New details emerged Monday about the victims of the tragedy that struck a youth soccer game in Wichita, Kansas. The deceased were identified as Cole Adrian, a six-year-old boy, and Nicholas Schafer, a 35-year-old man, both residents of McPherson, Kansas, about an hour north of Wichita.
Chris Adrian, a middle school soccer coach and Cole's father, said his family was heartbroken. "Cole was an incredible kid and could put a smile on anyone's face," Adrian said in a text message reported by the New York Times. "He was the joy and light of our community. His pure heart was open to everyone. He had the best laugh. He was a friend with everyone, young or old."
Nicholas Schafer and his wife, Ashley, celebrated their 14th anniversary in May and had three children, according to a Facebook post. An online fundraiser set up by friends said the family had "suffered tremendous loss, immense pain, and devastation, forever changing their futures."
The driver, whose name has not been released, was at the wheel of a Chevrolet pickup truck containing two of her three children, according to witnesses. The vehicle was parked nearby when it suddenly drove onto the field, striking multiple people.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said in a statement on Facebook that investigators "will continue working to understand exactly what happened." He added: "Our hearts are with the families of Cole and Nicholas as they face an unimaginable loss. What should have been a day of children playing soccer and families spending time together ended in tragedy."
Among the injured were five children: two girls ages five and nine, a five-year-old boy, and two boys aged eight. Also injured were women aged 28, 59 and 65, and men aged 32 and 68. A 61-year-old woman was treated for medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene. Erica Case, who was watching her nine-year-old son's game on an adjacent field, said she heard an engine revving and several "boom" sounds. "I saw the truck hitting things," she told NBC News. "I saw debris flying in the air. The moment that I recognized that that wasn't gunshots, that that was bodies, I lost it, because it wasn't just adults. It was also children." She said it took emergency services about 10 minutes to arrive, and bystanders rushed to help, with one person performing CPR.
David Griekspoor was at the complex with his brother and sister-in-law, watching his nephew play soccer. "It sounded like small gunfire – bap, bap, bap," he said. "You look up, and you just see the truck going through a line of people."
The sports complex was closed for the remainder of the weekend. On Sunday night, members of the Wichita youth soccer community held a vigil and memorial at an indoor sports facility across town.