ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WWJ) -- The murder of four Oxford High School students has impacted thousands of people beyond the small Oakland County community.
On Saturday night, hundreds of people showed up in Royal Oak to show their support for the victims, gathering on the football field at Royal Oak Middle School, formerly Dondero High School.
Buck and Sheri Myre, the parents of Tate Myre, the 16-year-old who was killed in the Nov. 30 shooting, met as teenagers themselves years ago at Dondero.
On Saturday, Dondero alums and Royal Oak community members held a candlelit vigil. Erin Gregory, a close friend of Sheri Myre’s, dating back to their high school days, encouraged those at the vigil to be there for one another as the community grieves.
“This is a terrible, tragic loss. Tate was a hero, but first and foremost, he was their son. Their little boy,” Gregory said. “So I invite everyone here to take a look around you, hug the person next to you, share your stories of them. Maybe you’re here tonight to support someone who knows them, maybe you don’t personally, so stop and listen. You will hear the love and see the joy that they have brought to so many.”
With candles lit and the sun going down at the football field, there were hugs and tears as four sky lanterns -- one for each of the victims -- were released into the night sky. A four-minute moment of silence was also held Saturday, one minute for each of those who were killed.
Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 17-year-old Justin Shilling were killed last Tuesday when 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley opened fire at Oxford High School. Six other students and a teacher were also injured in the shooting.
“It’s been heart-wrenching to witness the anguish of the Myres,” said Shelly McElroy, a longtime friend of both the elder Myres. “To know of the many hundreds feeling the same way at the loss Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana and Justin Shilling. Please, may we never forget their names or their beautiful faces.”
The Myre family was in Indianapolis Saturday night, where the Michigan football team wore patches honoring Tate and the other three victims of the shooting. The family stood at midfield as honorary captains before the game.
In winning the Big Ten title, the Wolverines scored 42 points, the jersey number Myre wore at Oxford.
Saturday's vigil was just one of many held in the past week as metro Detroit continues to mourn.
There has been an outpouring of support for the families of the victims and the Oxford community at large. A number of GoFundMe pages and petitions have circulated online in the wake of the shooting, as community members look for any way they can show their support.
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