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Candelight vigil held in southwest Detroit to honor victims of Uvalde shootings

Posted at 11:22 PM, May 27, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-27 23:22:56-04

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Southwest Detroit Pride hosted a candlelight vigil to honor the victims lost in Uvalde and also stand with their families.

People of all ages were joined by congresswomen Debbie Dingell and Rashida Tlaib outside Neinas Dual Language Learning Academy on McMillian.

“Even though they are miles away, we want to send them the biggest hug,” said one of the event organizers, Cindy Garcia.

Garcia tells us she’s had enough.

“We are tired of our kids having to go to school and they are always worried of what I going to happen. Is what happened in Oxford, is what happened in Texas going to happen to them?” she adds.

The community stood together holding pictures of the victims while a pastor read their names out loud.

One 9-year-old attendee held a picture of one of the students killed in the Uvalde school shooting.

“It's really sad to see the kids dying. They need to stop killing people! It makes me sad,” the 3rd grader said.

The scenes and stories from that shooting make her sad and worried.

Rep. Dingell says she is fighting for common-sense gun laws in Washington.

“Me, I want more than prayers. I know prayers can change the world but right now we need action,” said Rep. Tlaib.

Dingell says, “let's think about this in a way that keeps these kids safe. That people who shouldn’t have guns can’t get to them. So that people that own guns lock them up safely so that people who shouldn’t get to them do.”

She says in Washington there are disagreements on gun legislation, but she is working with her colleagues to find a solution to help students and her constituents feel safer.