Vigil, memorial planned for Las Vegas girl hit by school bus

A vigil and separate memorial service have been announced for the 12-year-old Las Vegas girl who was fatally struck by a school bus, according to organizers of a fundraiser to benefit the girl’s family.

A candlelight vigil for Haylee Ryan will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Lied STEM Academy, 5350 W. Tropical Pkwy., GoFundMe organizer Leah Churchill told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday. A separate celebration of life ceremony will take place 9 a.m. Oct. 18 at Canyon Ridge Christian Church, 6200 W. Lone Mountain Road.

Both events are open to the public, Churchill said.

Haylee died on Tuesday after being hit the day before while traveling in a bike lane near the school, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Haylee was near the intersection of Tropical Parkway and Emerald Eagle Street traveling in the same direction as the bus when they collided and she was thrown onto a parked SUV, police said.

Churchill’s GoFundMe as of Friday had raised more than $66,000.

Ryan’s death came a day after a different Clark County School District student, Cristofer Suarez, 12, was killed by a motorist while walking near the intersection of Owens Avenue and 21st Street on Friday. A different GoFundMe to benefit Cristofer’s mother has raised more than $22,000.

The suspect in that crash, 27-year-old Oh’Ryan Brooks, remains at the Clark County Detention Center on $250,000 bail on charges of reckless driving resulting in death and failing to stop at the scene of a crash, court records show. Police initially arrested Brooks on additional suspicion of DUI, but prosecutors on Monday denied the charge, according to Brooks’ case overview.

The Clark County District Attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.