Friends mourn slain teen twins, father in St. Charles shooting

ST. CHARLES – A crowd of St. Charles East High School students, many holding candles, gathered just before dusk in the 400 block of South First Street on Saturday to honor the memories of their slain classmates, twins Brittany S. and Tiffany S. Coffland, both 16, who were juniors.

An alcove at a condominium building hosted a makeshift altar to the twins and their father, their names on three crosses, flanked by prayer candles and surrounded by bouquets of flowers and stuffed animals

“They were just really sweet,” Savhanna Thiry, 16, a junior, said as she struggled to hold back tears. “They always meant well. They were always super nice and super fun. I don’t think there was ever a day where they were like rude or anything. Obviously, with so many people here, they will be missed. They are no longer in our lives, but they will be forever in our hearts.”

The twins and their father, Randall R. Coffland, 48, were shot to death Friday in what police called a domestic incident.

The girls’ mother, Anjum S. Coffland, 46, was at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital as of Saturday, listed in stable condition, St. Charles police stated in a news release.

The girls’ parents were married but living at separate addresses – their father at the First Street condominium where the shooting occurred, and their mother on South Fifth Avenue, police said.

Christina Ruffino, 17, also a junior, said Brittany was her best friend sophomore year.

“She was a great girl,” Ruffino said, speaking through tears. “She always had a smile on her face. She was never sad. She was extremely smart, always a good student. She was an awesome friend. I’m so disappointed to know this has happened to her and Tiffany and her dad.”

Sam Rush, 17, another classmate of Brittany’s, said he wanted to pay his respects at the vigil.

“She was really nice. She always had a smile on her face,” Rush said. “She had a good sense of humor, and she was really smart.”

Dimitra Lolis, 17, also knew Brittany from their psychology class.

“She sat behind me, and we talked,” Lolis said. “She was so sweet.”

Crismelle Dabu, 17, had math class with Tiffany.

“She loved music,” Dabu said. “She had a really big passion for music, and she was like the sweetest person ever. She never had anything bad to say about anybody. … We used to sit next to each other in math, and we both found common interests.”

Alexa Baumann, 17, also a classmate of the twins, said she had different classes with both of them. Baumann is an intern at the Kane County Chronicle.

“I had Tiffany in social studies, and Brittany was in my psychology class and U.S. history,” Baumann said. “They were two of the nicest people.”

Paul Lencioni, managing partner of the Blue Goose Market, just across the street from the apartment where the shootings occurred, said he knew Brittany as an employee for about a year.

“She was one of the most wonderful kids,” Lencioni said.

“We’re sad. We’re angry. We’re hurt. She was one of our family. … We are brokenhearted.”

Brad Henkin, whose daughter was friends with Tiffany, said the whole situation was shocking.

“Tiffany was a bright girl,” Henkin said. “It’s a shame her life should have ended so short.”

Mayor Ray Rogina issued a statement on the shootings, that St. Charles experienced a horrific personal tragedy.

“Being the close-knit community we are, an incident of this nature has impact beyond the immediate family – we think about and pray for the extended family, which includes relatives, high school students and other friends,” Rogina said. “We also pray for the greater community, all of us, that we will stand tall and provide calm and peace at such a tragic moment.”