Across the Valley and throughout the country, communities have been banding together to send a message of solidarity to those in Newtown, Conn.
Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School which took the lives of 26 people, including 20 children, left a nation stunned.
In Lordstown, Ruth Woods felt the urge to express her sympathy publicly.
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Raelynn Collins, 25, of Mineral Ridge, left, and Chelsie Sowers, 23, of Warren stand with candles on Sunday night in Lordstown. About 200 people showed up for a candlelight vigil held in the village square to honor the 26 people killed Friday in Newtown, Conn.
"I work at Akron Children's Hospital and I'm really close with kids," Woods said. "I couldn't imagine this happening to, not only my patients, but any child. I just want the families in Connecticut to know that there are people around the world who do care. There are good people out here and we are grieving with them."
Woods put out the word of an organized candlelight vigil to be held Sunday night at Founder's Park. The response was overwhelming.
"I honestly had no idea all these people were going to come," Woods said of the roughly 175 people who showed up. "That was great to see. It just goes to show there are so many people out there who care. It really shows something about this community that people are able to pull together at a time of need or tragedy."
The emotionally charged vigil included prayer readings by Ben Davis of Leavittsburg, "Amazing Grace" played on the bagpipes, Woods' reading of the victims' names and a moment of silence. On the picnic tables under the pavilion sat a row of 26 candles with bags over them, each labeled with a victims' name.
Tracie Allen of Lordstown brought her son and daughter to the event, but was unsure how to discuss the tragedy with her kids.
"I'm at a loss to even try to explain it. This is just such a horrific thing and a horrible act of violence," Allen said. "There are no words for it. The fact that we have two young children. Our hearts are just broken for the families in Connecticut."
Peggy Tibbs of Lordstown put the Newtown shooting in perspective with other recent tragedies in America.
"There is so much of this going on. It was just six months ago when there was the shooting in the theater," Tibbs said of the July 20 attack in Aurora, Colo., in which James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 58 others. "Are we going to forget about this next week until the next tragedy happens? We must not forget. I know I won't forget.
"Something has to be done."
According to Tibbs, the shooting marks a scary societal trend.
"You can't go to the theater or the mall. Little kids can't even go to school," she said. "We can't forget about this in a few weeks. It just breaks my heart."
President Barack Obama met with first responders and families Sunday who lost loved ones and spoke at an evening interfaith service at Newtown High School.
During the moment of silence in Lordstown, several families held hands and shed tears for those lost.
"I have three kids of my own and we are here to support all of the families," Frank Egley of Lordstown said.
Egley listed mandatory metal detectors at every school house as a measure that could help prevent such tragedies in the future. Meanwhile, his wife, Charlene, noted awareness is the real key.
"We have to be more in tune with what is going on with the kids as far as their attitudes and their actions," Charlene Egley said during the vigil. "We just have to get more in touch with our kids."