News from Columbus, Toledo, Lyndhurst, Sylvania, Perrysburg, Fremont, OH

Ohioans showed their respect and honored the victims of gun violence in twelve different places on Sunday. There were four events and eight churches which equaled more than 3,300 people offering prayer, silence and song, and candlelight in memory of all victims and survivors of gun violence. Three events were held in Columbus Ohio. Ohio State Representative Tracey Maxwell Heard attended and spoke at one event and Ohio State Representative Ted Celeste participated in the First English Church event. Both of these were evening events with speakers, victims and advocates. In Beachwood, Mayor Earl Leiken of Shaker Heights joined the crowd to form a circle of candlelight. In Sylvania, Toledo, Columbus and Lyndhurst churches, prayers were offered and candles were lit, some in ceremony and some as a single light burning in remembrance. Faith leaders asked the participants to remember all victims during their Sunday services. In Fremont, Perrysburg, and Columbus churches said prayers with their congregations, had special candles burning and were invited by their pastors to be part of the solution to change our culture of violence. Everyone embraced the concern that there are Too Many Victims!