At vigils, online, community rallies to support families of Raleigh mass shooting victims – WRAL

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Hedingham community came together Saturday afternoon for a vigil to remember those killed in a mass shooting in the neighborhood.About 200 community members gathered at the Willow Oak clubhouse. The event, planned weeks ago, was supposed to be a fall celebration, but instead it turned into a vigil.The memorial was a chance for residents to bring flowers, say goodbye, support each other and learn more about resources available.Residents held a moment of silence for all the victims and held hands supporting and uplifting each other through pain.Devonte Godfrey was out of town when he heard the news. He rushed back home, where nothing in his neighborhood was the same.“We were shocked by the news. You hear about stories like this happening all the time [but not] happening in our own backyard,” said Godfrey. “Coming back and seeing how it’s affected everybody. It’s been heartbreaking, but it’s also encouraging to see people pulling together and comforting each other too.”Counselors from Wake County’s Alliance Behavioral Healthcare were on hand, and several local therapists volunteered to help and offer services for free, organizers said.Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are spending the weekend in Hedingham, as…
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