Tragedy in Warren: Community joins together at vigil - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

WARREN, Ohio - A large crowd gathered inside the Warren Alliance Community Outreach Program Center Monday night to show support for the victims' families. The vigil was standing room only where community leaders not only expressed their sadness but also a call to action.

"Father, make us an example. Father, how a community can come together and turn things for our good. Let us not be remembered for tragedy but be remembered for triumph," said Bishop Noel Vaughn of New Vision Christian Church.

It was a sign of solidarity at the vigil in Warren, after a horrific single vehicle accident claimed the lives of six teens over the weekend- rocking this tight knit community to its core.

"You're grateful that it wasn't your kids but at the same time you're heartbroken because you don't know what you'd do without yours and you can hug yours but now they can't so it's another year, another Christmas, another birthday without their kid, that's hard, that's hard," said Heather Fraser of Warren.

In the standing room only space, it was clear the teens also touched the lives of many family, friends and city and school leaders.

"This came out of nowhere. These boys were clowns and silly and they played a lot. Family is everything. It always has been and the hardest part Ramone was more than my nephew, he was (like) my son," said Charlene Blackwell, an aunt of victim Ramone White.

Pastors voiced a call to action for the community to work harder at reaching out to kids and for the youth to listen.

Pastor Robert Lewis of House of Prayer Church said, "I am so tired of these vigils."

"We know we have a chance to live and not die. We can only pray for those gone on before and we don't have to repeat and duplicate this type of situation ever again," he said.

"If one child will stop to think about what they're doing before they're doing it, will slow down, will not get in a car full of teenagers, if one parent doesn't have to go through this then OK," said Blackwell.

Clinging on to the hope that something good will come from this immense loss.

While addressing the kids in the room, Pastor Lewis said that he's opening up the church on Wick Street to try to create a program where if anyone has any problems they can just come in and have someone to talk to, lean on and cry to there.