ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – In the fast-paced nature of life, neighbors often exchange simple pleasantries and go about their day. But in times of tragedy, words just won’t do.
The Rochester Hills community is holding on tight to each other following the tragedy at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad.
---> Mass shooting at Rochester Hills splash pad: What we know about victims, shooter
They gathered Sunday evening in eyesight of the plaza which is now fenced off and surrounded by police tape.
“It’s heart-rending that all these people are injured. It is heart-rending that this man that shot them that his mother now has to deal with the death of her son. There’s no words for it really. It’s just so sad,” Longtime Rochester Hills resident Pat Marchione said.
The community is promising not to be defined by what the shooter carried out at the splash pad, instead, they want to be remembered by their response. And that is love.
“Look at this, isn’t it amazing? This is so wonderful. This is our community. This is what this community is about. This is a wonderful place to live,” Marchione said referencing the crowd at the gathering.
The Rochester Hills community isn’t in this alone.
In Troy, Woodside Bible Church and Kensington Church came together to lift up in prayer the 9 victims and their loved ones and the city of Rochester Hills.
“I don’t know any of the victims but my heart breaks,” Woodside Bible Church member Sandra Crumbey said.
“It’s so difficult for a community to face something like this,” Woodside Bible Church member Larry Harrison said.
Woodside Bible Church member Pat Potter said she can’t imagine what the victims and their families are going through.
“With kids having fun with their parents and grandparents, it just seems so unbelievable when things like this happen,” she said.
Woodside pastor Christopher W. Brooks helped organize the gathering.
“This is an opportunity, an opportunity for us as a community to love one another, to support one another and show that we can be at our best when things are at their worst,” he said.
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