HOMESTEAD, Pa. -- Neighbors in Homestead gathered at Frick Park Friday night for a vigil to remember the victims of recent violence.

The vigil was especially emotional for the family of Marc Ferguson, 22.

"He was a good kid," said his mother, Deana Keenan. "He had a big heart, and his life was just taken away from him for no reason by someone that we grew up with."

Ferguson was shot and killed in the 600 block of Ann Street in Homestead on Aug. 21. Allegheny County police issued an arrest warrant that same day for Raymond Glaze Jr. He still has not been arrested.

The vigil was a chance for communities touched by violence to unite for change, and it was a time for victims who have lost loved ones to lean on someone for strength.

"That's the real message tonight," said event organizer Niecy Dennis. "Loss is painful. Violence hurts, but we want to keep hope alive that people understand we have to move forward and engage our young people to be peace ambassadors."

Two other vigils were also held in Homewood and the North Side.