Gov. Dayton Encourages SLP Students to Carry on Departed Classmates' Spirits

Gov. Mark Dayton spoke to the St. Louis Park community Friday morning at Peter Hobart Elementary School in saying he admired the courage and bravery required to make it through the .

Dayton and several other dignitaries were at Peter Hobart Elementary School two days after a rock slide at the St. Paul park claimed the lives of fourth-graders Haysem Sani, 9, and Mohamed Fofani, 10. Classmates Lucas Lee and Devin Meldahl were also injured in the accident.

"I wish I could say something that would make you feel better," Dayton said. "I wish I could say something to explain to you why this terrible thing happened. I can't."

Dayton said Wednesday's events brought back memories of a similar accident that claimed the life of one of his closest friends, when a rock slide came tumbling down on the friend as he was hiking in California. The Governor said he struggled to come to terms with why such "a terrible thing happened to a terrific person."

"This is a hard thing for anybody to go through," Dayton said. "It really takes a lot of courage, a lot of bravery to […] live through it. If you feel like crying, you can cry. And if you feel sad, feel said. And if you remember happily the good times you spent with your friends, remember that, too."

Erick Garcia Luna, a Peter Hobart parent and staffer with Sen. Amy Klobuchar's office, read a statement from the senator offering her condolences to the everyone impacted by the Lilydale Park tragedy.

"A field trip is something every kid looks forward to," Garcia Luna read. "Nobody ever expected to have a devastating conclusion. As a mother, I cannot imagine the grief of the parents who lost their children and the anguish faced by those waiting for their child's recovery. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the children, teachers and families of Peter Hobart Elementary School."

St. Louis Park Public Schools administrators expressed gratitude to the community for all of the support through the trying times, with Principal Shelly Nielsen saying the community has "a lot of healing to do."

"This circle of love is so much deeper than just the Peter Hobart community," Nielsen said. "The State of Minnesota is looking down on us and they are going to take care of us—I believe that. They're going to help us get through, day by day."

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