CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Crowds gathered to honor the lives of five servicemen who were killed in a deadly attack two months ago in Chattanooga.
The Chattanooga Unite: Tribute on the River parade was held Wednesday, paying tribute to the lives of Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson Holmquist, Lance Cpl. Squire “Skip” Wells and Navy Petty Officer Randall Smith.
The four Marines and sailor were killed in a shooting rampage by 24-year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez on July 16.
“We lost these five heroes to violence and something that cannot be made sense of,” Mayor Andy Berke said.
The tribute, which was a fundraiser for the victims’ families, was sponsored by Friends of the Festival, multiple media outlets reported. The event featured a parade, followed by a memorial service at Ross’s Landing and a tribute concert. Chattanooga native Samuel L. Jackson emceed the event.
“We are all one family here today and we grieve for all that was lost,” the actor told the crowd.
During the event, the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels performed a flyby as the crowd watched from below. The day’s events culminated with a performance by country star Brantley Gilbert, who was joined onstage by fellow country artists Trace Adkins and Colt Ford and former Staind frontman Aaron Lewis.
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