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Chicagoans Affected By Violence To Gather At Vigils Thursday Night

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago-area people touched by violence will gather on the South and West Sides Thursday night as part of the National Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence.

The organizer, Gwendolyn Baxter, knows all too well the pain and heartbreak of losing a loved one to gun violence.

"Grief will overtake you when you get to thinking about your child and the way that they died and then you don't have answers, a lot of the cases are unsolved, my son's case is unsolved, so when I was grieving, I was Grieving myself sick."

Baxter is the executive Greater Roseland Community Committee and Youth Voices Against Violence work that has helped her deal with the grief.

She wants others to know that talking about it with those who have been there helps.

"This is the holiday season, a lot of families, this really for me, I know it's the worst time for me in my life when dealing with the death of my son, holidays are the worst."

Chicagoans Affected By Violence TO Gather At Vigils Thursday Night

The vigils start at 6 p.m. Thursday at 111th and Indiana and on the 2600 block of West Jackson.

Baxter encourages people to bring loved ones pictures to leave behind.

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