BOISE, Idaho — Members of the community in Boise are gathering here at the Anne Frank Memorial Human Rights Memorial for the 11th National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence.
“Each year since 2013 the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation and numerous gun violence prevention partners hold vigils for all victims of gun violence all across America,” Dianna David says to the group.
Dianna David is the Idaho chapter lead for the Survivors Empowered. The vigil is held across the country to remember all victims of gun violence and to honor survivors.
David says, "We want to reach out and connect with other survivors and let them know that there's help out there. There are people here in the community who understand exactly what they've gone through we understand the grief the unfairness frustration.”
David is a gun violence survivor herself, along with Tara Adams who also spoke at the vigil sharing her story and others.
"I'm a survivor of the Route 91 mass shooting in Las Vegas that was at a country music festival where there were 49 people that did not return to their families,” says Adams
Adams says being a gun violence survivor completely shifts your life, nothing is the same after that experience, but one of the many steps to healing is being able to tell your story.
Adams continues, “The more voices that we have at the table representing all aspects and all viewpoints the more people we have there the more productive those conversations can be and the more we can come up with solutions that we can all get on board with.”
