Marianne Herricht

Community members held a vigil at the Arizona Capitol on March 19, 2021, to mourn the lives of the victims of a shooting in Atlanta. Hate against this community has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community members are holding a vigil on Friday to mourn the lives of the victims of a Tuesday shooting in Atlanta. Six of the victims were of Asian descent. Seven were women. 

The vigil will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the state Capitol. 

“We want to give our community a chance to start healing. This was just the tipping point and we want to come together and bond and heal and to bring awareness," said West Valley resident Leezah Sun, one of the event’s organizers. 

Their deaths come after a difficult year for the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Hate against this community has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition.   

Since March 2020, Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition, has received nearly 3,800 reports of incidents of violence, hate and discrimination against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Sun knows of at least one local elderly man who was attacked. 

“It’s just spreading apparently and it’s almost like nonstop,” said Sun. 

President Joe Biden has signed a memorandum to condemn and combat racism against the AAPI community. He also ordered flags half-staff to honor the victims.