Relatives said the sky gave little warning before the fatal strike Friday evening.
SERENA, Ill. — A sudden lightning strike killed 8-year-old Kinslee Tschida on Friday as she played behind her family’s Serena home before an approaching storm had reached the area, relatives and officials said.
The timing of the strike has become central to the family’s account of what happened. Kinslee’s grandfather, Chris Scheib, said the children were already being called inside when lightning hit near the house. The La Salle County Coroner’s Office has said the child died after being struck in the backyard.
Scheib said an adult heard thunder and immediately told the children to leave the swing area. Kinslee was getting down when the strike hit. “In five or 10 seconds, she would have been fine,” Scheib said. He said the storm appeared distant and the family did not see clear warning signs before the lightning came down between a tree and the house.
Emergency care followed quickly. Kinslee was taken from the Serena home to OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa, where the coroner’s office was called Friday evening. An autopsy Sunday preliminarily confirmed that she died from injuries tied to the lightning strike. Officials said the investigation remained active, and final findings had not yet been released.
The strike left other family members unharmed, including another child who was standing only a few feet away. Scheib said that detail has added to the family’s grief and disbelief. “Basically, there’s nothing else you could have done,” he said. The family has described the event as instant, rare and difficult to grasp.
Kinslee was expected to enter third grade at Rutland Grade School this fall. Relatives said she loved music, dancing and family gatherings. Her grandparents said she carried herself with confidence and warmth, and that people at school knew her for her bright personality. “We’re all broken,” Scheib said as the family prepared funeral arrangements.
The case also came during a week of severe weather across parts of the Midwest. Kinslee’s death was reported as the fourth lightning fatality in the United States this year. In Illinois, officials and weather trackers have described fatal lightning strikes as uncommon, though the Serena case showed how quickly danger can arrive before heavy rain or nearby storm conditions are obvious.
Family members planned a wake for Monday and burial Tuesday in Marseilles. A fundraiser was also created to help with medical and funeral expenses while relatives continue to receive support from the community.
Author note: Last updated July 9, 2026.