Thousands gather to reclaim Oxford, honor slain sons and daughters

The strength of Oxford wasn’t just a hashtag Friday night. Of course, it never was.

It was a people, who in the dark, cold evening flooded the village streets by the thousands young and old, bundled up to honor the community’s stolen members and reclaim a home now known in infamy by those who’d never heard of it before Tuesday.

It was a people who, amid the politicians and preachers who spoke at a village vigil Friday night in remembrance of those lost in the mass shooting at Oxford High School this week, chanted, "We are Oxford," and cheered as Chaplain Dave Gerber said he wants the community remembered as the home of the voice of the Lone Ranger and the gravel capital of the world.

"They are not going to define us because we will not be defined by the tragedy," he said at the podium. "We will be defined by the people that are standing next to us today. We are not Christians or Muslims or Jews or atheists or Hindus or Buddhists. We're not Republicans or Democrats. We're not progressives, we're not conservatives, we are Wildcats, Oxford."

A roar of applause followed, in even measure to the silence that had started the gathering — four minutes of silence for the four lives lost: Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17.

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The loss of the community children and the harm done to their other classmates that day will be remembered, Oakland County Executive David Coulter told the crowd. But so will Friday night, with the community members packed in.

"It may seem impossible now on this night of unspeakable pain that anything like joy can be in our future but I have faith that there's a peace that comes despite our limited understanding," he told the crowd, after quoting scripture.

There was peace in the town before, of course.

Gregory Kudela, who shares a law firm with Lee D. Knauf, a block-and-a-half south of Centennial Park where Friday night’s vigil was held, asked a reporter at the scene not to take a cynical approach with the sweet community being covered. Kudela, 68, allowed people attending the vigil to park in his firm’s lot and waved them in with a flashlight.

“It’s a good town,” he stressed. “It’s a horrible thing that happened — so out of character and we’re all stunned, but these are nice people. It’s a place where people walk down the street and say hello. And tonight we’re asking God for help."

Help was coming from the neighbors, too.

Karen O’Keefe came to watch the vigil to show support for the community; her neighbor's son goes to the high school, she said, seated at a bench in Centennial Park with her husband, Danny. She also heard bits of what happened that day.

“I was walking around the time of the shooting — I have a three-mile course and I heard sirens for 45 minutes straight. My son, who lives in Ortonville, happened to call and I told him about the sirens and then he told me what was going on from the news reports,” O’Keefe said.

“We were welcomed (in Oxford) from day one," said O’Keefe, who moved to Oxford from Rochester with her husband eight years ago. “There’s not a person that you pass that doesn’t say hello. The people are here to support the families at the school, but people are always giving and helping. During COVID, people have collected money for single mothers working at the downtown restaurants. Some of the mothers got $1,000 or more — that’s just Oxford.”

Members of the crowd needed to lean on each other in more ways than one Friday night. An apparent medical episode and alarm caused the crowd to briefly run, before learning all was safe. Nerves were clearly on edge during the night, but not enough to dissuade the crowd, with its makeshift candles, letter jackets and blue and yellow apparel.

"I just wanted to be here to support the community and the victims," said Brooksie Pollack ahead of the gathering, huddled in a quilt commemorating her son’s years running, wrestling and playing football for the high school.

Her son graduated in 2010, and she said she cried when she learned of the shooting while babysitting for a grandchild.

She noted Friday's vigil was her first.

It also doesn't mourn alone, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at the vigil. Moms and dads across the state mourn with the Oxford parents, she said, and family, friends and faith must be held close.

"We've lived through one of the worst weeks in Michigan history. But this week, we've also seen some of the best in one another," she said. "We've seen the best in our kids, who are stronger than we could have ever imagined. We've seen the best in our teachers, who acted quickly and saved lives. We saw the best in our Meijer employees, who helped reunite families. We saw the best in the doctors and the nurses and the faith leaders who've helped us get through this tough, horrific moment. We saw the best in our first responders who got there so quick. And the best in Michiganders everywhere, who have donated money to help the community because they don't know how else they can help, but they are showing love with their action."

As the village hurts in a particularly unique way, Whitmer called to memory the support that's flowed in — support from far and wide to their little village that's so much more than a place of tragedy.

"There are millions of Americans who are with us in spirit, who send their support, keep you in their prayers, send their love," she said.

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In need of help

The Michigan Crisis and Access Line (MiCAL) is available in Oakland County. Residents can call or text 844-44-MICAL (844-446-4225) 24/7 for free behavioral health crisis triage, support, resource information and referral to local services. Chat is also available through Michigan.gov/MiCAL.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford school shooting: M-24 vigil honors slain sons, daughters