Politicians and anti-violence advocates issued calls to action Sunday evening at the 10th annual vigil for victims of gun violence in Chicago and across the country.
At Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park, more than 10 speakers from different offices and religious faiths called for a ban on assault weapons and an increase in mental health services, many echoing a sentiment from the Rev. Veronica Johnson, a local pastor and anti-violence advocate: “We should not be here today.”
“We should all be mourning because loss such as this hurts the entire community, city, our country,” Johnson said.
Each speaker provided testimony for those they know who have been affected by gun violence in a “lament,” a cry of pain, that aims to prevent normalizing this violence, Johnson said.