Community vigils held to honor victims of gun violence in Chicago

CHICAGO – In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, vigils were held Saturday in communities most affected by violence.

One of those vigils, organized by Cornicki Bornds, was held at Grace Memorial Baptist Church in North Lawndale, where dozens of people formed a healing circle for families to share their stories and honor their loved ones.

Bornds lost her son Fontaine Sanders to gun violence in 2017. Sanders was a 19-year-old college student when he was shot in the head after he left to play basketball.

Bornds started the nonproft H.U.G.S to help others who’ve lost loved ones.

“The healing vigil today is to bring recognition to the families because sometimes after the funerals, some people feel like everybody forgot them. So today is the day we bring them back in the spotlight, to let people know we did not forget your loved ones,” Bornds said.

Also in the crowd were the parents of Miguel Padilla, who lost their son in 2021 at the age of 41.

WGN-TV was at the scene in Logan Square that night.

Chicago police said someone took Padilla’s car before shooting him in the chest.

The grandmother of Terrance Foster was also in the room. Foster was 19 years old when he was gunned down in North Lawndale in 2021.

The families talked about how several of these cases remain unsolved to this day. They’re hoping that by continuing to share their loved ones’ stories, police can receive information that can lead to arrests.