INDIANAPOLIS — A memorial service Sunday remembered Hoosiers lost to homicide in 2023 in Indianapolis.
The Marion County Youth Violence Prevention Coalition created the event to put faces to the staggering number of people killed.
It was held at St. Luke's United Methodist Church during a special Sunday evening service for victims of gun violence.
"The tragedy of gun violence is very widespread across the entire nation but especially in Indianapolis. We've already lost 171 people in one year, and I just think it's important for us to pause and notice the victims," said Katie Bolduc, St. Luke's UMC member.
Names, ages and faces, scrolled on a screen above the pulpit.
The gun violence memorial also honored lives not taken but forever changed by a bullet.
"These aren't just statistics, these are people," said David Durica, St. Luke's UMC member. "For me, it's about letting people know that their loved ones are not forgotten."
Homicide numbers did go down in Indianapolis from 2022 to 2023. However, youth homicides hit a record high in 2023.