Capital Gazette Shooting: Wreath-Laying Will Honor Victims 5 Years After Attack

Press release from the City of Annapolis:

Annapolis, MD (June 23, 2023) – The City of Annapolis will host a Five Year Remembrance and Wreath Laying Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The ceremony honors First Amendment freedoms and all victims of gun violence in memory of Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters, the five people killed in the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette on June 28, 2018. The wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Guardians of the First Amendment Memorial (Compromise Street at Newman Street, Annapolis).

The ceremony will feature music, poetry and remarks provided on behalf of family members, staff of the Capital Gazette, and other victims of gun violence. To mark five years, and to honor the five victims of the Capital Gazette shooting, five wreaths will be laid at the conclusion of the ceremony.

Following the ceremony, there will be an opportunity for press questions and interviews.

The event will be an opportunity to honor the memories of victims of gun violence and come together as a community to support survivors. Since last June, the following individuals were killed due to gun violence in Annapolis.

• On June 15, 2023, Nelson Poston, 20, was killed in a shooting in the 1300 block of Tyler Avenue.
• On June 11, 2023, three people were killed in a mass shooting incident in the 1000 block of Paddington Place. Those victims are: Mario Mireles, Nicolas Mireles and Christian Segovia. Three others were wounded.
• On June 3, 2023, Amari Tydings, 26, was killed in a shooting in the 1100 block of Madison Street.
• On March 2, 2023, Raphael Hilton Johnson Jr., 48, was killed in a shooting in the 100 block of Obery Court
• On January 22, 2023, Reco Johnson was killed in a shooting in the 700 block of Newtowne Drive.

To mark the Five Year Remembrance, Arundel Connecting Together has prepared an online guide for local churches and community groups to engage in a weekend of reflection. The aim is to honor the tragedy at the Capital Gazette and encourage our community to work for solutions to gun violence. The resource is available at: www.actaaco.org/gun-violence-prevention

The City of Annapolis would like to acknowledge the contribution and support of many partners in planning the Remembrance event including the victim’s families, the Caucus of African American Leaders, the Capital Gazette, the Anne Arundel County Executive’s Office, the Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office, and Arundel Connecting Together, and victim’s advocacy and support groups.

RSVP to the Guardian’s Memorial Wreath Laying event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guardians-memorial-wreath-laying-and-reception-tickets-651091400907

This press release was produced by the City of Annapolis. The views expressed here are the author’s own.