INDIANAPOLIS — Members of Castleton Christian Church gathered under streetlights Wednesday, Nov. 8 to pray for light during a dark time for the city.
"In the midst of tragedy, you start to ask a lot of questions," Pastor Jarrett Samuels said. "We believe that the only way those questions get answered is by the power of God, by prayer."
The prayers were sparked by recent gun violence happening in Indianapolis. On Sunday, an 18-year-old was killed and another man was critically injured not far from the site of the vigil.
"It's scary. I'm not going to lie. It's scary when things happen so close to home," church member Kelly Byrd said. "The community needs it. They need the hope."
The group also prayed for law enforcement and first responders called to these devastating scenes. IMPD Cmdr. Matthew Thomas said it's been a difficult time for his North District for the last few weeks. He said officers rely on support like this from the community.
"Events like this, we shouldn't need to have them. I'm incredibly grateful our community has come together and has made the statement that enough is enough, violence is unacceptable. We are going to stand together and forge a better path for our children and our community," Thomas said.
And while they may not personally know the victims or their families, this group hopes they feel support from all corners of the community.
"They're not alone," Byrd said. "We are praying for them. We want them to have peace and healing. We know they're hurting, and we hurt with them."