Village leaders in Frankfort, Illinois, to hold community vigil after series of tragedies

Southwest suburban Frankfort is reeling after a series of events shocked the usually quiet village.

Village leaders are planning a community prayer vigil Friday evening at Breidert Green in response to the happenings of the last week. They say they don't know how many people to expect, but know that residents want to come together.

"This will be a time to try to make sense of things that don't make sense," said Mayor Keith Ogle.

He says they started putting together plans for a vigil after an unprecedented number of tragedies in short succession.

"We've been in this compressed timeline of all these things that has made it so we are going from one to the other, and I think, in some cases, people haven't had time to process. I know some of our staff has really had a difficult time," he said.

Most recently, the death of 6-year-old Jenna Menias, killed by a school bus in her neighborhood Tuesday afternoon. CBS Skywatch was over the scene where the bus and a pink backpack lying in the middle of her street were coned off.

Ogle said he doesn't know the girl's family, but in the small town, he knows someone who did.

"I've seen pictures of her. She's, you know, a lovely young girl. It's heartbreaking," he said.

Frankfort School District 157-C confirmed, saying their "sincerest condolences to our student's family and friends," adding, "we mourn alongside them and hold them in our thoughts during this time of profound grief."

The district brought in social workers, psychologists and other trained support staff to meet with students and staff at Grand Prairie Elementary, where she was a student.

Questions remain unanswered about how the crash happened, as police investigate the actions of the driver for Lincoln-Way Transportation.

Jenna's death comes as the school district faces ongoing allegations of racial harassment involving some Lincoln-Way East students towards their counterparts from Homewood-Flossmoor.

It also comes as Frankfort mother, 40-year-old Corie Walsh, remains behind bars, accused of killing her 2-year-old son Barrett before harming herself.

CBS News Chicago has reached out to the bus company involved in the 6-year-old's death with additional questions, but they have not answered those concerns.