St. Paul memorial of shirts challenges devastation of gun violence

On a chilly Saturday morning, Sonia Gonzalez walked through downtown St. Paul and saw what looked like angels.

What she thought were divine spirits floating to a chorus of church bells was actually more than 100 shirts drifting with the breeze in front of Central Presbyterian Church. Each shirt carried the names and ages of people who died from gun violence in Ramsey County between 2021 and 2022.

Gonzalez is no stranger to violence. She recounted numerous times when she was robbed, assaulted and held at gunpoint. But as she looked at the memorial, Gonzalez recognized that she could have also become another name on a shirt.

"I was homeless in California when I found a ride and [was] robbed. I was robbed down here on Wabasha Street too," Gonzalez said in front of the church. "I think it's terrible [knowing these shirts are victims of gun violence], and I think we need to pray more."

Congregants at Central Presbyterian Church erected the memorial to start conversations like these, motivated to do something about the issue by gun violence across the county and state. Some of those memorialized died from accidental shootings. Many were murdered, or were veterans and young adults who died by suicide.

Virgie Bundy, a retired teacher and member of the church, said it's hard to fathom the effects of such violence on youth.

"It's just tragic, isn't it, to think these lives have been stolen," Bundy said, motioning to the dozens of shirts behind her. Some bore ages for people who died at 17. One was as young as 2. "Because somebody had a gun that was not locked up, or was misused, or they bought it illegally, or for whatever reason, they have a gun that kills. And that has to be changed."

St. Paul City Council members approved a gun storage ordinance this spring to decrease the number of stolen weapons and violent gun crimes across the city. And all nine of Ramsey County's law enforcement agencies have started what they're calling a "full court press" on nonfatal shooting investigations to do much of the same.

Still, violence continues to rock communities across St. Paul.

An Oct. 4 shooting on St. Paul's East Side killed 14-year-old Monica Holley and injured three others, putting this year's homicide total, 27, on pace with last year's. Family members say Holley was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire, and Mayor Melvin Carter joined others in expressing grief and frustration for the "unconscionable" shooting.

Bundy said Holley's murder is personal because fellow church members know her family. For Roger Grussing, such tragic coincidence should not be the norm.

Grussing worked as an assistant pastor for the church in the mid-1960s before joining its mission and justice committee. He said Saturday's memorial prefaces another event they will host at the church Oct. 14. That event, which starts at 10 a.m., will offer a moment to mourn gun violence victims before people who have been affected by the issue will share experiences. Around 15 groups working on the topic will gather afterwards for an information fair about their work and ways to reduce gun violence.