Emotional vigil marks 1 year since McKeesport Police Officer Sean Sluganski was shot and killed
BALDWIN, Pa. (KDKA) — A day of remembrance for a fallen McKeesport police officer wrapped up with an emotional candlelight vigil.
On Tuesday at the Baldwin Borough Building, dozens of people came together to support each other one year after Officer Sean Sluganski was killed in the line of duty.
"You all being here this evening proves he was a special person," Baldwin Mayor David Depretis said to the crowd.
Family and friends gathered in Sluganski's hometown of Baldwin for the vigil. Sluganski, also known as Slug, was shot and killed while responding to a domestic situation on Feb. 6, 2023.
"I met Sean in sixth grade, and I still remember his smile that first day. It was contagious and lit up the entire room," Kelly Divins said to the crowd.
His daughter, Haven, is now 2 years old. She was wearing a ribbon that said "Daddy is my hero" and a sweater that said "Little Slug."
Chelsea Cancilla, Sluganski's fiancé, said life without the love of her life and best friend is brutal.
"It feels like it was just yesterday, and it also feels like it was so long ago at the same time," Cancilla said. "And that's been a hard thing for us to all digest. How time really doesn't make sense anymore."
And watching her daughter grow up without her father.
"Seeing one year, she is just so big now. And that is the hardest part for most of us. Just puts it into perspective all the things he has missed out on," Cancilla said.
At Renzie Park in McKeesport, Sluganski's mother dropped a puck at the newly dedicated Sean "Slug" Sluganski Memorial Dek Hockey Rink. City leaders also unveiled a bench in his honor.
Jonathan Morris is charged with killing Sluganski. His trial is set to start in the fall. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala still plans to seek the death penalty.
"We do it in a very limited basis in our county, but under these circumstances, I felt it was appropriate," he said.
While Sluganski's family waits for justice, those who were close to him are trying to navigate life without him.
"I just want people to not only remember that he was such a great cop, but I want them to remember that he was also just a great person," Cancilla said.
Sluganski's partner, Charles Thomas Jr., was also shot one year ago. He is not back on the force yet.