Survivors, activists gather for vigil in Highland Park in wake of Michigan State shooting
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- In Highland Park Tuesday night, survivors of the July 4th parade massacre – along with students and activists – gathered for a vigil in the wake of the Michigan State University shooting.
The attendees read the names of the three lives lost at Michigan State in the shooting on Monday – Brian Fraser, Alexandria Verner, and Arielle Anderson.
They also noted that Tuesday marks 15 years since a gunman killed five people in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University.
"Unfortunately, I am one of many individuals in this lockdown generation – from the older end as a college student now at Northwestern University, to children today still having to do lockdown drills, and feels like very little has changed," said Mirabella Johnson. "Despite huge victories in Illinois, we have major progress to do across the country, and we need to stick together – despite the frustrations we felt after Michigan State University last night, and incidents of gun violence in Chicago every single day."
Ashbey Beasley and her son survived the Highland Park parade shooting last year – in which seven people died.
"This is an epidemic. This is not normal. But this is our reality until our lawmakers step up and make this change," Beasley said. "Until children deserve to go to school without the fear of dying."
Beasley said seeing videos of students at MSU running brought her back to that day in Highland Park in July.
The activists lit candles in downtown Highland Park Tuesday night in honor of yet more victims.
