Church Service, Vigil Held To Mourn, Honor Capital Gazette Employees

RadioOnFire.com - An Annapolis church held a service and many attended a vigil Saturday to mourn and honor the five Capital Gazette employees killed in a mass shooting at the newspaper's offices Thursday.

The Rev. Timothy Moulder, a former newspaper reporter turned priest, led a prayer service where dozens gathered to honor Gerald Fischman, Robert Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters.

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Moulder, interim rector at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, said the "thoughts and prayers" that follow mass shootings aren't enough.

"There's no place (for this) in our society. Our bishop, the bishop of Maryland, the Right Rev. Eugene Sutton, calls this both the American addiction and the great American evil that we're not dealing with, and that's not a political statement. Those are faith statements. Those are spiritual statements," Moulder said.

Outside the Baltimore offices of The Baltimore Sun, The Capital Gazette's parent company, flags are at half-staff and candles flickered in front of each victim's name as a small group gathered for a vigil.

"I've always been horrified by these shootings. I've always had my own feelings about the role of guns in our society, but this is the first time it has been this personal for me. So I really felt strongly about coming out specifically to honor Wendi and the other victims of the shooting," said Caitlin Cross-Barnet, who knew Winters.

Organizers believe Thursday's targeted attack on the Annapolis newspaper was also an assault on journalism.

"We need to be much more respectful of the people who choose to do this for a living, who choose to report the news for a living, and we need to support that," said Cristi Demnowicz, with Solidarity Maryland.

"It's just so important to me to be here to think about the people who died and to honor the people who do this work every day that's so crucial to keep our democracy functioning," said Michael Cross-Barnet, a former reporter.

According to The Capital Gazette, memorial services for Hiaasen" and Winters will be held next week.

Source WBAL