Vigil held for Plant City murder victims

PLANT CITY, Fla - Four women and girls were murdered in Plant City on Sunday, May 3, and the community held a vigil in their honor a week later on Mother’s Day.

The vigil was organized by a community member who wanted to ensure the lives of the victims were remembered while providing a space for residents to mourn together.

What they're saying:

"The reason that I wanted to open up this invitation to the community is to not let another resident of Plant City, and especially a mother, feel like she’s alone or like she doesn’t have people in the community to support her," said Luisa Ruiz, the vigil organizer.

It was a moving event where people from all walks of life gathered to remember the victims.

"We’re all aching for the loss of the little ones and their mom," said a participant in the prayer circle.

What we know:

The victims have not been publicly named by police. However, they included a 55-year-old grandmother, her 28-year-old daughter, and the daughter's 4-year-old and 4-month-old children. One child survived the attack.

"If we don’t say their name, then they just become something that never existed," said Hayley Milks, a community member.

The victims were killed across two locations in Plant City on May 3. Officers first responded to the 300 block of West Trevor Street following a reported disturbance, where they found the 28-year-old mother and her children. Police later discovered the 55-year-old woman at a second location in the 900 block of North Burton Street.

Local perspective:

One attendee said she had a son similar in age to the 4-month-old victim and that they had attended the same events.

"It is earth-shattering that that could happen so close in our community to someone that I feel like was in all the right spaces," said Ariel Woods, an acquaintance. "She was in the mother’s spaces, she felt safe, she was married, she trusted the world to take care of her and the community to take care of her, and it failed."

For those gathered, the moment was a call to demand change and action.

"I’m not afraid to put pressure on the police department," Milks said. "I know that a lot of people are afraid of doing that, especially in small towns, because of retaliation. I don’t care about that. So, I will go to the police department. I will ask questions. I will make statements."

What you can do:

Proposed actions included writing letters, attending meetings, running for office, encouraging voting, and petitioning the police department to establish a domestic violence unit.

"I’m going to stay outraged. I think that’s the best way I can sum it up," Milks said. "I think with outrage and with anger, if you channel it correctly, you can make waves."

Above all, those in attendance sought to honor the family lost to violence and work to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.