INDIANAPOLIS — Butler-Tarkington faith leaders and neighbors held a candlelight vigil Sunday night to mourn the lives lost to gun violence in Indianapolis, including the recent mass shooting at the Indianapolis FedEx facility that left nine people dead, including the gunman.
The vigil at St. Thomas Aquinas Church gave many a time to reflect and call for change. According to organizers, Indianapolis has lost 78 people to gun violence this year. Each of those names was read to the group.
“All of our faith communities hold that every human life has sacred worth. That something irreplaceable and precious is lost every time a life is lost to gun violence. That the fabric that holds us all together is torn and it is just heartbreaking to see the impact of this crisis on our community,” said Jamie Hinson-Rieger, Director of Ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis.
The group of faith leaders is also calling on Governor Eric Holcomb and other elected officials to take action to address the increasing gun violence in the city. During the vigil, they marched together across the street to the Governor’s Mansion.
“This should be a truly bipartisan issue where we can come together in a sensible way and recognize that this is not the beloved community that is intended for us,” Rieger said. “We want this to be a first step towards healing but also towards action.”
The group is asking that gun violence in Indiana is declared a public health crisis and state resources be unlocked. They are also asking lawmakers to enact gun reform laws including universal background checks and veto any laws that increase the presence of guns in communities.
They want the governor to devote at least five percent of the funds Indiana receives from the American Rescue plan to be used to support community-based gun violence reduction programs.
“All of our faith traditions value human life and believe that every life holds sacred worth. Our hearts are broken by the third mass shooting in our city just this year and the countless individuals killed by gun violence again and again in our community. We are called to gather together as the faith community of Butler-Tarkington to put our feelings into words and our words into action,” said Rev. Mary Dicken, Meridian Street United Methodist Church.
The vigil ended with a prayer of peace not just for the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, but all of Indiana.