EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio (WKBN) — The East Liverpool community came together Sunday to mourn and seek healing after a man opened fire in St. Clair Township on Wednesday afternoon, severely injuring Officer Dakota Wetzel and killing four-year-old Rosalie Martin.
The suspect, Joseph Como, is also dead.
Dozens of people gathered at the First Church of the Nazarene in East Liverpool for the service led by Rev. Matt Llewellyn.
“Nows not the time for wisdom. Now is the time for healing and grace,” he said.
Law enforcement officers from as far as Youngstown came in support of Wetzel, who is still recovering in the hospital after being shot in the head.
Attendees came to grieve Martin, who was killed after she was hit by a stray bullet at the dentist. Her father was at the service, receiving support from the community.
“It’s nice that we can have these gatherings so people can come out and express their grief, and so they’ll hopefully get some support,” said Dr. Robert Sylvies, a clinical psychologist.
Slyvies is a former pastor of the First Church of the Nazarene. He was one of several mental health professionals in the building to help anyone at the vigil who felt they needed one-on-one counseling.
“The community is trying to rally around the officers and the people here,” Slyvies said.
Llewellyn said the community is shaken by the tragedy.
“We are experiencing hopelessness. This is a community that feels there’s no hope for them and these things are symptoms of a much larger problem,” Llewellyn said.
The community is still collecting donations to support the families of Wetzel and Martin on the Ohio FOP Foundation’s website.
Wilson Corbisello contributed to this report.
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