Four killed in St. Louis shootings as parish holds fourth annual gun violence vigil

Four people died and six others were injured during seven separate shootings across St. Louis on Saturday, prompting a community gathering at St. Margaret of Scotland Church on Flad Ave to honor the victims.

The vigil, now in its fourth year, brought neighbors together to address the ongoing epidemic of gun violence in the city. Mary Lisa Penilla, a parishioner and member of Gun Sense: For the Common Good, told the crowd they were praying for a way forward. “We come together here to pray together and say to God, please show us a way to mourn and to find a way forward,” Penilla said.

Jeff Goldone, interim priest at the nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church, described the recent weekend as horrific. “It has to stop; the craziness, the tragedy - it’s horrific and it won’t end, and it has to,” Goldone said. He added that the violence breaks his heart and urged the community to be better with the situation.

The church initiated the prayer vigil following the 2022 shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. That incident resulted in the deaths of 15-year-old student Alexzandria Bell and health and PE teacher Jean Kuczka. Penilla noted that the church came together immediately after the Uvalde, Texas, shooting to ask what a parish community could do to decry the epidemic.

Penilla emphasized that the impact of gun violence extends beyond the immediate moment of the shooting. “What we know and what we’ve learned is that gun violence doesn’t stop with the shooting of the gun; it affects everyone in its wake,” she said. The group aims to stand together against the scourge of violence.

Goldone criticized local legislators for inaction, stating that too many people are grieving and that people of faith need to take a stand. “Too many people have lost loved ones, [they’re] grieving and it’s hard, and our legislators won’t do anything about it,” he said.

The vigil featured music and poetry readings as attendees shared their reactions to the latest fatalities. Two of the six people injured in Saturday's shootings were 16-year-olds. Penilla concluded that the community is connected by the violence and must say no together to find peace.