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Glenview accident: Hundreds attend Taeyoung Kim’s arraignment for the accident that killed Glenbrook South High School 12th-grader Marko Niketic

GLENVIEW, Ill. (WLS) – On Thursday, the show of support was enormous as hundreds gathered at the arraignment of the man accused of killing a Glenview South High School 12th-grader in a fatal drunken driving crash last month.

Taeyoung Kim, 21, is charged with manslaughter, two counts of driving while under the influence of alcohol and a number of other charges. Police say he drove while under the influence of alcohol with his lights off and reached speeds of up to 210 km/h before crashing into Marko Niketic’s car, tearing it apart, killing Niketic and injuring his 16-year-old girlfriend Ella.

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Gordana Niketic, Marko’s mother, was joined by more than 100 friends and family members at Kim’s arraignment at the Skokie courthouse.

Dressed almost entirely in black and with a black and white picture of Marko Niketic on their chests, the teenager’s closest relatives joined forces to show their solidarity with the family.

READ MORE: Family says goodbye at funeral of Marko Niketic, the teenager who died in a car crash in Glenview

“Devastation and every parent’s worst nightmare are not enough to express what we are all experiencing here,” said Gordana Niketic. “We feel all the love and support from our families, friends, clergy and all of Marko and Ella’s beloved friends. We are here to make sure that justice is done for Ella and Marko.”

Ella was also present at the arraignment. She and her family watched as Kim entered the courtroom from his prison using a walker, limping slightly.

“It shows the impact such young children have had on this community,” said family friend Danielle Grcic.

RELATED: Glenbrook South High School graduation ceremony honors Marko Niketic, teenager killed in Glenview crash

Kim’s next court date is August 15, but it is clear that community support will also grow as the case progresses.

“I am really impressed by these young people. How much they care, how much love they show for the family,” said Father Darko Spasojevic of the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection.

“My Marko loves them so much that they all come every day. They are incredible. That doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Gordana Niketic.

Prosecutors said they already had 1,000 pieces of evidence and encouraged supporters to rejoin the family on August 15, when arguments over Kim’s provisional release will rage.

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