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Kaleb McCall, a 17-year-old Sycamore High School student, reportedly died after he was stabbed by a juvenile suspect during a fight on the city’s southeast side. While the circumstances that led to the fight were unclear, WIFR, citing police, said that the incident occurred on Thursday, September 7, 2023, in the area of Elm and Somonauk Streets.
Following the incident, the Sycamore Community rallied behind the teen’s family and launched a fundraiser to assit with covering the funeral expenses.
A GoFundMe created to render Financial assistance to Kaleb McCall’s family has raised over $14,000 as hundreds of donors swarmed the page to help the grieving parents during the difficult time. The fundraiser said:
“In times of tragedy, it’s important for our friends, family and community to come together in support of one another.”
Community mourns the loss of Sycamore High School student Kaleb McCall
On Thursday, Sycamore High School student Kaleb McCall was fatally stabbed, during a fight with a juvenile suspect in the area of Elm and Somonauk Streets. In the wake of the tragedy, the Sycamore Community, mourning the loss of the teen, launched a fundraiser to render financial aid to the grieving family.
On the crowdfunding page, a friend of the family described the late teen as an affable young man with an infectious smile. The teen, who loved to fish with his dad and play video games with friends, was fiercely loved by his mom and adored by the community. The page said:
"Kaleb and his infectious smile will be missed by all of us. Rest peacefully, sweet Kaleb. Any donation, no matter how small, will make a difference. Please consider giving what you can, to help Scott and Heather."
Sycamore School District Superintendent Steve Wilder said that on Friday, Sycamore High School increased the number of counselors to help students cope with the loss. In an email to parents, the school district consoled the death of the young man and urged community members to lean on each other during this challenging time. Part of the email said:
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the student’s family and friends during this difficult time. We understand that this news is shocking and heartbreaking for all of us. As a community, we must come together to support each other and provide comfort to those in need. We will have counselors and social workers available today throughout the district for anyone who needs support.”
In a statement to WIFR, Superintendent Steve Wilder revealed students were in and out of the library on Friday, where counselors were made available for those in need. He added:
“Sycamore is a very tight-knit community so when there’s a tragedy like we experienced last night, you see people really pulling together and leaning on each other,” he said. “It just felt good to provide that kind of support and work together to support our students and staff today.”
As the community grappled with the loss, police said that the juvenile suspect responsible for Kaleb McCall’s death was taken into custody.
