the need to address the less spectacular but far more deadly gun violence on the streets of Chicago and other cities – is praying for Pendleton's family.
"It's a terrible tragedy any time a young person is struck down with so much of their life ahead of them, and we see it far too often," spokesman Jay Carney said.
"And as the president has said, we will never be able to eradicate every act of evil in this country, but we – but if we can save any one child's life, we have an obligation to try when it comes to this scourge of gun violence."
Pendleton was a majorette in the King College Prep school band, which brought her to Washington for the inauguration. She was hanging out with other members of the volleyball team when she was shot in the back.
"She was an honor student all her life," cousin Shatira Wilks told the Sun-Times. "Honestly, she was a walking angel. She never once gave her mom any problems ever."
