Members of the tight-knit community of Annapolis, Maryland, gathered to mourn the loss of five people who were shot and killed Thursday in the newsroom of its local newspaper, the Capital Gazette.
A candlelight vigil was held in the state’s capital, where hundreds of attendees said prayers and held up copies of the Capital Gazette’s front page on Friday, which reads, “5 shot dead at The Capital.”
Reporter Phil Davis, who tweeted about hiding under his desk during the shooting just minutes after escaping harm, spoke about his late colleagues at the vigil, calling each of them “a good person.”
“We are here for them and their families,” Davis said. “We are here to honor who they were, we are here to honor what their families unfortunately have to go through in a time that they bore none of the responsibility for.”
Wendi Winters, Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith died in the shooting. Smith, who worked as a sales assistant for the newspaper, was the only one killed who wasn’t a journalist.
“They don’t get to go home to their families,” one mourner said during the walking vigil. “The families don’t get to have them.”
Winters’ daughters were seen embracing each other at the vigil, just one day after their mother was killed.
A lone bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” as people somberly walked through the city. Three women sang “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” as they walked, crying once the song was over.
Earlier, another vigil was held at the Annapolis mall, across the street from the Capital Gazette, where first responders had set up a reunification center the day before during the active shooting event.
Despite the tragedy, employees of the Capital Gazette are continuing to put together a newspaper for the next few days, working Friday out of the offices of the Baltimore Sun, which owns the Capital Gazette, family members told ABC News.
The newspaper staff is expected to be back in Annapolis tomorrow.
