‘Hate will not win’: Chester County vigil honors Orlando attack victims

An American flag suspended from a fire truck ladder flew high above Interstate 77 late Sunday night.

Down below, in the parking lot of the Gateway Conference Center, candlelight flickered across the faces of about 30 people as they mourned and prayed for the victims of Sunday’s mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub.

Fire engines from the Chester and Lando fire departments had their ladders extended toward the sky over the conference center. One ladder was lined in red, white and blue lights, and the American flag hung from the second one.

After attendees recited the Pledge of Allegiance, the Rev. Kevin Taylor, lead pastor of Ember Church in Chester, offered words of healing and perseverance.

“You said not to respond to evil with evil, but with blessing and with something that would be honorable both to you and to man,” Taylor prayed, invoking last June’s mass killing at a Charleston church, the anniversary of which is Friday. “I pray that those who believe in you, they’ll rise up and show love, that hate will not win today.

“South Carolina, we led the way not too long ago – a show of forgiveness – showing what it means to forgive and to love. We pray that again in this community.”

Sunday’s attack at a gay nightclub left 50 people dead, including the gunman, and more than 50 others injured. Officials have said the gunman called 911 during the shooting to pledge his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Donna Vayda wrapped her arms around her 9-year-old grandson, R.J, as he held two candles during the Richburg vigil.

“I’d like our wishes and our prayers to go to those parents that are missing their children,” she said, “or their brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. It’s just a bad situation in this country right now.”

Vayda said it’s difficult to explain events like Sunday’s attack to someone as young her grandson.

“It’s taken a lot of explaining throughout the day to tell him that there’s evil in the world, and to learn what it can do and what a terrible thing it is,” she said.

Vayda lives in Port St. Lucie, Fla., where the shooter in Sunday’s attack lived. She had traveled to Chester County on Sunday to visit her son, Jason Ream.

“My husband had to go to the grocery store today, and it was right down the street from where (the shooter) lived,” she said. “All the press and police were out there. He was crying ... just knowing that was so close to our home.”

Chester County Supervisor Shane Stuart said organizers of Sunday’s vigil felt the need “to do something” in the wake of the shooting.

“Regardless of what happened or who the victims were or were not, we still need to show some solidarity and need to show some respect, because someone is deceased,” he said. “The victims that died, they all have mommas and daddies, too.

“We’ve got to remember, somebody’s going to be going through some serious heartache right now, so we want to stand in unity with them.”

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 11:46 AM with the headline "‘Hate will not win’: Chester County vigil honors Orlando attack victims."