Residents Remember School Shooting Victims in Tearful Vigil

Families gather on Village Green to light candles and release sky lanterns in memory of Newtown, CT victims.

Oak Lawn residents gathered with their children at the Village Green on Friday in a show of hope against some dark times in our country by lighting candles and releasing sky lanterns in memory of the Newtown, CT shooting victims. Subscribe to the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. Mayor Dave Heilmann orchestrated the candlelight vigil to honor the 20 schoolchildren and six teachers who died in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14. “Most of us have dropped our children off at schools and you see them walk or run in. Seven hours later you expect them to walk out with a smile on their face,” the mayor said. “We don’t expect to get a call with the words that no parent should ever have to hear.” Heilmann …

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Lorraine Swanson

5:42 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

I think it's safe to say that this was not an empty gesture on the part of Oak Lawn residents.   more ›

Candlelight Vigil for Sandy Hook School Victims Set for Thursday, Dec. 27

Mayor Dave Heilmann announces community candlelight vigil for Newtown, CT school shooting victims for Dec. 27 on Village Green.

Village To Hold Candlelight Vigil for Newtown Shooting Victims

Holiday lights on Village Green will go dark for 27 minutes in honor of 20 children and seven adults killed in Connecticut during candlelight vigil planned for Dec. 27.

The village will hold a community candlelight vigil for the victims of the Newton, CT, on Dec. 27 on the Village Green. The holiday lights on the Village Green will go dark for 27 minutes honoring the 20 children, six teachers, and shooter's mother, who lost their lives in the Sandy Hook Elementary School and Newtown, CT shootings. Read Newtown, CT, Patch's complete coverage of the Sandy Hook School shootings. "All over this country people are in tears. You see the faces of little children, you htink about those teachers and how hard they fought to protect them, you think about these families, Christmas, the pain must be unbearable for them," Mayor Dave Heilmann said. "I have four children under 10 at home. I cannot imagine dropping them …

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Lorraine Swanson

1:34 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The mayor is including the shooter's mother, as noted in the article.   more ›

'We Are Michele's Voice'

Hundreds of supporters turn out for candlelight vigil at Centennial Park in Oak Lawn to remember Michele Peters, who died from a gunshot wound in Chicago Heights.

Hundreds gathered in an Oak Lawn park on Good Friday evening to honor the memory of a young mother who liked to plan elaborate Easter egg hunts for her two young sons. Michelle Peters, 30, was remembered at a candlelight vigil in Centennial Park one month after police found her fatally shot in the face in the Chicago Heights home that she shared with her boyfriend and the father of her boys, Georgie, 7, and Alex, 15 months. Neighbors said they heard arguing and a gunshot coming from the house the night of the shooting on March 6. Police questioned Peters’ 32-year-old boyfriend but he was eventually released without being charged. Chicago Heights police confirmed the death investigation is still open. Sign up to receive the O-L newsletter …

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