Five-year-old Olivia Haarsager is used to seeing "Mr. Phil," only at the cafeteria line at J.J. Hill Montessori School where she attends classes and where Philando Castile used to work in the cafeteria.
But Thursday, little Olivia was standing in line with her mom, Rachel, to enter Castile's funeral. Philando Castile was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop on July 6.
"It saddens me that she won't be able to, you know," Rachel said as she held back tears. "Have the benefit of him being an amazing person next year and for years to come."
Olivia was affected by the kindness of "Mr. Phil," like so many other students and members of the community who have poured out in support of the Castile family. Nearly 3,000 people flocked to Castile's funeral Thursday at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota. The mood was somber and melancholic. Many people embraced and hugged each other as they looked at Castile's white casket and the arrangement of red and white roses that rested over it.
The service included remarks from Catholic priest the Rev. John Ubel and also the Rev. Dr. Steve Daniels Jr. from Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
"We have the death of an innocent black man whose life was taken at the hands of an officer due to his wide-set nose," said Daniels. "Racially profiled, pulled over for a broken taillight, shot multiple times next to his fiancée and her 4-year-old daughter. Thank God that they were not struck by some of those bullets."
It was the only mention of the tragic chain of events that led to Castile's death and the reports that police stopped him on that tragic night because he fit the description of a robbery suspect. All the details surrounding his death are still under investigation.
In a statement, the Cathedral of St. Paul said Castile's mother, Valerie, hoped to see "praying for peace and reconciliation" at the funeral, which was open to the public.