In an empty lot long used as a spot to commemorate Little Rock homicide victims, members of Stop the Violence gathered Friday morning to erect nine small crosses, one for each victim in Wednesday night's shooting in Charleston, S.C.
The black, wooden crosses adorned with white, star-shaped bows were put up by members of the anti-violence group during a short prayer vigil at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. and Daisy L. Gatson Bates drives.
The crosses honor the nine people shot at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Dylann Storm Roof, 21, of Eastover, S.C., has been charged with nine counts of murder in the shooting.
"We came out to do a special tribute to what has taken place," said Earnest Franklin, president of public relations for the group, which was founded by longtime community activist Robert "Say" McIntosh. "Because these were nine black souls, we came up with the decision to have nine black crosses. In Carolina, they are putting up white bows, so we wanted to use white bows in the state of Arkansas to recognize them."
The vigil was one of several paying tribute to the Charleston shooting victims. Another prayer vigil is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday at North Little Rock's Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Samuel Green Sr., presiding bishop of the 12th Episcopal District, has invited all communities of faith to the prayer vigil.
The new crosses in the grassy lot were positioned just a few feet away from 12 white wooden crosses topped with red, white and blue bows that remember the Little Rock homicide victims of 2015.
A cross for Geovanne Carbajal, 22, who is Little Rock's 13th homicide victim this year, has yet to be planted. Carbajal died Wednesday night after a stabbing earlier that afternoon.
"'Say' has always kept the corner and did what he had to do; now, it is our time to continue to help carry on the legacy," Franklin said. "This is the only corner or the only place where we recognize homicide victims with crosses."
Metro on 06/20/2015