Westminster Residents Hold Candlelight Vigil For Victims Of Uvalde School Shooting
WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ) -- Westminster residents and police gathered Tuesday night to remember the 21 lives lost last week inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
One by one, 21 names were read out loud for each victim of the massacre.
"It's sad. There's no other words, there really aren't words for it," said Westminster Police Cpl. Ashley Stahlman.
Neighbors and Westminster police officers came together for a candlelight prayer vigil to remember the 19 students and two teachers who were killed last week inside their school classroom.
"Even though something like this won't bring those children home to their parents and their families, it's good to show support and let them know that we're thinking about them and we stand behind them," Stahlman said.
Emotions ran high as candles lit up Dutterer Family Park.
"We're all human and we're all connected to each other and I think that even though Texas might seem like it's really far away, it's not," said Westminster Mayor Mona Becker.
Becker said her reasons for supporting the families in Texas stretched as far as the miles between them.
"They were fourth graders right so, sorry, I'm going to get a little teary-eyed, they are kids and no one deserves that," Becker said. "Nobody does."
It is just one of many vigils across the country in the last couple of days as the nation mourns, hoping a tragedy like this won't happen again.
"We want to just stand in solidarity with Uvalde," Westminster Deputy Police Chief Richard Gibson said.