MUNCIE — A start towards healing in Muncie after this weekend's mass shooting that left one person dead and more than a dozen injured.
"We are on national news for all the wrong reasons. Not for the right, not for the great things that are happening in the city," said Lathay Pegues, who decided to organize a prayer vigil Monday night for the victims.
The mass shooting happened just after 1, Sunday morning in the area of South Hackley and East Willard Street during a large party at a local business. Officials said there was an attempt to shut the party down prior to the shooting without success. The community gathered to pray for the victims and charge a new effort to do more to make their community safer.
It's a reality hard to even fathom for this Muncie community.
"We used to know how to have fun without violence. But today's generation does not know how to leave violence out of fun," part of a prayer from a pastor.
After a party, that became what many now describe as a nightmare. Claiming the life of 30-year-old Joseph Bonner.
"My go-cart got stuck right there. 15 minutes before in front of everybody. He ran across the street, screaming and laughing. He pushed the go-cart, you know he's just a vibe," Camisha Wilkerson said.
Monday, as the community gathered to pray for the family and the victims, WRTV spoke to two of Bonner's children.
His stepdaughter.
“He's the best person that ever entered my life. He was definitely the dad figure in my life. I love him," said Mari Isom, Bonner’s stepdaughter.
And his 9-year-old son.
"I never thought it would end like that," Bonner’s son said.
"All these kids that was caught in this shooting, it impacted everyone in this community. This is a tight-knit community, we're a very small community, and all we have is each other," Kathy Carey said.
18 others were injured, including a person who was hit by a car. As of Monday morning, officials stated that eight of the victims remain in the hospital.
"When I heard that my niece was grazed by a bullet, you might as well told me that she got shot. She got hit because that's how it affected me," Pegues said.
"It hurts. It hurts. We're going to miss that smile, that laugh. We're going to miss them golds," Wilkerson said.
"My brother. He's my big brother. He's the stone of the family," said Jordan Bonner, the brother of Joseph Bonner.
"We have got to find a way to curve this gun violence. We have got to find a way," said Carey. "And it's getting out of control and it's not just here, it's everywhere and it's hitting us nationally. I just want people to wake up and do something about that. We got to come together on it."
"I love you Dad," said Bonner’s son.
The city is also working to set up a relief fund to collect donations for the victims and their families.
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information about what happened should call Muncie Police.
