Gun Violence

Tears were shed, words of consolation were shared, and memories were cherished the evening of Feb. 14 during two emotional prayer vigils to honor the memory of three Michigan State University students whose lives were cut short during a shooting on the East Lansing campus one night earlier.

A congregation of more than 100 gathered for an evening memorial Mass Jan. 27 in a community still looking for answers and seeking comfort from a Jan. 21 mass shooting at a dance club just two blocks from the church.

Less than 48 hours after 11 people were killed and nine more injured at a dance hall Jan. 21 in Monterey Park, California, seven more people were shot and killed at two different landscaping nurseries Jan. 23 near Half Moon Bay, California, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

Archbishop Gomez prayed for God to give “wisdom and prudence to law enforcement and public officials working to make sense of the violence and keep our communities safe.”