Mourners pay respects to Oxford High shooting victim

David Jesse, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

Flags lowered to half-staff at the credit union, union hall and funeral home all waved steadily in the wind Saturday afternoon as traffic streamed by Modetz Funeral Home Silverbell Chapel in Orion Township.

But every couple of minutes, an SUV or pickup truck or minivan with people dressed nicely slowed down and turned into the chapel's full parking lot, trying to find a spot. Some parked in the next-door credit union and walked down a short sidewalk.

Friends and family attend the visitation for Madisyn Baldwin, one of the four Oxford High School shooting victims, at Modetz Funeral Home Silverbell Chapel in Orion on Dec.4, 2021.
Friends and family attend the visitation for Madisyn Baldwin, one of the four Oxford High School shooting victims, at Modetz Funeral Home Silverbell Chapel in Orion on Dec.4, 2021.

All were there to pay tribute to Madisyn Baldwin, 17, the first of the four victims of the Oxford High School shooting last Tuesday to have funeral services. Visitation went on all Saturday afternoon and a private funeral service was scheduled for Saturday night.

The parking lot and one next door remained full most of the afternoon. Multiple Oakland County sheriff's vehicles were parked in the various lots, keeping careful watch on visitors. A flower shop's delivery van made several trips in and out of the funeral home lot.

Several people wearing Oxford High School varsity jackets entered the funeral home for the visitation throughout the afternoon.

Friends and family attend the visitation for Madisyn Baldwin, one of the four Oxford High School shooting victims, at Modetz Funeral Home Silverbell Chapel in Orion on Dec.4, 2021.
Friends and family attend the visitation for Madisyn Baldwin, one of the four Oxford High School shooting victims, at Modetz Funeral Home Silverbell Chapel in Orion on Dec.4, 2021.

Brian Miles, 21, of Lapeer, attended the visitation with a relative who was a schoolmate of Madisyn's at Oxford High.

"It's just an awful situation," he said. "I just wanted to show my support. I can't imagine what the families who lost kids are going through. When I heard about it, it just made me sick. I still can't really believe it happened here. I know several people who were in the school — this just wrecked them."

Madisyn loved art, and friends posted online tributes touting her abilities.

"This beautiful, smart, sweet loving girl was tragically taken from us all today leaving a huge hole in all of our hearts and life’s" her grandmother, Jennifer Graves Mosqueda, wrote in a public post on the online fundraising site GoFundMe.com.

Services for two other victims have been announced.

Visitation for Tate Myre will take place from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. until noon Tuesday. His funeral will be at noon Tuesday at Kensington Church, 4640 S. Lapeer, Lake Orion.

Family and friends attend the visitation for Madisyn Baldwin, one of the four Oxford High School shooting victims, at Modetz Funeral Home Silverbell Chapel in Orion on Dec.4, 2021.
Family and friends attend the visitation for Madisyn Baldwin, one of the four Oxford High School shooting victims, at Modetz Funeral Home Silverbell Chapel in Orion on Dec.4, 2021.

Visitation for Hana St. Juliana will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, with a funeral service to follow at LakePoint Community Church, 1550 W. Drahner, Oxford Township.

Services for Justin Shilling have yet to be announced.

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mourners pay respects to Oxford High shooting victim