Days after a retired San Francisco deputy police chief and her daughter were killed in a double murder-suicide, more than 30 people memorialized victims of gun violence during a silent vigil in Mill Valley.
Mourners, most dressed in black and holding long-stemmed red roses, observed 10 minutes of silence Saturday afternoon at the Mill Valley Depot for “The Silent Stand,” organized by Pierce’s Pledge, a nonprofit that encourages firearms owners to store their weapons in third-party locations to reduce the risk of violence, and Steel Magnolias, a platform for women navigating separation and divorce.
The memorial also included speakers from Pierce’s Pledge and Steel Magnolias, as well as a board member from the Center for Domestic Peace, which provides support to Marin County domestic abuse victims. Marin County District Attorney Lori Frugoli was among those in attendance.
“We know the consequences of violence because we’ve lived them. And we believe awareness must lead to action,” said Nika Robani Shirani, a board member for Pierce’s Pledge, named for 9-year-old murder-suicide victim Pierce O’Loughlin, shot by his father in San Francisco in 2001 during a custody battle. “We’re working with family law attorneys to encourage safe firearm storage during legal proceedings.”…