TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Over a hundred Tucsonans gathered at Children's Memorial Park on Tucson's north side for a candlelight vigil.
The vigil was organized by Homicide Survivors Inc. to close out National Crime Victims' Rights Week.
This year's theme was "Kinship," which Homicide Survivors Executive Director Dennisse Ley says is about more than just a blood relationship and, instead, calls on the community to recognize the shared humanity that comes with supporting other survivors.
“So this event is super important for survivors to come together and connect on a different level," Ley said. "We always say that unless you’ve been through something as horrific and traumatic as a homicide, you don’t know what it’s like, so to meet other individuals that are going through similar traumatic experiences is really important to connect.”
The Non-profit has run this vigil for decades. Each vigil starts with sharing stories and reading the names of every Tucsonan lost to homicide in the past year. As the suns sets, the event closes with a candlelight vigil and an offering by the Four Winds Drum Group.
Ley encourages anyone who is struggling with losing a loved one to homicide to reach out to Homicide Survivors for support.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
