Tonight hundreds gathered on East 7th and Perry Street for a vigil honoring the victims and supporting the family left behind. The Erie community came together Saturday evening to mourn with the families of the nine victims that were taken too soon.
But Saturday’s vigil was not focused on the investigation. It was focused on support and healing.
“How do you, how do you even fathom something like this? How do you go home and tell your kids, like, hey, your mom, your siblings, your uncles and everybody else just got murdered by your grandpa?” Lisa Simmer, a family member/organizer, said.
Flowers, candles, prayers, and hugs lined the block as neighbors, friends, and complete strangers came together in grief.
“Organizers say they chose the colors white and purple to send off the victims with some light in the face of such darkness,” Haley Poe reported.
Community leaders came to stand by everyone, showing unity as Erie begins a long road forward.
“We just want the community to come out and pay their respects for these children and the people that lost their lives in this horrible tragedy. We’re not asking for money. We’re not asking, if that’s what you wanna do, cool, but we really just want people to come out and show the love that these people deserve in this dark time. We don’t want that dark memory to be what defines their lives,” Simmer said.
“I just had her in my arms literally three, four days ago,” Juicesiyah Alexander Ezekiel, the father of the daughter killed in the mass shooting, said.
“A once quiet neighborhood now marked with this tragedy, the members of the family also want people to know that this community came out, no questions asked, to give support when it was needed the most,” Stephanie Logue reported.
the vigil held a moment of silence for the victims.
If you would like to donate you can click this link for the Gofundme:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-support-for-angelina-and-her-children
If you or a loved one are in a crisis you can call these numbers listed:
Children and Youth
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Intellectual Disabilities
Mental Health
For those who need to call the police you can call the Erie Police Department for emergencies/non emergencies at
For emergencies: 814-870-1120
For NON-Emergencies: 814-870-1125