Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

Young Mom Who ‘Loved Jesus’ Killed by Stray Bullet While Praying, Reading the Bible to Her Baby

Photo: WLS-TV
Share Tweet
By Billy Hallowell
Editor

November 1, 2021

Melanie Yates, a 23-year-old wife and mother of two from Zion, Illinois, was tragically killed earlier this month by a stray bullet while she prayed and read stories from the Bible to her baby.

Yates’ mother, Lam Calderon, told WLS-TV the family is leaning on faith amid the unthinkable.

“We have the hope and the assurance that she is in heaven right now with Jesus and one day we will see her again,” the grieving mother said. “That’s what we’re holding onto.”

Police believe Yates wasn’t targeted and the bullets accidentally struck her. The tragic event unfolded as she and her husband Daniel were separately putting their children to bed.

A loud noise left Daniel asking his wife if she heard what sounded like fireworks. When Yates didn’t respond, Daniel reportedly looked for her and discovered the unimaginable.

“He looked for her, where she was at in the house, and he found her shot in the head,” Calderon said.

The grieving mother was in disbelief when her son-in-law told her the news, calling it “just unfathomable.”

Yates’ father, Shawn Calderon, said his daughter had been reading the Bible and praying with her 7 month old at the time of the tragedy.

“She was with her baby reading a Bible story to her seven month old and praying with her,” he told WGN-TV.

Yates, who was a registered nurse with a passion for life, later died on October 18, from her injuries.

The family said in a GoFundMe description that Yates was known for her love of Jesus Christ and that she was a passionate prayer warrior.

“Everybody who knew Lanie knows she loved Jesus Christ with every fiber of her being. There is no doubt whatsoever that she is in heaven at this very moment,” the description reads. “But we on earth miss her very dearly. We miss her passionate, powerful prayers. We miss her infectious laugh. We miss her beautiful singing voice lifting songs of worship. We miss her feisty, witty humor.”

Family and friends gathered over the weekend for an emotional celebration of life.

The GoFundMe has raised over $140,000 for the grieving family as authorities continue to investigate the case.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

Latest

  • Faith

    Amid Revival Chatter, Young People Deliver Another ‘Amazing’ Surprise: ‘A Big Lesson for Christian Outlets’

  • News

    ‘I Apologize’: Simone Biles Backs Down After Bullying Riley Gaines for Defending Women

  • News

    Singer Reveals Wild Miracle, Says She’s Seen ‘Cancer Disappear,’ ‘People Get Delivered From Demons’: ‘You Can’t Deny’

  • News

    Ministry Offers Radical Hope for Addicted, Imprisoned, Afflicted Men Who Have Hit Rock Bottom

  • News

    Christian Baker Terrorized by Disturbing Threats, Legal Chaos Over Cake Refusal Won’t Back Down


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Recent Posts

  • Amid Revival Chatter, Young People Deliver Another ‘Amazing’ Surprise: ‘A Big Lesson for Christian Outlets’
  • ‘I Apologize’: Simone Biles Backs Down After Bullying Riley Gaines for Defending Women
  • Singer Reveals Wild Miracle, Says She’s Seen ‘Cancer Disappear,’ ‘People Get Delivered From Demons’: ‘You Can’t Deny’
  • Ministry Offers Radical Hope for Addicted, Imprisoned, Afflicted Men Who Have Hit Rock Bottom
  • Christian Baker Terrorized by Disturbing Threats, Legal Chaos Over Cake Refusal Won’t Back Down

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • culture
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Roe
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.