The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County held a vigil Tuesday night to memorialize victims of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School. Around 400 community members of all ages gathered on Capitol Square while volunteers offered beverages and brought therapy dogs for the public.
The vigil began at 6 p.m. with speeches from Wisconsin officials beginning with City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.
“It is okay to not be okay right now,” Rhodes-Conway said. “… It is okay to ask for what you need to take care of your own mental health. Please, please, let us be a community where it is okay to ask for help.”
Rhodes-Conway said the city is focused on taking care of the victims and their families, students, educators and first responders.
Rep. Sheila Stubbs, D-Madison, then advocated for action against this preventable gun violence and shared her reaction to the incident as a mother and pastor.
“As a parent, yesterday hit too close to home for me,” Stubbs said. “I was so grateful when I was able to hear my daughter’s voice — when I reached out, and she told me she was safe.”
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., was not able to join the vigil in Madison, but his remarks were read to the audience. Pocan said the shooting is a uniquely American problem that happens too often.
Pocan said thoughts and prayers for the victims may offer relief to the community, but the country must take action against gun violence.
Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Joe Gothard expressed gratitude for the first responders who were at the scene and urged the community to help create safe schools for children.
“What I plead to you tonight is that we find a new way, a deeper way, a more meaningful way, to connect with our community, children to children, children to staff, families to families,” Gothard said.
The vigil concluded with audience members raising candles, singing Amazing Grace and participating in a prayer for the community’s recovery.
The City of Madison website holds mental health resources and opportunities to support the Abundant Life community. United Way of Dane County is taking donations for the school’s emergency recovery fund on their website or by texting Help4ALCS to 40403.
Further resources regarding mental health:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/loss-survivors/
- Crisis Text line: Text HOME to 741741 https://www.crisistextline.org/
- Trevor Lifeline crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) young people: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
- UHS 24/7 crisis support 608-265-5600 (option 9)
- UHS suicide prevention resources: https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/prevention/suicide-prevention/
