BUFFALO, N.Y. — This year the city of Buffalo's tree lighting ceremony was dedicated to the lives lost during the mass shooting on May 14.
City leaders came together in Niagara Square in front of City Hall on the eve of the seven month anniversary of the tragedy to display a series of lights. Each column of City Hall was lit in a color chosen by family members of each of the ten people who died on that day. Their families picked a color that best represented their loved one.
Some of the victims' family members were at the tree-lighting for the dedication, including Garnell Whitfield, Jr. who lost his mother Ruth in the mass shooting in East Buffalo.
"Those lights represent our loved ones, they represent the light that shown inside of them when they were here and they represent the legacy they left behind now that they're not here. It's a beautiful remembrance."
The holiday season is joyful, but Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown reminded those in attendance that "there are some who will spend the season without their loved ones due to violence. We want all of these families to know, including those who lost someone special on 5/14, that we are united with them as a community."
Below are the list of 5/14 victims and the colors that were designated by their loved ones:
- Margus Morrison: Blue
- Roberta Drury: Purple
- Katherine Massey: Green
- Ruth Whitfield: Blue
- Geraldine Talley: Red
- Heyward Patterson: Green
- Pearl Young: Purple
- Aaron Salter: Blue
- Celestine Chaney: Pink
- Andre Mackniel: Red
The City Hall light display will be lit from dusk until dawn through New Year's Day.