PERRY, Iowa — Hundreds of Perry residents came out to Wiese Park Thursday night for a prayer vigil, hours after a fatal school shooting at Perry High School and Middle School.
"It is an opportunity for us to remind each other that love always wins," said one leader.
Christian ministers lead the prayer vigil at first, but then students from Perry schools and members of the Perry community made remarks as well.
Organizers passed around candles to families to shine a light following a dark day.
"When you're a Christian, you just have to... have your faith in God," said Perry resident Bonnie Ikerd. "And pray for everybody here. And keep going. And the town's never going to be the same for a while, but we'll get through it together."
Residents who have lived in the Perry community all their lives say they've never witnessed anything like Thursday's school shooting.
"I never thought this would happen in the little town of Perry, you know?" Ikerd said. "But we've gotta get through this together as a community, and we will."
At the vigil, community members handed out hot cocoa and refreshments, and therapy dogs made an appearance. Residents wore t-shirts, showing that they're "Perry Strong" even in the darkest of moments.
A second vigil also took place at Crossroads Church, allowing people to join in community and attempt to make sense of a senseless tragedy.
Some survivors were still in shock after witnessing something no one ever wants to see.
"Personally, I haven't really processed it. Like I'm still like in sort of like a state of shock," said Gracey Howard, a student at Perry High School. "Like I'm still like, in shock that this would even happen at our school. Like I don't understand it at all."