Father honors six-year-old son killed in Kansas soccer field tragedy
Chris Adrian remembered his son Cole, who died when a vehicle drove through a youth soccer game in Wichita, Kansas, describing him as joyful and beloved.
Chris Adrian, a resident of McPherson, Kansas, delivered an emotional eulogy for his six-year-old son Cole at a service held at McPherson Free Methodist Church. Adrian said Cole was an energetic child who often declared each day the “best day ever” and had a talent for making ordinary moments feel extraordinary.
Cole was one of two victims killed on 17 October when a pickup truck driven by a 34-year-old woman entered the soccer field at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita. The other victim was 35-year-old soccer coach and middle-school teacher Nicholas Schafer. Ten additional people, including several children, were injured.
Police arrested the driver at the scene and released her the following day pending toxicology results and further investigation. Wichita police chief Joe Sullivan defended the decision, noting that authorities must follow state law and the U.S. Constitution.
Adrian expressed gratitude for the support of the local youth-soccer community, noting that players wore shirts bearing the letters “LLCA,” which he interpreted as “laugh like Cole,” “love like Cole,” or similar sentiments. He also referenced his family’s Christian faith, describing a double rainbow that appeared over McPherson as a comforting sign.
Investigators continue to examine the circumstances of the crash and have asked the public to be patient as the inquiry proceeds.