Faith and city leaders up on the peninsula held a prayer vigil on Sunday, Feb. 5 after last month's shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, where police say a 6-year-old shot first grade teacher Abby Zwerner.

"I cried because I said, 'why would a 6-year-old want or even think of a plan to shoot somebody, to harm somebody?'" said Tiffany Boyle, Newport News Commissioner of the Revenue and the organizer of Sunday's prayer vigil.

Inside the sanctuary of Liberty Live Church, parents, pastors, and Newport News city leaders came together to pray.

"We call upon your name God because we see the impact of gun violence in our communities," said Rev. Kevin Swann of Ivy Baptist Church.

After a series of shootings across Hampton Roads, the most recent impacting local schools was the shooting at Richneck Elementary back in January.

King is one of several parents who came out to the prayer vigil.

She has two boys in elementary school in Suffolk Public Schools and is now worried for their safety at school after what happened at Richneck.

"If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere," said King.

Other parents at the vigil also advocated for safety and security in the classrooms.

"Children follow each other and it was frightening," said Yolanda Hopson.

Hopson is a mother of two Hampton High School students.

While her kids are in high school, she said this shooting still hits home.

This story was reported by our media partners WTKR.

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