LAFAYETTE, La. ( KLFY ) – Lawrence Levy, a local pastor, held a vigil in the Northgate Mall Parking Lot for the families of the two men who died in a shooting on East University Avenue Saturday night.
26-year-old Corey Mouton of Carencro and 24-year-old Jamir Carmouche of Lafayette both died in the shooting, Lafayette Police said.
Shooting on E. University in Lafayette kills two, injures two more
During the vigil, people shed tears, held hands, and prayed together for the families affected by the tragic shooting. Tanya Barker, a mother of two children at the gathering, says it’s important for those at the vigil to express empathy to those who are grieving. She says the sight of others joining hands is a sign of peace, but says she feels more people should participate if they want change to happen. “For them to come together that means we got a process that we starting, but I do feel like instead of people just watching and looking, they need to come together and join hands,” said Barker. She believes guns should be used to protect, not to take someone’s life. “I’m not gonna say guns are a bad thing, they are there to protect us, they’re not there to kill us, and that’s what we doing, we’re killing each other, we got to do better, and I’m not feeling what’s going on right now,” said Barker.