Your Experience

Jennifer Mitchell’s story

I am the daughter of Virginia Kirkland, of Virginia's Beauty Shop which was right behind Marting Arms and the sister of Robin and Kelly Kirkland. I was 19 years old when this happened and lived in indianapolis. On this day I was at work, at Indiana Bell in downtown Indianapolis, when I received a call from a neighbor of my Aunt’s telling me my mother had been injured and to hurry to Reid Memorial Hospital. By the time I got my husband off work to take me it was late in the day. We headed to Richmond on interstate 70. My mother-in-law was also with us and she wanted to listen to the radio; when we turned it on a bulletin broke in. They stated they were going to give a list of fatalities in an explosion that had happened, now at this time I didn't even know about the explosion only that my mother had been in an accident. When the list was given my two sisters were named first. Can you imagine? Again I didn't know they were even involved, only my mother. We continued to the hospital and when there I was told my sisters were dead in the morgue but no news on my mother. She was found Tuesday morning and we had the funeral for all 3. People took pictures and sold them.

A few months later I lost my first child, that I had become pregnant with the week my family was killed. I have missed the relationship I lost that day with my mother and sisters, never to have them know my children and grandchildren that I have been blessed with and them to know their Grandmother and Aunts.