Kinslee Tschida was leaving a swing when lightning struck near her Serena home as a storm approached.
SERENA, Ill. — An 8-year-old girl died after being struck by lightning while leaving a backyard swing as her family moved indoors ahead of an approaching storm, according to relatives and the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.
Kinslee Tschida was playing outside with her cousins July 3 when family members heard thunder and told the children to come inside. Her grandfather, Chris Scheib, said Kinslee was getting off the swing when lightning suddenly struck between nearby trees. Another child standing only several feet away was not injured.
The strike occurred about 15 to 20 feet from the family’s rural Serena home, Scheib told Chicago television stations. He said the storm appeared to be far enough away that relatives did not expect an immediate lightning threat. The family had begun moving everyone inside after hearing a rumble of thunder.
Kinslee’s mother, who is a nurse, and other relatives immediately began CPR, according to family accounts. Emergency responders took the child to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities have not publicly released additional medical findings beyond identifying the death as connected to the lightning strike.
Scheib said the family had little warning before the strike. He told WLS-TV that Kinslee might have reached the house within seconds if the lightning had not hit when it did. The suddenness of the incident has left her relatives struggling to understand the loss.
Kinslee was preparing to enter third grade at Rutland Grade School. Her grandparents described her as an outgoing child whose personality filled a room. Family members said she enjoyed singing, dancing and spending time with people close to her.
Relatives and community members have shared tributes and offered support to the family. A fundraising campaign was organized to help cover medical and funeral expenses. The family planned a wake followed by burial services in Marseilles, according to local reporting.
Fatal lightning strikes are uncommon, but they can occur before heavy rain reaches an area. The National Lightning Safety Council listed Kinslee as the fourth person reported killed by lightning in the United States in 2026. Her death was also reported as Illinois’ first lightning fatality in nearly eight years.
The LaSalle County Coroner’s Office continued reviewing the circumstances surrounding the death. No other injuries were reported from the strike, and officials had not announced additional findings as of Sunday.
Author note: Last updated July 12, 2026.