RIVER RIDGE, La. — (WGNO) Friday afternoon, friends and loved ones gathered at St. Matthew the Apostle Church and School to pray for Bella Fontenelle and her family.

Six-year-old Fontenelle was brutally killed Wednesday. Her father’s girlfriend, Hannah Landon, was named the lead suspect.

Students and family friends told WGNO Friday the service was beautiful and they were glad to see their peers come together to support the family.

“I worked with Bella’s mother and got to know her through that,” Mark Backus said. “[I] got to just be a small part of her life and it was just really nice to be able to be here today and reflect on how great of a kid she was and how special she was.”

Jefferson Parish Councilman Deano Bonano released this statement to WGNO Friday afternoon,

“My heart goes out to the family and all of Bella’s classmates at St Matthew’s.  I ask that everyone who knows them do all that they can to support this family during their great time of need. My prayers are with them.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the men and women of JPSO and Harahan PD for their work solving this case. As a police officer myself I know first hand how hard it is on them to see such a horrific scene.”

The Archdiocese of New Orleans declined to comment at the time.

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