A northwest Indiana school community was mourning the loss of a beloved staff member who was killed in a murder-suicide on Friday evening.
Brandy Manville, a secretary at Portage High School, died after being shot by her husband, Charles Manville, at their home in Portage. Her 21-year-old daughter, Hayleigh, was also shot and remained hospitalized on Sunday night.
Following the shooting, difficult days lie ahead for the tightknit community.
"She was the best mom, she was always a mom first...And not only her own kids but every other kid who walked the hallways," said Brandy's best friend, Olivia Chelich.
Chelich told NBC Chicago it's heartbreaking to lose somebody so kind and caring. Brandy had two children - Hayleigh and a teenager son.
"She would go to the ends of the earth to make sure her kids were taken care of, and made sure they were happy and had anything they ever wanted," Chelich said.
On the night of the shooting, Hayleigh called 911, saying her father was drunk and armed with a gun. As first responders approached the home, they heard several gunshots from inside. Brandy Manville died at the scene, authorities said.
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Hayleigh was critically injured and transported by medical helicopter to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. A standout soccer star studying nursing, Hayleigh is now fighting for her life -- with an entire community behind her.
"She’s in her third year, and I truly believe once she gets to the other side of this, she is going to be the best nurse this area has," Chelich said.
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