Police have not made any arrests in the death of Laura Szendrei, 15. (CBC)Hundreds of people gathered at a memorial on Friday night to remember a teenager slain in a daytime attack at a suburban Vancouver park.
Laura Szendrei, 15, was attacked in broad daylight in Mackie Park in Delta, B.C., last weekend and died later in hospital.
The memorial at the North Delta Recreation Centre was so crowded, mourners had to take turns signing large sheets of paper to share their memories of Szendrei.
"She never really said anything bad," said David Bryant, a classmate who attended the memorial.
"Why anyone would do something to such a sweet person — she always knew what to say, when to say it. When you're in trouble you can talk to her, she'd be able to help you out, you know, give you the words that you needed to hear. A very, very kind person."
Bryant said the memorial brought closure to many teens struggling to cope with their grief over the senseless killing.
"We've recently moved out to Abbotsford and my son was very close with Laura and he just feels he needs to be here to pay his respects and say his goodbyes," said Wendy Colville, who attended the memorial with her teenage son.
"I think it'll be a little bit of closure for him to be with his friends and maybe talk about it a little, give each other some support … that's what we're here for, for them. We want them to feel safe and we want them to feel OK."
Colville is organizing a petition to rename Mackie Park after Szendrei.
Delta police said they have received more than 150 tips, but have not made any arrests or publicly identified any suspects.
The cause of death has not been released.
Police are looking to speak with anyone who was in Mackie Park on Saturday, Sept. 25 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. PT. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Delta Police Department at 604-946-4411.
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