Family: Victim in Washington, DC plane crash was from Mahtomedi

Wendy Jo Shaffer, left, and her husband, Nathan Shaffer. (Credit: GoFundMe)
Among the victims in the Washington, D.C. plane crash that killed 67 people on Wednesday was a woman who grew up in Mahtomedi.
Wendy Jo Shaffer was identified by her family as one of the victims of the crash. She grew up in Mahtomedi and later moved to North Carolina, where her family was living at the time of the crash.
She was aboard American Airlines flight 5342, which collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night and killed all occupants aboard the two aircraft.
Schaffer leaves behind two young boys, aged three and one, and her husband, according to a GoFundMe.
According to the fundraiser, “Wendy was the heart of her family—a loving partner to her husband and a nurturing, joyful mother to her children. She dedicated her life to creating a warm, loving home filled with laughter and care. Her boys were her greatest pride and joy, and she dreamed of watching them grow into the amazing individuals she knew they would become.”
The GoFundMe is raising money for funeral expenses and child care as the family processes the loss.