Snowy Vigil Honors Aurora Shooting Victims 'Stolen Too Soon'

AURORA, IL — The silence at the vigil for the victims of the Aurora shooting was so deep that you could hear snowflakes as they fell on the bundles of flowers, the handwritten notes, the stuffed animals that were placed in front of five wooden crosses. A cross to represent each person killed in the deadly shooting: Russell Beyer, Clayton Parks, Vicente Juarez, Trevor Wehner and Josh Pinkard.

One woman walked up to a cross dedicated to Trevor Wehner, a 21-year-old NIU student who was on his first day as an intern at Henry Pratt Manufacturing when he was killed. She knelt, lifted a stuffed bear from atop the cross, gently dusted off snow and then returned the bear to its perch before taking a moment of silence at the memorial.

Despite the cold and snow, a crowd of more than 1,500 people, including survivors of the 2008 mass shooting at Northern Illinois University, attended the snowy vigil, huddled under umbrellas, holding each other close for warmth and for comfort in the wake of the unspeakable tragedy. The prayer vigil and cross procession took place after an earlier gathering, where more than 1,500 people gathered to pay their respects to the fallen employees of Henry Pratt.

Organizers of the event said they were undeterred by the weather and planned to carry five other crosses, handmade by Aurora native Greg Zanis, in a procession along the four-mile trek to the police station. The crosses will stand at the police station, along with a seven-yard banner that community members can sign and write their dedications for the five people killed, and the five cops injured, in the shooting.

Activist and event organizer Jose Luis del Bosque said,"We're here in this weather. I know a lot of people have said, 'It's a long walk; that's a little crazy,' but this is what the men in blue do. This is the weather they work in. The only way I know to thank them is [by] taking a little bit of our time, whether it's an hour or two, to walk and let them know we care."

"Our Hearts Are With Aurora"

"Each cross represents a person who would have said 'thank you' to a police officer if they were here," del Bosque said. He added, "When [police were called] they responded without hesitation, and we all know that's why so many lives were saved."

Before the procession began, 12-year-old Abby Rose began the vigil by singing Coldplay's "Fix You," the words hitting close to home for family and friends of the victims: "When the tears come streaming down your face 'cause you lose something you can't replace."

Abby had traveled from Chicago's Hegewisch neighborhood with her mom and brother to perform at the vigil. Her mother, Corrina, took part in the cross procession and her brother volunteered to carry one of the crosses. Abby's mother told Patch, "Even though we may not reside here, our hearts are with Aurora."

Monsignor Arquimedes Vallejo of the Diocese of Rockford led a prayer and blessed the crosses and commended those who were marching in the cross procession, who were "[c]arrying the crosses, especially in this weather. They go, they walk, to the police station. Making a little sacrifice is a great sign of love.

"The snow is a sign of purity," Vallejo said.

Shooting Survivors Speak Out

Shooting survivors from Northern Illinois University and Friday's incident at Henry Pratt spoke at the vigil.

Lauren Carr, who survived the Feb. 14, 2008, NIU shooting spoke of the eerie timing of the Aurora shooting, which claimed the lives of NIU student Trevor Wehner and NIU graduate Clayton Parks.

"I just thought, 'not again,'" she said. "11 years have gone by and it keeps happening."

She said NIU will be there to help Aurora in the aftermath: "We need to be kind to each other, listen to each other, and be there for each other." "We will never forget Trevor, Vicente, Clayton, Russell, Josh, and all of the first responders," Carr said.

Mary Kay Mace said she lived in the Aurora in the late 1980s, when she was just starting to raise her little girl.

"When that little girl, our daughter Ryan, was a 19-year-old college student, she was killed in the mass shooting at Northern Illinois University. We had the 11-year anniversary of that [shooting] Thursday. Then came Friday," she said.

Mace offered words of sympathy encouragement to family members whose loved ones were "stolen too soon" in the Aurora shooting:

"Trauma will continue to rear its ugly head at the most inopportune moments. I'm here though as living proof to reassure you that it can all be survived," she said.

"You already have our hearts, Aurora. Please know that we will remember [you] and honor [you] with action."

When the speeches were done, five volunteers from the audience stepped up to carry the heavy wooden crosses. Each wore a blue ribbon on their arms to represent the Aurora police officers who responded to the shooting. A young violinist began to play the familiar, mournful but uplifting strains of "Amazing Grace" as members of the crowd bowed their heads and wept, some softly singing along, united by a shared pain.

"Amazing Grace,

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

T'was blind but now I see"

Read more:

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• Aurora Mass Shooting: Victims' Names, Info On Shooter Released
• Aurora Mass Shooting: Six Dead; Cops Wounded
• Aurora Gunman 'Not Supposed To Possess A Firearm:' Cops
• Trump, Gabby Giffords, More Respond To 'Horrific' Aurora Shooting
• GoFundMe Created For Families Of Aurora Shooting Victims
• Vigils Planned For Victims Of Aurora Shooting
• NIU Student, Graduate Slain In Aurora Shooting

Photo credit: Lisa Farver/Patch