News Release

Candlelight Vigil to Honor Victims of Gun Violence

Date: January 5, 2011

Topeka, KS - Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site will host a candlelight vigil to honor the memories of the victims of gun violence at 5 p.m. on January 8. All members of the community are invited to attend. Park Superintendent David Smith will lead the vigil.

The historic site recognizes the destructive effect gun violence has had on park neighbors with the recent shooting at Mo's Express. The vigil will also provide an opportunity for park staff to honor the memory of National Park Service Ranger Margaret Anderson, who died in the line of duty on New Year's Day. Anderson was shot to death at Mount Rainier National Park as she attempted to stop her eventual killer from proceeding into a crowded park with multiple firearms. These two tragic events are sad reminders that gun violence can affect any community and any neighborhood.

January 8 also marks the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others in a Tucson area shopping center that resulted in six deaths. Candlelight vigils will be held across the nation to educate the public of the dangers of gun violence and to honor the memories of those lost.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in public schools. The site is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas, and is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. For more information visit our website at www.nps.gov/brvb or call 785-354-4273.