A funeral Mass will be held Saturday for the area native beaten to death while attending college in West Virginia.
Kevin Figaniak, 21, died about 24 hours after he and a friend were attacked while walking home from a bar near Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.V. last Saturday morning. Figaniak suffered severe head trauma during the attack and died at a Pittsburgh area hospital, according to Wheeling Police.
The Silverdale, Bucks County, Pa. native will be buried in the area Saturday following a viewing and mass at Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic Church at Route 152 and Broad Street in Hilltown, Pa. The viewing begins at 8 a.m. with a Catholic Mass to follow at 10 a.m.
Burial will be private, according to Bernard Suess & Sadler-Suess Funeral Home.
Figaniak played both lacrosse and hockey while majoring in business at Wheeling Jesuit where he was set to graduate this spring. Wheeling Jesuit President Rev. James Fleming says in a statement that Figaniak's family has established a memorial fund at the university in his memory.
He graduated Pennridge High School in 2010. Principal Dr. Thomas Creeden said in a statement that the entire school community was "saddened and shocked" by the "horrific death."
"Kevin was an outstanding young man with a high level of energy and a very competitive nature. Kevin was a hardworking student with a love for ice hockey and lacrosse... His teachers describe him as always upbeat and caring for his teammates and peers. Kevin will be sorely missed by everyone at Pennridge High School."
Figaniak and his friend were attacked by a group of three to four men along Locust Avenue in a residential neighborhood near some bars and restaurants around 1:45 a.m. Saturday. The attackers, described by police as males in their mid-20s, fled the scene before police officers arrived.
Figaniak's friend suffered some bumps and bruises, according police.
Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said Monday that the department was "vigorously investigating" the case.
Two men were arrested early Tuesday and charged with killing Figaniak. Wheeling Police and local authorities in West Virginia arrested Craig Peacock, 22, of Clewston, Fla. and Jarrett Chandler, 24, of Winnfield, La.
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Both men were arraigned on murder charges and sent to regional jail on $1 million bond each.
Police didn't reveal how they focused in on Peacock and Chandler. A third man is also suspected but has yet to be arrested.
Figaniak, described as a lover of sports including golf, surfing, fishing and lacrosse is survived by his parents Thomas and Valerie Figaniak and siblings Thomas and Shannon Figaniak.
Click here for information on donations in Figaniak's memory.
