Image by Nyabuto Onkundi
Originally published on Fox 4 KC/by: Dave D’Marko
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. —
The Kansas City Longest Night has been held at a trio of churches over the past nearly 15 years.
Unfortunately for a new group of names added to crosses in 2023, little has been able to end the cycle of violence.
More than 180 crosses were placed in the front yard of The Gathering Baptist Church in Independence bearing the names of sons and daughters, fathers and mothers all victims of violence in Kansas City, Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit, Raytown and Independence.
Macy Tillman joined her parents remembering her brother, Todd Tillman, 36 killed in July.
“When he was murdered, he was at my parents house helping them out like he always does with family.” It’s sad to see his name on a cross it’s not something that our family would have ever pictured for him, he was a church member,” Tillman said.
It’s the longest night of the year and every year faith leaders join to remind families the victims and loved ones aren’t forgotten.
“As we say a lot of times as the world gets darker the church has to get brighter. So we want to be a time of light and hope in a time of darkness,” The Gathering Pastor Wes Wakefield said.
Five years ago on the longest night, Talya Page wasn’t at the event, she was burying her brother Anthony.
“When you lose somebody period it hurts. But when you lose somebody to a hand that wants to play a person’s maker, it’s sad,” Page said.
But she was there tonight along with her mom and Mothers in Charge praying for everyone who watched their loved one’s name scroll across the screen. Pastors hoped it would be a start to the healing process.
“Not that it gets any easier, but my story helps somebody else, somebody else helped me heal, I helped somebody else heal,” Page said.
Just as the rain started to fall, they gathered around the crosses for a candlelight vigil. Each family we spoke with said something has to be done with 176 homicide victims in Kansas City so far this year, three shy of the deadliest year in the city’s history.
