that is said to be hadiyah's favorite colors. and as you also heard from that young lady, quite emotional. some people said one young lady said they had planned to go to college together. we know hadiyah wanted to major in either journalism or pharmacology. she was ves very active in school with debate, mentoring, volleyball and her marchette team. they also came and spoke as did her coach, talking about how much they'll miss her. so it's been a celebration of her life but with an understanding that this represents a tragedy that is all too common in cities like chicago and around the country. and president obama sent a handwritten neat is included in the program. a copy is included in the program saying we realize that our words, president obama's words and the first lady's words can't soothe the family's pain but they're going to work as hard as they can to try to end this senseless violence. >> she's become the symbol of the national tragedy. maybe her last days were happy days having performed in that inauguration. athena jon

life at a church. >> no matter what the devil tries to do, god is still in control. >> words from hadiyah'sase even more attention because she's become the face of gun violence, this girl. >> reporter: certainly she has. the president has often spoken about gun violence in places like chicago on the street corners in chicago and philadelphia. this is of course, the first lady's hometown and her office said that she was heart broken to learn about the death of hadiyah pendleton and wanted very much to be here to offer condolences and comfort to her friends and family. she met with 30 or so of her classmates before the service began and also met privately with her family. this has been quite a long service so far. more than three hours it's been going on. lots of people have come up to speak, including several of her young classmates and also her mother. let's listen to what her mother had to say. >> you don't know how hard this really is. and those of you that do know how hard this is, i'm sorry. i'm sorry. no mother, no father should ever have to experience this. >> reporter: and so that's

. >> reporter: he invoked the memory of hadiyah pendleton, who was gunned down. >> no law or set of laws can prevent every act of violence in this country. when a child opens fire on another child, there's a hole in that child's heart that the laws can't fill. >> reporter: earlier, the president in tears. >> they gave all they had for the most innocent and helpless among us. the courageous heart, the selfless spirit, the inspiring actions of extraordinary americans. extraordinary citizens. >> reporter: bill sherlach blew a kiss to heaven as he accepted the award for his wife, sandy hook's school psychologist mary sherlach. she was killed as she ran toward the shooter. the president hugged the mother and daughter of teachers' aide rachel davino, also killed that day. the president offered a rare reflection when he said i wish i had a father that was around and involved. >> a very personal reflection there. you'll talk about the debate over gun violence on sunday as he fills in for george on "this week." and reppive paul ryan will be there, too. >>> much more ahead on witness witness tonig

. >> reporter: in chicago, he invoked the memory of hadiyah pendleton, who was gunned down days after performing at the inauguration. >> no law or set of laws can prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. when a child opens fire on another child, there's a hole in that child's heart that government can't fill. >> reporter: earlier, at the white house, raw emotion, as the president honored the adults shot down and killed trying to protect the children of sandy hook elementary school. >> they gave all they had for the most innocent and helpless among us. the courageous heart, the selfless spirit, the inspiring actions of extraordinary americans. extraordinary citizens. >> reporter: bill sherlach blew a kiss to heaven as he accepted the award for his wife, sandy hook's school psychologist mary sherlach. she was killed as she ran toward the shooter. the president hugged the mother and daughter of another killed on that day, teacher's aide rachel d'avino. the president said one of the most overlooked factors in urban violence is unstable families and absent fathers. he offer

. >> hadiyah's parents are in this chamber tonight along with more than two dozen americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. they deserve a vote. they deserve a vote. gabby giffords deserves a vote. the families of newtown deserve a vote. the families of aurora deserve a vote. the families of oak creek and tucson and blacksburg and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence, they deserve a simple vote. >> the president also pivoted to the war in afghanistan where he made news by announcing another milestone in the push to wind down america's longest conflict. >> tonight i can announce that over the next year another 34,000 american troops will come home from afghanistan. this drawdown will continue. by the end of next year, our war in afghanistan will be over. >> joining us now, chief white house correspondent for "politico" mike allen. i want to start with what surprised you about the speech? anything in there? >> the speech was very ambitious. meat on the bones of the vision the president described in the inaugural address. and then the inaugural addr

lady michelle obama will be in chicago this weekend, no speeches, only sadness, saturday 15-year-old hadiyahnt who twirled a baton in president obama's inauguration was killed last week. thiscy child who fought against gun violence. >> this commercial is informational for you and your future children. so many children out there are in gangs and it's your job to say no to gangs and yes to a great future. >> pendleton's murder happened one mile from obama's chicago home, a startling example of gun violence in urban america. jesse jackson who led an anti-gun march in chicago begged the president to visit his hometown and address real gun violence. >> given the preponderance of killing and the explosive of this, we need federal intervention. >>> you might remember president obama came to newtown and tucson after the mass shootings there and more than one critic has pointed out as tragic as these shootings are, they're rare. most gun crimes are not committed with high-powered semiassault rifles but with handguns. before newtown the president was asked about the silent epidemic of urban gun violen

. >> michael ward has confessed and indicated that hadiyah was not the intended target.ll wrong. they thought the group they shot into included members of a rival gang. instead, it was a group of upstanding, determined kids who were repulsed by the gang lifestyle. >> now, a superintendent gary mccarthy last night at a press conference announcing the arrest of michael ward and kenneth williams. her parents were not here. they're in washington. they will be at the state of the union tonight as guests of the obamas. however, there were friends of her family here and when it was announced there would be no bail, one of them raised his fist in the courtroom and after which said he'll be calling her parents to tell them the news and that they're very pleased these young men were not let out. >> ted, do we have any sense of whether or not they have actually gotten the news about these two young men and how they feel about it? >> we don't know how they feel about it. the sense is that they definitely know that what has happened. the gentlemen who were in court representing the p