Kalamazoo mourns shooting victims at Sunday night vigil
KALAMAZOO -- After a night of chaos that saw six people shot to death in Kalamazoo County, Sunday was a time of reflection for a community in mourning. They banded together in the hundreds, packed neatly in wooden pews within the auditorium of Kalamazoo's Centerpoint Church to hold hands and to pray and to mourn a tragedy unlike any other seen here.
For church Elder Valerie Cunningham, Sunday night was the right time to stand her ground, sending a message that championed faith in the face of fear.
"It has come here to make us fearful, but our God is greater," Cunningham said, breaking the silence of a somber room. "Our God is greater, our God is stronger. He’s challenging for us to come together as a city, to band together with oneness and unity of accord.
"When tragedies come, they come to help us think of how we can work together, how we can be stronger together, how we can be better together."
Sunday's community prayer service was the first major community gathering since 45-year-old Jason Dalton allegedly opened fire in a seven-hour shooting spree Saturday, killing six and wounding two others. Dalton, who police say was driving a car for Uber between killings, reportedly shot people at random at a Richland Township apartment complex as well as a car dealership and a restaurant.
Victims of Kalamazoo shootings remembered
Those killed were Mary Jo Nye, 60, a former teacher at Calhoun Community High School; 68-year-old Barbara Hawthorne, a retired longtime Kellogg Co. employee; and 74-year-old Dorothy Brown, all of Battle Creek; Mary Lou Nye, 62, of Baroda; and Richard Smith and his 17-year-old son, Tyler.
Another victim, a 14-year-old girl who police have not named, was critically injured during a shooting an attack at a Cracker Barrel parking lot. She remains at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, police said Sunday. The first victim, also not identified, is a woman shot four times at a Richland Township apartment complex. The woman is in serious condition, police said.
The prayer service was a night of reflection for a community in the wake of its darkest hour, allowing many to catch their breath after being immersed in the grim realities of a mass shooting. Speaker after speaker took their individual turn at the microphone to offer a prayer -- for first-responders, for government officials and for the alleged shooter, Dalton -- as well as kind thoughts and appreciation of a community's resiliency.
Of Dalton, Trenches Community Church Pastor James Harris said he can "experience eternal life through Christ and seek forgiveness for these horrific crimes."
"Spiritual law is always higher than natural law for the laws of the lands," Harris said. "In the natural, Jason Dalton deserves life in prison and in some states, the death penalty. In the spirit or based upon the word of God, our spiritual law, even though Jason Dalton more than likely will spend his life in prison, the spiritual law states he doesn't have to be sentenced to eternal death."
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley quoted Paul the Apostle in his remarks on the topic of finding grace through religion, even in the wake of great sorrow.
It was this, Calley said, that will give the community strength in the coming days and weeks.
"I don't know how many times I've heard people say something like, 'Well, there is nothing else, there really is nothing else I can do so I guess I'll pray," Calley said. "As if it's the last resort. So, here we are, just literally one day removed from the start of this horrific tragedy and I'm so glad to see a community starting with prayer."
Dalton was arrested in the area of Ransom and Porter streets early Sunday after a county sheriff's deputy spotted his Chevrolet HHR exiting a downtown Kalamazoo bar's parking lot, police said.
Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said Dalton seemed even-tempered at the time of his arrest and questioning and did not put up a fight when he was pulled over. Getting said there was "no question" others would have died if police didn't apprehend Dalton when they did.
The evening's first speaker, Paul Norman, of St. Michael Lutheran Church, led a lengthy prayer encouraging those in attendance to seek faith, not vengeance, for those killed this weekend.
Norman offered the community to "pray for the peace and this prosperity of this city we love, Kalamazoo."
"We don’t pretend to understand it," he said. "We know your ways are higher than our ways; your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. But we are your people. We are sheep of your pasture. You know how we feel and we’re so grateful to come into your presence and disclosure our hearts."
Another community vigil in remembrance of the victims is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at First Congregational Church in downtown Kalamazoo.
Contact Dillon Davis at 269-966-0698 or dwdavis@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DillonDavis