A Riverdale church has organized a candlelight vigil for the presumed victims of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.
The vigil is being held at the Metropolitan Community Church near Gerrard Street and Carlaw Avenue at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
According to a press release, the vigil is being held to provide those who are grieving with a place for “contemplation, community prayer and support.
McArthur has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder so far, though police have said that other charges are likely.
The victims identified by police to date include Andrew Kinsman, Salim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, and Dean Lisowick.
“The LGBTQ community is obviously deeply affected by this. A lot of people in the community can see themselves in the faces of the victims but this isn’t just an LGBTQ issue, it is affecting the entirety of the City of Toronto,” Reverend Jeff Rock told CP24 on Saturday. “We want to cross the boundaries of race and gender and sexuality and just build some solidarity in our community.”
Members of the Church and Wellesley community have long contended that there was a serial killer preying upon men in the village but police had, until recently, dismissed that theory.
Speaking with CP24, Rock said that there will be other opportunities “to talk about the politics of this.”
He said that the most important thing right now is that a grieving community gets the support it needs.
“The best way to deal with this is to come together, to let the tears out, to grieve together and to realize that we are not alone in our grief,” he said.
