United University Church hosts vigil after Florida shooting


A vigil took place in the United University Church to light candles and pray for those killed in Wednesday’s school shooting in Parkland, Fla., which has left 17 dead.

Pastor Sunny Kang (right) spoke about the importance of holding vigils to prevent people from becoming desensitized to an increased number of school shootings. Emily Smith | Daily Trojan

Pastor Sunny Kang led the vigil, which was attended by six community members. Previously a pastor in Miami, Kang said that his former congregation included members from Parkland. Hours before, he said, the UUC sanctuary was full of churchgoers attending Ash Wednesday service. Kang learned of the shooting upon leaving mass and set out to research school shootings over the past decade.

“Columbine happened in 1999, Kang said. “That means that incoming freshmen grew up all their lives with this idea of the shooting that happened. They are the post-Columbine children.”

Kang stood at the head of the church and read statistics off a list, each the number of shootings that had taken place every year following Columbine.

“In 2018, there were already seven school shootings, and we’re only 45 days into the school year.” Kang said. “How long will this go on?”

Tearful attendees shared their reactions to hearing about today’s shooting. Annemarie Guillen, a senior studying business administration, spoke about the chaos and fear she experienced during the false alarm of an active shooter on USC’s campus the day after the Las Vegas shooting.

“I was numbly devastated,” Guillen said. “It’s something that happens now … it feels like every month. It feels like [it’s] now a thing and that makes me really sad and upset.”

Guillen plans to participate in Teach For America after graduation and is nervous for her future students. She wants her classroom to be a “safehouse,” but fears that there could be tragedies like this outside of her control.

“What is being done to help this?” Guillen asked. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

Kang said the importance of these vigils is to prevent people from becoming desensitized from mass or school shootings by realizing that behind every number is a human being and their family. He said these deaths affect communities and how people treat one another.

“If we become too numb to these things, then we become to what happens [in] other kinds of events,” Kang said. “Pretty soon, other people will become numb when we become victims. We can’t become numb.”