Hope mourns loss of plane crash victims

HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) - The chapel at Hope College dedicated its usual Sunday evening gathering service to two students killed in that morning's plane crash.

The chapel was full of people mourning the loss of Emma Biagioni and David Otai.

Distraught friends leaned on one another for support as they walked out of chapel Sunday night. Many were too broken up to talk to 24 Hour News 8 on camera. Those we did talk to said they can't believe two young lives are gone.

"I've never had a friend die, so I wasn't really sure how I was supposed to feel," said Karen Patterson, a friend of Biagioni's who worked with her at The Anchor, Hope's student newspaper.

Patterson said she was "shell shocked" Sunday evening and hasn't even had time to grieve. Her school, newspaper and community lost a very bright light in Biagioni, Patterson told 24 Hour News 8.

"[I'm] just praying and trusting it's all going to work out," she said.

Biagioni and her friend Otai were killed Sunday when the plane Otai was flying crashed in a Manlius Township field.

"Emma and David were both well-known and well-liked," Patterson said. "[They were] the kind of people you meet once and you remember them."

Patterson said Otai was a sophomore exchange student from Kenya and Biagioni was a junior from Barrington, Ill.

Biagioni's Facebook wall was filled with dozens of messages of love and hope Sunday night.

"She was just the nicest person you could ever hope to meet," Patterson said. "She was just a great person. We'll miss her."

Friends said the two were very involved in various activities on campus including multicultural groups and Model UN. The school paper, where Biagioni worked as a co-editor of the World section, plans to run an issue dedicated to the two killed within the month.