“It was peaceful”: Illinois Rep. Sean Casten opens up about teen daughter’s final moments in heartbreaking post

Gwen Casten, the daughter of Congressman Sean Casten, recently passed away at the young age of 17. She was discovered unresponsive on June 13, 2022 at 7 a.m. and then announced dead on the scene. Gwen’s cause of death remains unknown for now.

The congressman's office revealed the news in a tweet and requested privacy for the family, stating that the Castens want to refrain from commenting on the incident further. Sean Thomas Casten is currently the U.S. representative for Illinois's 6th congressional district.

However, Sean opened up about Gwen's death the following day. He posted a picture of her on Instagram and wrote about how the pain of losing a child couldn't be explained in words. He recalled his daughter being a happy, healthy, and well-adjusted young woman, and paid tribute to her. Furthermore, he added:

"The only thing we know about her death is that it was peaceful."

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Sean Casten speaks about his daughter’s life and dreams

Gwen Casten died on June 13, 2022 (Image via RepCasten/Twitter)

Sean Casten’s statement mentioned that Gwen wanted to study at the University of Vermont this year after completing her schooling at Downers Grove North High School, where she was a member of the jazz band and played trumpet. Music and activism were her primary interests.

Following the Parkland shooting, she created an Empowerment Club in her high school, one of the largest clubs in DGN. The club focused on gun violence prevention, environmental protection, LGBTQ allyship, and the Black Lives Matter movement, among other things.

According to Sean Casten's statement:

“She had the good fortune to have a community of good friends, teachers and family and the good wisdom to realize how much she owed them. If her light seemed a bit brighter than most it was because she was so generous in reflecting back the light and love that so many gave to her.”

The post recalled the last dinner the family had on Sunday night, after which Gwen went out with her friends. Upon returning, Gwen wished her parents goodnight, and texted a friend to inform that she had reached home. However, she did not wake up the next morning. The statement elaborated:

“The only thing we know about her death is that it was peaceful. And the only lesson we can take from that is to savor the moments you have with your loved ones. We want purpose. We want to believe in a brighter tomorrow. But the only thing we can control is our present.”

The statement concluded with the family expressing their gratitude to those who reached out to them with their thoughts and condolences. The family asked everyone to live their lives like Gwen and focus on building a better tomorrow.