Memorial trees planned for 2 children killed in Erie shooting

Memorial trees are being planned for the two young children killed in a shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 9.

The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation, also known as the Uvalde Foundation for Kids, plans to plant memorial trees in Allegheny National Forest through its Trees for Peace initiative as it also prepares outreach to the city to explore the possibility of a local memorial.

The shooting killed eight victims, including a 5-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl. The suspected shooter also died, bringing the reported death toll to nine.

Foundation founder and president Daniel Chapin said the planned memorials are intended to honor the children and support those grieving their deaths.

"These children deserved the chance to grow up, make memories, and build futures of their own," Chapin said. "We cannot undo what happened, but we can remember them, support those who are grieving, and make sure their lives are not reduced to the circumstances of their deaths."

Chapin also shared the "Letter of Hope to Erie Families," offering condolences to those affected by the shooting, including grieving families, witnesses and the impacted community.

The organization, formed following the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, is preparing to contact the city of Erie to discuss establishing a local memorial. However, those plans remain in the early stages, and no city partnership or planting date has been finalized.

The planned trees would become part of the foundation's broader effort to remember children and young people who have died across the country.