LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville's leaders called this time, immediately following a mass shooting at Old National Bank, a moment of pause and reflection.
As bells tolled across the Metro, messages of peace and resilience resonated in kind.
In his 63 years as a pastor, Reverend Charles Elliot said he's never seen anything like this.
The man who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr so many years ago said "love does the same thing light does to darkness; if we had loved each other this would not have happened."
That light returned to Louisville Wednesday, beaming down as our interconnected community gathered in grief at the Ali Center.
PHOTOS | Vigil honors victims, survivors of downtown Louisville mass shooting
"Because the shooting came to our town," Cathy Mekuys with Moms Demand Action said. "It came to a place where I actually spent a lot of time on the steps, right there watching my husband and my daughter run in road races here."
People from as far as Chicago came to Louisville Wednesday. Some wrote prayer cards for the victims at Old National Bank.
One man read a portion of his note to us.
"Always remember Jesus Christ is here with you guys and loves you very much," he said.
Then there are people like Laura Sharpes, who just moved here two weeks ago now grappling with a community in tragedy. Like so many of us, she's a part of this city that is home to some of the world's greatest heroes and greatest tragedies.
"I'm a new neighbor," Sharpes said. "And I feel hit in my soul gut."
As our governor, mayor and faith leaders spoke of tragedy, pain and action - a red banner started to unfurl in the crowd.
Four middle schoolers from St. Francis held the banner that read "May Peace Prevail on Earth."
"I feel like we need to educate people more on why things happen and how we can prevent them," seventh-grader Harper Sexton told WHAS11 News.
As the speeches finished and the crowd dispersed, many filed into churches across the Metro for more intimate services.
At 7 p.m. bells rang throughout Louisville, marking this period of reflection and grief, as families continue to plan funerals for loved ones they lost unexpectedly.
► Contact reporter Tom Lally at TLally@whas11.com or on Facebook or Twitter.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.