BUFFALO N.Y. (WKBW) — Community members filled True Bethel Baptist Church elevating their voices in song as sorrow fills the air here in Buffalo. May 14th marks one year since the racist mass shooting at the Tops Supermarket on Jefferson Avenue taking 10 souls from our community.
Ashlee Jones attended the Sunday service. She said she got the news about the shooting through social media.
"I seen people posting on social media someone got shot and unfortunately that's normal in our neighborhoods," she said. "And it was just replaying in my mind over and over again."
After see what happened her kids were heavy on her mind.
"I'm an inner city teacher. So for a lot of the students I was teaching at the time, they lived right in the Jefferson community," she shared shaking her head. "So some of them went to the store for candy that morning."
The following Monday, Jones said, she had to put on a brave face for each of her students.
"We had to have some tough and difficult conversations. It was a difficult time but we still pulled strength," she stated. "It was our reality it was out truth in our community so you couldn't ignore it."
According to the Gun Violence Archive in just five months of this year there have been more that 200 mass shooting in the US.
Reverend Al Sharpton spoke at the Sunday service as a call to action against violence and to offer comfort to the families there.
"Somebody needs to deal with stopping this tragedy," he stated. "They woke up one morning and their whole world turned upside down."
Some church members said worship songs, a sermon, praise dancing and just being with one another on Sunday was a powerful time to remember the lives lost and to uplift the families that are hurting.
"As much as we are going to hear today in buffalo about healing - you cant heal until you deal with the wound," Sharpton said. "You can not put a band aid over an open scar."
The church offers free counseling through Best Self every Thursday. If you or a loved one is interested in attending click on this linkfor more information.
