A candlelight vigil brought the community together tonight to honor the lives of loved ones lost to homicide and call for an end to the violence that took them too soon.
Homicide Survivors Inc. hosted the annual vigil as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
Candles were lit and placed next to photos and memorials as community members stepped up to share memories and the heartache that comes with their absence.
The family of Isaac Benitez came to honor his life, saying he was the best thing that ever happened to them.
"He was the best light in our lives. God blessed us with him. He was always telling us he loved us a hundred times a day. He was our hero," the Benitez family said.
To celebrate Isaac and every victim of homicide, Homicide Survivors Inc. hosted its annual vigil as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
Community members brought candles and photos of loved ones who were victims to homicide, and honored them in a ceremony attended by over a hundred people.
"It is really important for them to find a place where they're not isolated...where they feel supported, heard, and seen, and can lean on one another," Homicide Survivors Inc. Executive Director Dennisse Ley said.
The Benitez family hopes the violence stops...
"We need to stop the violence… stop the drugs and the bullying and the car violence… Us, the community, could do it together," the Benitez family said.
While they remember the joy Isaac brought into their lives.
"Anyone who knows me will now know Isaac… and his legacy will live on forever. Long live Isaac, forever 17th," a member of the Benitez family said.
"Isaac, life matters… Remember Isaac forever until we take our last breath. We love you, baby," the Benitez family said.
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JJ McKinney joined KGUN 9 in July of 2025 as a multimedia journalist. He graduated from Colorado State University in May of 2025 with a degree in journalism and media communications and a minor in law. With a background in investigative reporting and documentary filmmaking, JJ is dedicated to giving a platform to the voices of his community. Share your story ideas and important issues with JJ by emailing jj.mckinney@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
