Silent Vigil Held in Honor of Gun Violence Victims

Community members gathered at Peace Church on the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting

DULUTH, Minn. — Today marks the 11th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting, which took the lives of 26 first graders and educators.

Here in Duluth, a silent vigil was held in honor of all gun violence victims. The Northland Brady Chapter, an advocate group against gun violence, and Peace Church invited community members to take time out of their day to remember victims. Brady Chapter Co-Chair Mary Streufert said its important to reflect, as well as take action.

“There’s so much busyness going on that we don’t always take time to really think about what’s going on in our world,” Streufert said. “Is this the world we want? Do we want to amount of gun violence that we are witnessing? And if we don’t want that, then what are we going to do about it?”

According to the CDC, firearm injuries have been the leading cause of death for American children since 2020. At the vigil, people lit candles, rang a bell in memory of loved ones, and reflected on the lives of those lost to gun violence.