Sheryl Stiles was reportedly despondent after her son was killed responding to the mass shooting in Las Vegas, and shortly after the police officer’s funeral, Stiles died of what family members described as a broken heart.
Charleston Hatfield was shot to death by Stephen Paddock in the October 1 shooting that left 58 people dead. As the New York Daily News noted, Hartfield was a U.S. Army veteran who had 17 years of military service in Iraq as part of the Nevada National Guard.
Hatfield was hailed as a hero at his funeral, which drew more than 2,000 people, but it was reportedly too difficult for his mother to handle. Sheryl Stiles traveled to Las Vegas to lay her son to rest, but family members said she did not want to leave her son after he was interred.
“I talked to the chaplain of Metro,” Sheryl’s cousin, Cecil Ralston, told Fox 5 Vegas .
“He told me she kept saying, ‘Oh I want to stay, I want to be with Charleston,’ that she wanted to die.”
That is exactly what happened not long after Charleston’s funeral. As the New York Daily News reported, Sheryl Stiles suffered a heart attack while riding a hotel escalator, causing her to fall and suffer serious brain injuries. She was taken to a nearby hospital but died two days later.
Family members said they were shocked by Sheryl’s death and devastated to lose two family members in such a short period, especially under such tragic circumstances.
“I was sitting up in the room crying,” Lewis Stiles, Sheryl Stiles’ brother, told Fox 5 Vegas .
“We came to bury my nephew and then the next thing we know, I have to bury my sister.”
Sheryl Stiles is the mother of Ofc. Charleston Hartfield. He died in #1October . Days after his funeral she passed away. @News3LV pic.twitter.com/ozRJ1DHpBK
— Antonio Castelan (@CastelanHCA) October 25, 2017
Family members remembered Sheryl Stiles for her lively personality and outgoing nature, and the love she showed to everyone in her family. They will now have to bring her body back to her native Louisville, where the rest of the family is waiting to lay her to rest.
Stiles’ death attracted national attention, prompting many people to reach out to support the family. A GoFundMe had been set up to help pay for the costs of her funeral, and many left supportive comments. In just one day, the fundraiser already surpassed its $1,000 goal and raised close to $3,000.
The fundraiser will help pay for Sheryl’s cremation and the remaining money will be given to her siblings to cover the memorial and other expenses, the page noted.
[Featured Image by Chase Stevens-Pool/Getty Images]
