People affected by homicide gather to remember loved ones

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Families of homicide victims gathered on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to remember their loved ones Monday night.

Advocacy groups, those who provide victim services and law enforcement officers stood side-by-side with those who have been touched by homicide as a part of the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims.

Aleida Garcia quickly learned she was not alone when her son Alehandro Rojas-Garcia was shot to death in Philadelphia.

Garcia formed the National Homicide Justice Alliance.

"I think it helps," said Garcia. "We suffer, we cry, we fight and scream and at the end of the day we know there is someone else there for us."

Dozens from around the tri-state area clutched signs of their loved ones, remembering the fateful dates of their deaths.

"My daughter is Natasha Gibson. She died Sept. 22, 2016," said Zelda Gibson of Yeadon.

Some are angry that cases remain unsolved, but all are looking for unity.

"People are co-victims of homicide, said Movita Johnson-Harrell of The Charles Foundation. "They feel so alone and isolated."

Johnson-Harrell runs the Charles Foundation in memory of her son. She has lost three members of her family to gun violence.

By Monday night, the city of Philadelphia had seen 222 homicides, up six percent from last year.

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