Chattanoogans mourn at vigil after attack

CHATTANOOGA — Hours after a gunman took the lives of four U.S. Marines, residents of the city gathered at a local church, hoping to find comfort in one another and through prayer.

"We need to be calm because I sense fear and panic in our community," said Kevin Wallace, senior pastor of Redemption Point Church, which welcomed over 100 community members for a Thursday night vigil.

Earlier in the day, several miles north of the church in downtown Chattanooga, a shooter, who the FBI later identified as 24-year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, shot and killed four U.S. Marines at a Navy Reserves facility. His shooting spree began at a military recruitment center and ended in his death.

Gary Hill, a resident of the city of approximately 173,000 who attended the vigil, said its small-town feel made it seem like an unlikely location for such a violent act.

"Me and my wife were talking about it on our way here," Hill said before entering the sanctuary. "You couldn't imagine something like that happening here, really. You think New York or California, but not here."

Hill attended the prayer session "to show support for our servicemen and our police."

Jamie Ferguson, another Chattanoogan and vigil attendee, agreed, saying she "couldn't believe it happened here" in what she described as a friendly, small city.

But when the reality of the tragedy set in, she turned to the church to offer some guidance.

"It means the world," Ferguson said of having a spiritual community that activated quickly after the attack. "You're not alone. We're not alone."