MADISON, Wis. (RNS) — Hundreds of people turned out for a vigil in front of the Wisconsin state Capitol on Tuesday evening (Dec. 17), holding candles for the victims of the shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, in which a teacher and a student were killed and six others were injured.
Wisconsin state Rep. Shelia Stubbs, a pastor who co-founded End Time Ministries International Church in Madison with her husband, Bishop Godfrey Stubbs, spoke at the vigil, saying violence in the Madison community is preventable. “We must not stand silent, but instead be moved to action,” Stubbs said. “Now is the time for us to continue lifting up our community in prayer.”
On Monday, five days before the Abundant Life’s Christmas break began, a 15-year-old girl opened fire with a handgun. The shooter, who also ended her own life, attended the nondenominational school, which draws some 400 students from Christian churches around the Madison area.
Charles Moore, executive director of Impact Christian Schools, a network that includes Abundant Life, joined the vigil at the request of the Abundant Life community. Moore asked the crowd to pray for the two victims who are still in the hospital with critical injuries.
“We would ask and covet your prayers,” Moore said. “I have nothing more to say than thank you so very much for caring. It’s great to be part of a community that loves.”
There have been 83 school shootings in the U.S. so far this year, according to estimates by CNN, which also estimates Wisconsin to have had at least eight school shootings since 2008.
Other religious leaders in Madison have echoed the grief expressed at the vigil. “We stand united with the Abundant Life family and pray for healing for those who are injured and comfort for the families who are facing the heartbreaking loss of a loved one,” Catholic Bishop Donald J. Hying of the Diocese of Madison said in a statement.
The University of Wisconsin’s Hillel chapter, Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ, Door Creek Church, Lakeland Community Church and Cultivation Church of Madison all posted messages of solidarity at Tuesday’s vigil.
Michael Johnson, president and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County, which organized the vigil, said at the gathering that Masood Akhtar, a Muslim activist in Wisconsin, had called earlier in the day to announce funding for a free security installation at Abundant Life Christian School through a third-party company.
“Their act of kindness speaks volumes about the compassion and the unity that defines our community,” Johnson said. “I just want to publicly recognize you for stepping up and having the Muslim community pay for such a thing.”
At the time of the vigil, United Way of Dane County’s “Abundant Life Christian School Emergency and Recovery Fund” had raised $21,163. The fund was established to provide support for those impacted by the shooting.
Bishop Stubbs, the state representative’s husband, offered the closing prayer at the vigil: “Tonight our hearts are especially heavy for the families of the victims who have suffered the unmatchable pain of loss. We ask for your comfort around them, bringing peace to their hearts in the midst of their sorrow.”
As the vigil came to an end, the crowd came together in singing the hymn “Amazing Grace.”
