29th annual Candlelight Memorial Service honors lives lost to violent crimes [Video]

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – It’s a candlelight memorial service that many families hope they never have to attend.

The 29th annual Candlelight Memorial Service honored those who have lost their lives to acts of violence, including murder, domestic violence, and drunk driving. It was held at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Wilmington on Friday night.

Many families attend year after year to both remember their loved ones and bond with others who can understand their pain.

Irene Rowell attended this event for the fifth time this year. She comes to honor her parents, Dennis and Theresa Rowell, who were killed in a home invasion in Shallotte in 2019.

“My mom, her laugh was like so contagious,” Rowell said. “I can still hear it even now. [The service] helps us remember our parents, but not only with just our family but with everyone else that’s lost families to homicide.”

Rowell …