In the wake of this weekend’s mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, a large group of people gathered at the Dallas County Courthouse in Adel Monday evening for a candlelight vigil.

The event was organized by Adel Family Fun Center Owner Bryce Smith, who said the idea was formulated and executed in less than a day. Over 100 people turned up on short notice to reflect on the tragedies, and hear words of prayer, mourning, hope, and healing. Following the vigil, Smith told Raccoon Valley Radio why he felt it necessary to put together such an event. “Well, I knew that I wasn’t the only person feeling these emotions of maybe sadness, rage, or whatever it might be, so I reached out to fellow community members to see how they were feeling. And I wanted to bring people together to showcase that we care, that we’re humans, (and) that we’re above violence. So that was really my ultimate goal. I didn’t want people to feel like this was a political movement, or a way to really let out pent up anger, but more so to come together as a community.”

To his point, there were several well-known Democrats and Republicans from the area at the event, each sharing in the moment and remembering the victims. Among the attendees were three members of the Adel City Council, Adel Mayor Jim Peters, Dallas County Sheriff Chad Leonard, and Adel Police Sergeant Natalie Gillett. Smith added, he was hopeful the vigil will spark conversation among the public for not only how to curb violence, but also to simply be better members of the community and the human race.