Midwest girl, 8, killed by bolt of lightning while playing in her garden as she was walking indoors after hearing thunder rumble

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 17:50, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 17:54, 9 July 2026 An eight-year-old girl in Illinois was tragically killed by a bolt of lightning as she made her way inside from playing in the garden. Kinslee Tschida was struck down in rural Serena on Friday evening after a thunderstorm rolled in while she played with her cousins in her backyard.  'It's unfathomable, it's unrealistic, it's hard to grasp,' Chris Scheib, Kinslee's grandfather, told WGN.  Kinslee had been outside with her mom, Meghan Scheib, her uncle, aunt and her younger cousins at the time, Scheib said.  The family began to head indoors when they heard thunder but Kinslee was struck before she made it inside. 'You would never expect it,' Scheib said. 'We had just lost our dog earlier in the day, and we're sitting there grieving that, and we get a phone call. It's like, "What? What do you mean she was struck by lightning?"'  The little girl's uncle, familiar with lightning detection systems, recognized immediately upon hearing the rumble of thunder that they should head indoors.  Kinslee Tschida, 8, was fatally struck down in rural Serena on Friday evening after a thunderstorm rolled in while she played with her cousins in her backyard Kinslee was outside with her mom, Meghan Scheib, seen far left, her uncle, aunt and her younger cousins at the time of the tragedy Scheib said his daughter-in-law saw the tragedy unfold as Scheib's daughter 'looked up and saw her own daughter in sparks' It was just a mere 20 feet to shelter from where Kinslee was playing, the outlet reported.   'He just heard a rumble, and he yelled over at his daughter and Kinslee, saying, "Hey, get off the swing,"' Scheib added.  'Kinslee was just climbing off, and all of a sudden, in an instant. I mean, there was no warning, and there was no lightning. It came right in between the tree.' On Facebook, Scheib said his daughter-in-law saw the tragedy unfold as Scheib's daughter 'looked up and saw her own daughter in sparks.' 'It is too graphic to describe and so horrifying,' he wrote.   According to Scheib, his other granddaughter was less than four feet from Kinslee when she was struck, but no one else outside was harmed.  'An accident - you think you'd have time to try to save a life,' Scheib told the outlet.  'They did try CPR. My son and my daughter - on her own daughter - and being a nurse, you know, she took that real hard. She can't save her own daughter.  Kinslee, seen with her mom Meghan, is remembered by her family as a 'bright light' who loved to sing, dance and bring joy to those around her Kinslee was just a mere 20 feet from shelter indoors as she jumped off the swing set and the lightning strike hit her A GoFundMe for Kinslee's family described the little girl as a 'bright light in every sense of the word' with an 'unforgettable laugh' and 'a heart far bigger than her small frame' 'Basically, there's nothing else you could have done.' Scheib continued on to say that his 'whole family could have gotten killed just because they were on the ground there.' 'It burned out the internet at that place,' he said.  Kinslee was transported to OSF St Elizabeth Hospital in Ottawa where she was pronounced dead, the outlet reported.  The LaSalle County Coroner's Office later determined her cause of death to be from the fatal injuries she suffered during the accident, according to WGN.  Her family remember the young girl as someone who loved to sing, dance and bring joy to those around her.  'She changed people,' Scheib said. 'She was just a good soul, you know.' Scheib, who helped raise Kinslee with his wife while her mother was in nursing school and doing overnight clinicals, said that their family are remembering his granddaughter by watching videos of her singing and dancing over the years. According to Scheib, his other granddaughter was less than four feet from Kinslee when she was struck, but no one else outside was harmed Scheib, who helped raise Kinslee with his wife while her mother was in nursing school and doing overnight clinicals, said that their family are remembering his granddaughter by watching videos of her singing and dancing over the years 'You try to muddle through it, I guess. I never had to deal with this in my life until now, and it's changed me. I think we're all broken,' he continued.  A GoFundMe for Kinslee's family described the little girl as a 'bright light in every sense of the word.' 'Her loud, unforgettable laugh could fill an entire room, and her smile had a way of making even the hardest days a little brighter,' the fundraiser said.  'She loved with a heart far bigger than her small frame, and anyone who had the privilege of knowing her was touched by her kindness, energy and love.' According to Kinslee's obituary, she was known as the 'Queen Bee' of Rutland Grade School where she was set to begin the third grade.  'She loved singing, dancing, being on FaceTime with her best friends...and playing Roblox. She enjoyed riding in the tractor with Grandpa and playing cards with Grandma,' the tribute page read.  'When Kinslee was spending time with [her cousins], they would play with dolls, swing, and color on the windows. Kinslee loved having cousins, and there was always laughter and smiles coming from wherever they were.  'Kinslee also enjoyed spending lots of time with [her grandparents] playing Uno, having dance parties, and going out to breakfast together. She also absolutely loved her animals, especially her cat, Marsie.' She is survived by her mom Meghan, her father Jared, many grandparents and great-grandparents, her aunts and uncles as well as her eight cousins. Kinslee is set to be laid to rest on Tuesday.