It was an emotional night as loved ones held pictures of their lost loved ones.
“We’re all in this together as a city and this is an opportunity for us to recognize that people are in pain and that we all have a responsibility to do something to make a difference,” said Baltimore resident, Joshua Harris.
A difference Carolyn Owens, a mother mourning the loss of her son to gun violence says is needed to bring peace to a city with 304 homicides this year
“We buried him on his birthday. His birthday was January 30th.”
A joyous day a mother never forgets has been replaced with pain.
“They just have to do something with these guns. Like the young man that killed him he only got 35 years, he should've gotten more than that.”
This time it's a mother who lost her 26-year-old son...another murder leaves a father mourning or a child looking for his dad.
“He asks every day who killed my father, who did this to my father? Said Owens.
Some say only a collective effort and opportunity will change Baltimore’s crime culture.
“The hearts and minds of the citizens are really going to bring about the kind of change that we need,” said Baltimore resident, Yvonne Hardy-Phillips. “What do people do when there are no jobs? What happens when there's the end of work cause we’re getting there. So how do people feel self worth? “
Even children can understand the damage caused by violence and loss.
“The stuff I think that's going on in the world is crazy and I think people need to stop, said 7-year-old, London Howard.
Thursday, a screen scrolled through the 304 names; each one also read aloud.
Mayor Catherine Pugh stood with the city.
“We acknowledge that we have a violence problem in our city that there are too many guns on the streets of our city.”
But the real healing came from the prayers and songs; small gestures bringing some comfort to those in pain.
