RALEIGH, N.C. — Crime scene tape and police cruisers no longer fill the streets of the east Raleigh neighborhood where a mass shooting took place last month. Instead, grieving and healing are both in play for the Hedingham community, which lost five of their own. The community is working to find a new normal.
What You Need To Know
- One month after the mass shooting in Hedingham, neighbors continue to heal
- The shooting took five lives on the evening of Oct. 13
- Neighbors are banding together in solidarity
On the face of it, the Hedingham neighborhood looks like it has returned to life as usual, but neighbors said the events of a month ago aren't so easily forgotten.
Virginia Knight, who lives just two holes away from where the shooting on the golf course took place, first had to come to terms with the tragedy before she could slowly begin to move forward.
“We're not going to forget, but we're going to live. That's what we're here for,” Knight said. “We're not here to just go through the motions, we want to make every second count, every minute count.”
She's back outside gardening and her husband is back to taking walks around the neighborhood again, but as much as they don't want to admit it, there is a lingering thought in the back of their minds about the safety of their quiet block.
“I noticed that with my mother-in-law, she's very anxious when he leaves to take a walk and go walking,” Knight said. “We cannot live in fear. If we do, we let that win and it's not going to.”
One thing Knight mentioned was how important Halloween was in the neighborhood this year. It was quite literally a blessing in disguise that allowed people to begin to heal. She said everyone needed to be reminded of the pure joy and innocence of children.
She said these streets have seen their fair share of loss, and her goal at this point is to bring the light, life and love back into them. Knight said the tragedy has managed to bring out the best in the community as they all work to heal together.
“I do believe it's really bringing out a more compassionate, kind, part of our neighborhood that we knew was there but we get lost in the business and it's just brought it back to the forefront where it needs to be,” Knight said.