MADISON — Neighbors from all walks of life came together just outside the Wisconsin State Capitol Tuesday night to grieve and show their support.
Candles shined a light on the community uplifting all those impacted by the school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School on Monday morning.
The event was organized by the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. Local, city, and state leaders shared remarks as dozens kept the victims in their thoughts.
Itziar, a Madison resident with siblings in high school, told TMJ4 she also had friends in the Abundant Life community.
The news of the shooting in her hometown hit her hard and kept her up all night.
“I just was in disbelief,” said Itziar. “There were no words.”
On Tuesday night, she joined her neighbors to show the impacted families that they are not alone in spirit or aid.
“It makes me feel proud to be part of a community that's readily available to help but also so distraught that a tragedy struck this close to home,” said Itziar.
Watch: Madison vigil-goers show support for victims of Abundant Life school shooting
The support poured in from those in Madison and across the country.
Lutheran Church Charities provided its Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Memorial so that vigil-goers could leave messages of love and support for the victims of the shooting.
The organization also had five K-9 comfort dogs for those dealing with the emotional weight of the shooting.
That organization, along with Crisis Response Canines, was requested to be in Madison this week.
Bear Berman brought his crisis response dog, Macy. The national nonprofit has responded to other crisis events, like the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
They flew in Tuesday morning and will spend the rest of the week visiting first responders, mental health counselors, and others dealing with the impact of the shooting.
“We want to get some help to people who are feeling the emotional response to what is taking place here,” said Berman.
The vigil served as one of the first steps for this community to come together and plot a path forward.
“With hope, prayer, and solitude, we can get through this,” said Itziar.
If you’d like to help the victims of the Abundant Life School shooting, click here to learn more: https://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/programs/resources
