Quinn Lucas Schansman, U.S. Citizen Killed On MH17, Leaves Behind Happy Memories

Quinn Lucas Schansman, U.S. Citizen Killed On MH17, Leaves Behind Happy Memories

Nineteen-year-old Quinn Schansman boarded an airplane on Thursday in Amsterdam, prepared to join the rest of his family already on vacation in Malaysia. On Friday, however, President Barack Obama announced that the young student was one of the 298 people -- and so far the only victim known to have American citizenship -- killed when Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine.

Schansman, a dual citizen of both the U.S. and Holland, was remembered as "kind," "caring" and easy to like.

"He stuck up for you and made you laugh when he saw there was something wrong," friend Fabienne Schriek told NBC News. "He was ... kind of sensitive and caring. He had a lot of friends and everybody seem[ed] to like him. If there was a fight in class he could cool everyone down again, made a joke and it was like it never happened. He was really down to earth and just [a] fun guy to have around."

Born in New York City but reportedly raised in the Netherlands, Schansman's Facebook page lists him as a business school student in Amsterdam. A woman listed as his girlfriend posted a photo of them kissing after news of Schansman's death:

Messages of condolences from others quickly streamed in on van Dranen's photo.

Posts to Schansman's Instagram feed show a typical happy teenager, enjoying the company of friends and family. A picture of him and his younger brother was posted back in March.

The two were reportedly both fans of Ajax, a professional soccer team in the Dutch league. Schansman also played for local soccer club Olympia '25, which his brother was expected to join next year. In a post on their website, the organization paid tribute to Schansman and another family of five, who were apparently among the 189 Dutch citizens killed on the flight.

Along with his younger brother, USA Today reports that Schansman is survived by his sister, Nerissa Schansman, as well as his mother and father.

Before You Go

Karlijn Keijzer
Indiana University
Karlijn Keijzer was a 25-year-old doctoral student in the chemistry department at the Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences.“On behalf of the entire Indiana University community, I want to express my deepest sympathies to Karlijn’s family and friends over her tragic death,” Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie said in a statement. “Karlijn was an outstanding student and a talented athlete, and her passing is a loss to the campus and the university. Our hearts also go out to the families of all the victims of this senseless act.”
John, Yuli, Arjuna and Sri Paulissen
AP
Widi Yuwono, the brother of Yuli Hastini, right, shows her sister's family portrait with her Dutch husband John Paulissen and their two children Arjuna and Sri who were on board of the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight 17, at his residence in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 18, 2014. The Malaysian jetliner that went down in war-torn Ukraine did not make any distress call, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Friday, adding that its flight route had been declared safe by the global civil aviation body.
Wayan Sujana
Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
A photograph of Indonesian man Wayan Sujana of Bali, believed to be missing on Air Malaysia flight MH17, is fixed to the ticketing desk of Air Malaysia at Schiphol Airport on July 18, 2014 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Joep Lange
Peter Lowie/AMC/AP
In this October 2008 photo provided by AMC Amsterdam on Friday, July 18, 2014, former president of the International AIDS Society Joep Lange is seen. A large number of world-renowned AIDS researchers and activists heading to an international AIDS conference in Australia were on board a Malaysian jetliner that was shot down over Ukraine, officials said Friday, as news of their deaths sparked an outpouring of grief across the global scientific community. Among them was Joep Lange, a well-known researcher from the Netherlands . (Peter Lowie/AMC/AP)
Glenn Thomas
WHO / AP
An undated photo made available Friday, July 18, 2014, by the World Health Organization of Glenn Thomas, 49, a media officer at the WHO in Geneva, who died on board Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which was shot down over the Ukraine Thursday as it traveled from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. (AP Photo/WHO)
Hendry Se
Family of Hendry Se/AFP/Getty Images
This handout photograph released on July 18, 2014 by the family of Hendry Se, an Indonesian passenger on the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, shows Henrdy at her graduation. (Family of Hendry Se/AFP/Getty Images)
Quinn Schansman
Facebook
Dutch-American student Quinn Lucas Schansman was reportedly on his way to a family vacation in Malaysia.
Nick Norris
Facebook
Nick Norris from Perth, Australia, was on board with three of his grandchildren.
Ninik Yuriani
Handout / AFP / Getty Images
Sister Philomene Tiernan
Kincoppal-Rose Bay School
Mary Menke and Gerry Menke
East Gippsland Business Awards
Frankie Davison and Liam Davison
Toorak College
Susan Horder
Facebook
Howard Horder
Facebook
Jill Guard
Roger Guard
Liliane Derden
Facebook
Elaine Teoh
Facebook
x
Emiel Mahler
Facebook
Wan Amran Wan Husin
Instagram
Mo, Otis and Evie Maslin
Facebook
Liam Sweeney
Facebook
Emma Bell
Facebook
Shazana Salleh
Facebook
Angeline Premila
Facebook
Albert Rizk
Facebook
Helene Sidelik
Facebook
Pim de Kuijer
Facebook
Martine de Schutter
Facebook

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot