As the nation learned of the tragedy at the Indiana State Fair, the family of Christina Santiago was also informed that she was one of the five killed when the fair’s stage collapsed into the concert goers.
Saturday evening, a crowd had gathered around the fair’s stage in preparation of country band Sugarland’s performance. A storm, miles away, had forced high-speed winds towards the stage, and though people were moving away from the stage area, Christina and a number of others did not get away fast enough.
Christina, 29, who now lived in Chicago, was born in the Bronx, and was a strong advocate for LGBT rights. She was at the fair with her partner Alisha Brennon, and the two were up in the front row when the accident occurred. In a twist of fate, the two had just posted to Facebook that the night was “perfect” minutes before the tragedy. Brennon was critically injured.
