PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A continued sense of remembrance and emotion can still be felt a year later by students and neighbors after the death of Temple University Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald.
The 31-year-old father and husband died on Feb. 18, 2023, after he was shot and killed responding to a robbery near Temple’s campus.
More than 200 people attended a ceremony Sunday evening at Temple University to mark the first anniversary of his death and dedicate a plaque, which was later hung on a wall for fallen officers at the campus public safety building.
“It is a living nightmare having to wake up every day knowing I will never see his face again,” Fitzgerald’s widow Marissa Fitzgerald said.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, who spoke at the event, said there are no words to ease the pain.
“This is what we can promise you: This is going to strengthen our resolve. We will improve public safety in Philadelphia,” Parker said.