Vigil at 6 p.m. Sunday aims to help community heal

YOUNGSTOWN — Tragedy like the killing of six people Wednesday in an East Side arson fire demands a response from the community, and two such responses were being formulated Saturday, a city council member said.

First, people wanting to support victims of the fire, the Crawford family, are invited to attend a candlelight vigil planned for 6 p.m. Sunday at the 1645 Stewart Ave. home where the fire happened, said Councilwoman Annie Gillam, D-1st.

“People don’t want to see people forgotten,” she said, adding that a similar vigil is also planned for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of the quadruple homicide that occurred at 548 West Evergreen Ave. on the South Side.

Gillam said she’s going to bring candles of her own, and said it might make sense for others to bring their own as well. She expects the vigil to offer singing and prayers. She said the vigil would probably also address crime issues in the city.

“It will be helpful to community to do some healing because they are just stunned,” she said of the deaths.

Read more in Sunday’s Vindicator and at Vindy.com