Dozens attended the vigil, organized by the Lehigh Valley chapter of Organizing for Action, despite today's frigid temperatures.
The horror that surrounded the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut last December pushed Gerard Kozic into action like so many other Americans, according to his wife, Linda Kozic.
But the 53-year-old Ross Township man's renewed desire to lobby for changes in gun control legislation lasted only eight months. On Aug. 5, Gerard Kozic was gunned down at a Ross Township municipal meeting, taking a bullet meant for his wife.
"Little did he or I know that it would be a noble end to his life," a wheelchair-bound Linda Kozic said at a vigil for victims of gun violence at Newtown and across the country. "He and the other victims of that day lived their lives to make a difference. And now their voices are silent."
Today's rally at Bethlehem's Payrow Plaza was the product of the Lehigh Valley chapter of Organizing for Action, a grass-roots movement that supports President Barack Obama's platform.
Several dozen people turned out despite the frigid temperatures to honor the 20 schoolchildren and six educators killed Dec. 14, 2012, in Newtown as well as other victims of gun violence who died in the last year. The Newtown shooter, Adam Lanza, killed himself after the rampage, which lasted about 10 minutes.
The names of 179 children under the age of 10 who were killed by guns since the Sandy Hook massacre were read aloud before flowers were placed on 20 tiny chairs signifying the lives lost at Sandy Hook.
Fritz Walker, leader of the Organizing for Action's gun prevention efforts,
said the Sandy Hook shooting was his own wake-up call, much like it was for Gerard Kozic.
"Listening to the coverage on the radio that day, I'm not ashamed to
admit I broke down crying," he said.
Despite the crumbling of what looked like gun control legislation poised for passage, including a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-Va., Walker said momentum for change isn't gone.
"We're not going away," he said, noting the passages of gun control laws in Colorado
and New York. "Everything is
different after Sandy Hook. We can find a way to respect the Second Amendment and still change things."
Ross shooting victim describes terror, calls for change
Unless you've lived it, Linda Kozic said it's hard to imagine the "depths of horror" during a mass shooting. On Aug. 5, she and her husband picked up James LaGuardia to attend the Ross Township supervisors meeting.
"I would be the only one of the three of us to leave there alive," Kozic said. "And barely alive."
She said Rockne Newell, the man charged in the
rampage, "hunted us like animals." Newell's rage stemmed from a property
dispute with township officials that lasted decades, according to authorities.
"The gunman tried to kill me three times," Kozic recounted today. "And on the third time, Jerry took the bullet meant for my head. My hero, my champion, my soul mate is now lost."
Killed alongside Kozic and LaGuardia was township zoning officer David Fleetwood, who died protecting a woman he didn't know, authorities said.
Christina Bauder, of Hellertown, said she attended the vigil to remember the young lives lost in Newtown and was greatly moved by Kozic's candid account.
"I mean here are people who are trying to change things and to have that happen," Bauder said, shaking her head. "It's just such a sad, sad thing."
Bauder was less optimistic than Walker
about the progress made since the Newtown shootings.
"I think the schools are trying to do their best," Bauder said. "But I think (politically), it's still an uphill battle."
Kozic urged those in attendance to make a stand for those whose lives were lost and to find time to be thankful for each day with those they love.
"Remember how gifted you are to give hugs to someone you love tonight," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "And give one more for those who are no longer around to hug."