Cheyenne Suarez

'Gifts from God': Friends remember couple killed in Washington D.C. plane crash

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Reuters Wires

<p>As authorities continue investigating Wednesday&#x27;s collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight near a Washington airport, friends of a couple who died in the deadly crash mourned their loss.</p><p>Bob and Lori Schrock were aboard American Airlines flight 5342.</p><p>The couple were farmers from Kiowa, Kansas, a tiny town 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Wichita along the Oklahoma border.</p><p>&quot;There are truly just like, gifts from God. They didn&#x27;t deserve any of this,&quot; said Grace Cantrell, a 20-year-old Kansas State University student who grew up with Bob and Lori&#x27;s daughter.</p><p>&quot;Her parents were basically like another set of parents to mine,&quot; said Cantrell. &quot;They used to live down the street from where I was, we&#x27;d go over there all the time.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/31/moment-surveillance-footage-of-midair-collision-in-washington-0916">MOMENT: Surveillance footage of midair collision in Washington</a></div><p>Cantrell says the Schrocks relocated from Kansas to Maryland to be closer to their 21-year-old daughter, Ellie, who attends Villanova University.</p><p>&quot;Just me thinking about all the things that her parents are now going to have to miss out on or she&#x27;s not going to have her parents for moving forward,&quot; said Cantrell. &quot;I&#x27;m just going to be there for her in any possible way I can.&quot;</p><p>Back in the Schrock&#x27;s hometown, the hurt and loss is hitting the community hard.</p><p>&quot;He&#x27;s (Bob) been my friend since I was 11,&quot; said Michael Simpson, longtime friend and mentee of Bob Schrock. &quot;He mentored me in weights and taught me how to lift and supported me through when I was competing all the way through my 20s and into my 30s.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/31/-shouldn-t-have-happened-dc-air-collision-stuns-experts-0855">&#x27;Shouldn&#x27;t have happened:&#x27; DC air collision stuns experts</a></div><p>Simpson told Reuters it was the Schrocks who not only inspired him to pivot careers and become the head of Freedom Gate Boys Ranch, a program for troubled youth with an emphasis on sharing the love of Christ, but also secretly provided significant financial and emotional support over the years.</p><p>In a text he sent to Bob a couple of weeks ago, Simpson said, &quot;Thank you doesn&#x27;t seem to cover it, brother. I hope you and your wife know how much I appreciate you... I don&#x27;t have many friends like you. I love and respect and appreciate both of you very much.&quot;</p><p>Simpson believes he&#x27;ll see his friends again someday, telling Reuters both Bob and Lori were deeply rooted in faith and are now at peace in heaven.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/30/washington-midair-crash-what-we-know-so-far-0704">Washington midair crash: What we know so far</a></div><div><em>(Production: Eric Cox)</em></div>

<p>As authorities continue investigating Wednesday's collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight near a Washington airport, friends of a couple who died in the deadly crash mourned their loss.</p>

As authorities continue investigating Wednesday's collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight near a Washington airport, friends of a couple who died in the deadly crash mourned their loss.

'Gifts from God': Friends remember couple killed in Washington D.C. plane crash

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'Gifts from God': Friends remember couple killed in Washington D.C. plane crash

Reuters

Published January 31, 2025 11:22 AM PHT

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