Alexandria leaders commemorated the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on Thursday, Sept. 11, and reflected on the personal and societal impacts that followed.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins was joined by Sheriff Sean Casey, Fire Chief Felipe Hernandez, Jr., and Police Chief Tarrick McGuire onstage at Market Square in front of City Hall (301 King Street). Gaskins urged the audience to “remember the lives lost on 9/11 and to look forward with hope and a call to action for peace and a better world.”
Gaskins said that she was 11 years old, in elementary school in Pittsburgh, on the day of the attacks. She said that she lied to her teacher about being able to walk home that day, and when she walked home, she found a strange stillness in the air. Once home, she was greeted by her mother, who was in tears and tightly hugged her…