FREDONIA, N.Y. — On Saturday evening, Barker Commons Park in Fredonia was a sea of light as community members came together to honor the life of Mackenzie Michalski, 31, who officials say was killed while on vacation in Budapest, Hungary.

“It speaks to the amazing network that our little village of Fredonia is,” said Melissa Pietrkiewicz, a friend of Michalski’s mother.

Michalski was first reported missing on Nov. 5. Police in Hungary have identified a man she had allegedly been seen with at multiple nightclubs as a suspect. Police say he was detained on Nov. 7 and later confessed to killing her.

“Some of the things that her friends have said is that she was funny and she was empathetic and she cared very deeply for people, which is difficult to do in the world we live in today,” Pietrkiewicz said. 

Although Michalski and her parents no longer live in Fredonia, the community still wanted to support the family.

“It's just so amazing the people hold the love," said the Rev. Joanna Copley-Nigero, pastor of City of Light Spiritualist Church. "Once you find these friends and find that love, people share it and they feel the pain and we feel like we’re all here for one another."

With less than 24 hours to organize the vigil, Pietrkiewicz said it took a lot of work.

“[It's taken] a lot of heart, a lot of hot glue, a lot of love, a lot of favors and a lot of the community pouring into Kenzie and her family,” she said. “[She was known for] helping others, caring for others [and] seeing the world.”

According to The Associated Press, Michalski’s parents attended a candlelit vigil in Budapest on Saturday. 

According to Hungarian authorities, the suspect claimed that the killing was an accident. He later led authorities to Michalski’s body, which they say he had removed from his apartment and taken by suitcase to a wooded area in an attempt to hide the crime.