Hundreds Turn Out in Champaign for Vigil for Kiwane Carrington

Grief, anger, hope and resolve ... those were some of the feelings expressed Wednesday night at a candlelight vigil in memory of Kiawane Carrington, the 15-year-old Champaign youth shot to death last week in an altercation with police.

A crowd of several hundred --- overwhelmingly African-American, with a large percentage of young people --- gathered peacefully outside the house on West Vine Street where Kiwane Carrington was fatally wounded in what authorities have called an officer-involved shooting. With the investigation still ongoing and few details released, friend of the family Keesha Johnson called for unity.

"We as a community need to come together and seek justice for what happened to Kiwane Carrington," said Johnson to a round of applause.

Others who spoke at the vigil included Kiwane Carrington's father. In a quiet voice, Albert Carrington spoke to his son, "Kiwane, you know I told you I loved you, and I will still love you."

Regine Rivers, one of Kiwane Carrington's aunts, said she was at peace because Kiwane had accepted Jesus Christ as his savior before his death. "Kiwane accepted God at an early age", said Rivers. "Even though we didn't understand what he was doing, we understand now."

The gathering then walked through a light rain to New Hope Church of God in Christ a few blocks away. There, Baptist minister and State Senator James Meeks of Chicago cited the verse in Genesis, where God confronts Cain for the murder of his brother Abel with the words, "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground".

"We're here tonight because we hear some crying", said Meeks. "And the crying is coming from the ground. And the crying is the blood of Kiwane crying from the ground to the community, saying, 'don't y'all just accept what y'all hear on face value.'"

Meeks called on young people in the audience to NOT act out their frustrations, but to stay calm in any encounter with police. He also said Champaign needs more black police officers and an independent police review board.

Meeks also serves on the board of the Reverend Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. During his address at the church, Meeks held out the possibility of Jackson coming to Champaign, saying the civil rights leader was concerned about the Carrington shooting. But whatever the involvement of Jackson and himself, Meeks called on his audience to look to local ministers and pastors for leadership.

Funeral services for Kiwane Carrington will be held Friday at 11 A.M. at Salem Baptist Church, 500 East Park Street in Champaign.