Families remember loved ones lost to homicide at On Wings of Love in Clarksville | PHOTOS

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Around 300 people huddled around brightly lit Christmas trees on Monday, some holding handmade ornaments with pictures of their loved ones – loved ones lost to homicide over the years.

They gathered at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center for the 27th annual On Wings of Love ceremony, hosted by the 19th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Family and friends of the victims, along with law enforcement, place a handmade Christmas ornament on two trees. Before hanging the ornament, many introduced themselves and the name of the person they had lost.

District Attorney General Robert Nash told the crowd not to try counting the names on the list of homicide victims attached to the program. “I’ve already done it for you. There are 558 names; 21 new additions.”

“I have one question: When is enough enough?” Nash said. “There’s two things the justice system can provide: punishment and deterrent. … I think one (homicide) is too many.” Nash recalled the Bible story of Cain and Abel, saying that God’s anger toward Abel’s killing was immediate. “He was mad at the first one (murder) and we should be mad when there’s one.”

The guest speaker was Fairlen Browning, author of “On the Wings of Grace: A Story of Loss, Hope and Redemption,” about her journey through grief and loss after losing her 7-month-old daughter to homicide.

“No one in this room tonight volunteered to be in this room,” Browning said. “These names represent mothers, fathers, children and friends. … Tonight we pause to remember those stories, those sparks, those quirky personalities. More importantly, we refuse to let their lives be consumed by the shadow of darkness.”

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