ROCHESTER (WWJ) -- Following this week’s tragic school shooting in Oxford, neighboring metro Detroit communities are showing support for the city, and also enacting extra precautions of their own.
On Thursday afternoon, it was announced via Facebook that the Rochester Christmas Parade -- which was set for Sunday, Dec. 5 -- had been canceled “due to recent community events.”
The decision has caused debate among residents, especially since the event parade also canceled last year during the pandemic.
In a Facebook post on one Rochester community group, commenters have been debating about whether the holiday event was called off for safety reasons, or because it would be deemed disrespectful to hold a parade while a neighboring town is in mourning.
“Probably cause Oxford Marching Band marched pretty much every year in the parade.. so sad,” one commenter wrote.
Some mentioned that the recent attack in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in which a man drove an SUV into a Christmas parade, killing six people and injuring over 60 others, might have also sparked worry among organizers.
Still, many expressed disappointment over the cancelation, saying that the community needed to experience positivity during this difficult time.
“I can understand the caution,” one person wrote. “But fear and anxiety are being exacerbated which will eventually lead to depression. Do not let the domestic terrorists win. Return to normalcy is needed eventually.”
Meanwhile, the city of Lake Orion has announced that this weekend's Holly Jolly Folly and Orion Lighted Christmas Parade have also been postponed.
“We cannot celebrate the season while our community is hurting,” organizers said in a statement.
A vigil on Friday night along M-24 will take the place of Oxford's annual holiday parade, which was set for Saturday. The event begins at 7 p.m. in downtown Oxford.
Related
